The Saotome Sisters
by Richard Ryley
Summary: Ranma refuses to abandon Ukyo when they are six, and they grow up as brother and sister. They arrive at the Tendo Dojo with an unusual shared curse. AU, not a three way shipping - Chapter 77: Ranma finds out what Akane has been up to. When the true nature of Happosai's wrath comes out, though, will Ranma be forced to leave?
1. The Strange Sisters

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2, and all related characters, are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ Communications, and any other owners of this trademark present or future. This is a work of fanfiction, and may not be distributed commercially. Although there is no explicitly adult content in this fanfiction, like the original material it contains references to nudity and some adult situations, and should be rated T/PG-13.

* * *

"The Saotome Sisters"

by Richard Ryley

A petite, teenaged girl slid down the street, coming to a halt in the intersection. Her red hair, tied in a pigtail, was soaking wet from the rain. So were her clothes, which were somewhat masculine in appearance, a blue shirt and darker pants in a Chinese style. As she fell into a martial arts stance, prepared for the threat, a giant panda approached her. It somehow struck a pose itself, raising its paws to strike.

"Well, I still say this whole thing sucks! Engaging us to be married? Without even asking?"

The panda, of course, said nothing. Instead, it launched an attack on the girl, which she quickly sidestepped. The watching audience would have tried to get out of the way of the fight, if most of them hadn't been stunned into inactivity by the sight of a karate using panda. The girl tried to avoid them, but she was forced into the crowd of bystanders, and fell to the rain slick ground.

Before the panda could move in, though, a new figure leaped at him. This martial artist appeared to be a boy, with long brown hair, tied in a ponytail. He wore a red shirt of a more obviously Chinese design, and black pants. As the figure spoke, however, her soprano voice revealed her to also be a girl.

"Stay outta this, Sis!" the new girl yelled, as she nailed the panda with a kick to the head. "I'm the one Pops is picking a fiancée for!"

"That's even worse! A girl you don't even know!" She turned back to the panda. "Forget it! We're going back to China! So suck on that, old man!"

The crowd murmured at this. First of all, there was a panda on a rampage attacking young girls. A panda that knows martial arts. That might have a logical explanation but girls getting engaged to other girls? Against their will? Okay, that's just crazy...

The panda regained his feet, as the redheaded girl severed a street sign with a slash of her hand. She picked it up easily, wielding it as a weapon. As the redheaded girl leaped at him, the panda countered, wrenching the sign out of her hand and clobbering her with it. He slung the girl over his shoulder, while the ponytailed girl pounded on him from behind.

"Cut it out, you stupid panda! Sis! wake up! You gotta wake up!" The panda took off charging down the street, while the girl gave chase, screaming for the panda to stop.

* * *

"Kasumi! Nabiki! Akane! Come quickly! I have news!"

Soun Tendo called his daughters into the family room of the Tendo home. As they sat at the table expectantly, he looked out over the koi pond behind the house, looking smug.

"I have just heard from an old friend of mine, Genma Saotome. He and his son Ranma have been on a voyage of training. They recently crossed over into China, but are returning to Japan, and coming here. If one of you three girls was to marry him, and carry on this training center, then the Tendo family legacy would be secure."

"An arranged marriage?" Nabiki looked annoyed, but as if she were trying to find an angle in it for herself.

Akane was merely furious. "Hey! Don't we have some say in who we marry?"

"Now old is he?" Kasumi said. "Younger men bore me."

Nabiki eyed her father carefully. "What kind of guy is this Ranma? Is he at least cute?"

Soun feigned an overly happy laugh. "I have no idea. I've never met him."

There were further protests from the girls, but the conversation was interrupted by noises from the gate. Calling out that it must be his old friend, Soun ran for the door, followed closely by Nabiki. They soon came running back down the hallway, however, as a huge panda bear followed them, holding a young girl over its shoulder.

"Old Man!" The pigtailed girl yelled. "Put me down! You're scaring them spitless!"

As the panda and the girl came to a halt on the engawa, the brown haired girl charged in behind them. She slammed into the panda, not expecting it to have stopped so suddenly, and fell back on her bottom. Scowling, she climbed back to her feet.

"Daddy," Kasumi asked innocently. "Is this your friend?"

Soun shook his head. Nabiki yelled at him, a little overwhelmed. "Oh, so this panda just decided to visit! Happens all the time!"

The panda had set the redhead down on the floor in front of him, and turned to the girl behind him. He fell into an attack stance again, and the girl with the ponytail did the same. Before they could move, though, Soun spoke to the redhead.

"You wouldn't be... Ranma Saotome... would you?"

The girl's blue eyes widened. Her mouth opened, but before she could speak, the other girl shoved past the panda. "Hey... I'M Ranma Saotome!"

The redhead looked at the lanky figure in the Chinese clothing, and her eyes widened even further. "Ranchan?"

The taller girl smiled at her sister. "I got this."

"But..." the redhead looked afraid. "But you're... And I'm..." She pointed at her "brother's" chest. "What about..."

Ranma blushed, but turned back to Soun. "I'm Ranma Saotome."

The redhead muttered, "We're gonna be sorry about this."

Soun had hugged the "boy". "At last, you've come! It's so good of you to come!" He squeezed Ranma tightly, but Nabiki was eyeing both girls carefully. Tapping her father on the shoulder, she pulled him away.

Nabiki studied Ranma's chest for a long moment. Finally, she unbuttoned the red Chinese shirt. While she was not nearly as generously endowed as the redhaired girl, there was no doubt about what Nabiki found there. "Ranma isn't a boy, Daddy. 'He' is a girl."

Soun fainted.

"Oh, poor Daddy," put in Kasumi. She quickly set about trying to pull out a mat for her father to lay on, and Ranma and the redhead helped Akane lift him onto it.

"What's the big idea trying to fool us? Did you think we'd believe you're a guy?" Nabiki frowned at the so-called boy. It was too bad, too, he would have been kind of cute as a boy. He had the most expressive blue-green eyes...

"Hey, who says I'm not a..." Ranma was interrupted as her sister hit her. The little redhead then blushed and looked down at the floor, a movement echoed by the taller girl.

"It... uh... wasn't really my idea..." Ranma said. She looked very uncomfortable, and kept glancing at her sister for support. The redhead looked as embarrassed and intimidated as Ranma, however.

Akane finally spoke up. "Don't blame Ranma, it was probably his... her father's idea. I mean, look how she's dressed, her father obviously raised her as a boy. We'll just have to wait and talk to Mr. Saotome, and see what he says."

The two girls glanced at her, then at each other. "We know you're Ranma," said Akane, "so who is this? Your sister?"

Ranma looked at her sister and swallowed. "Oh, uh, yeah. This is... well, she ain't really my sister, but Pops adopted her and brought her along to train with me."

The redheaded girl laughed in embarrassment. "Yeah, hi. My name is Ukyo Kuonji."

"You're not Ranma's sister?"

"No. Ranchan and I met when we were six. My father asked his Pops to train me as well. So I've been following them around on the road."

Soun had finally come around. "But... Genma said that he had a son," he said, still lying somewhat stunned on the mat.

"Do you see a son here, Daddy?" Nabiki grabbed Ranma's breast and squeezed it.

Ukyo slapped at Nabiki's hand. "Hey! Watch what you're doing to..." She blushed hotly, then looked at the ground. "... his... um... her body..."

Nabiki smirked. "His body? Are you confused about the difference between boys and girls too?"

"Leave them alone, Nabiki!" Akane had noticed how uncomfortable the two girls had become, and kind of liked the way the redhead had stood up for her sister. "Ranma and Ukyo are our guests!"

"I'm Akane." She smiled at Ukyo, then met the more turquoise eyes of Ranma. "Do you two want to be friends?"

The look of surprise and hope in Ranma's eyes was a bit unexpected. "Friends... ?" she muttered.

Ukyo had begun to smile as well. She put a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Yeah, we'd like that... wouldn't we, Ranchan?"

Ranma looked suddenly fearful. "But..." He glanced at Ukyo.

"It'll be all right. You'll see."

The ponytailed girl grinned. "Okay. Yeah, friends."

"You two are martial artists, right? Wanna join me in the practice hall?"

For the first time, the brown haired girl's eyes lit up with excitement. Her mouth quirked in a smile of challenge. "Sure!" Then she looked at Ukyo. "Unless you'd rather..."

Ukyo snickered. "Naw, Ranchan. You can go first. I'll just watch."

The three girls headed for the dojo, while Akane's two sisters tried to browbeat their father for more information. None of them paid much attention to the panda as it made its way down the hall to the furoba.

* * *

Akane came into the bathing room, stopping to throw her clothes into the hamper. She noticed the red and blue outfits both lying there. "Good," she said. "We can all take our bath."

The sparring match had certainly turned out to be interesting. She had not expected the two girls to share her interest in the Art, but Ranma had turned out to be unbelievably good. At first, she hadn't even fought back, although Ukyo had snapped at her, which stopped her from just dodging around. She still never tried to land a blow though, and Akane found the girl's attitude a little irritating. Okay, it was obvious she was good. Did she have to be a jerk about it?

The fight with Ukyo had been a bit more even, if just as humiliating. She suspected Ukyo enjoyed having the advantage over her way too much, probably because her "Ranchan" probably outclassed her, too, and was as big a jerk about it. However, she had some useful advice on holding her temper and working on her speed that Akane took to heart.

As she stepped up to the divider to the bath, she heard talking from inside. "You're not looking, right?" It was Ranma's voice. "I'm coming out."

After a moment, Ranma spoke again. "Should we go out like that? I dunno if we should..."

"Well, it's too late now, you've already spilled the beans." Akane giggled. Was Ranma talking to herself?

"I ain't hidin' who I really am. They'll have to find out anyway, sooner or later." She gave a loud sigh. "Go on, I'll get in the furo."

There was a short pause, and the divider slid open. Ranma was standing there, and her eyes widened in shock. "A... Akane!"

"I thought you said you were getting in the furo," Akane commented, a bit taken aback by the expression of fear on the ponytailed girl's face. "I expected Ukyo to come out."

Akane started to enter the bath herself, but Ranma seemed to fly into a panic. "No! Don't go in there!" She grabbed Akane's arm, but she was already sliding open the divider.

"Ukyo, you okay... ?" Akane's voice trailed off. In front of her, was a tall, muscular, and unmistakably masculine black haired boy with a pigtail, who had just finished putting one leg into the furo. He turned to look at her, as Akane, despite all intentions to the contrary, shifted her gaze slightly to confirm that she was, definitely, looking at a man. Before it could fully register what she was seeing, and in fact that he was seeing her, she was suddenly being pulled back into the laundry room.

Ranma was blushing furiously. "Sorry, Akane. I... Sorry."

Akane could say nothing for several moments. When she finally did, it was with an explosion of anger. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"

Ranma could not resist a grin. But then her expression turned serious. "Um... well, you know... That was... a guy. Sorry. What that really was, was... well..."

She looked uncomfortable for a moment, but then bit the bullet and forced it out. "That was Ranma Saotome."

"What! You said you were Ranma Saotome!"

The girl blushed again, and looked at the ground. "No... actually I didn't, but it's... well, complicated. Look, I'll explain everything in a minute. Could you just leave for now?"

Akane's fists were clenched, and it looked like she was about to start hitting something. If not someone. "What, you think I'm going to leave without some sort of explanation? Give me two reasons why I should!"

"Well... first of all, sugar, if you don't, you'll get to take another look at my brother when he walks out of the furo. And so will I, and honestly, even though I do think of him as my brother I do try to give him his privacy, as much as I can when you've got to bathe in the same mountain streams and such.

"And two, unless you and I get our clothes on before he gets out, he'll get to see YOU again, too."

Akane turned even redder, although how much of it was still anger was a good question. Without another word, she slipped back into her gi, and stomped out of the room.

The brown haired girl breathed a heavy sigh. Reaching for her clothes in the hamper, she called out to the furo. "Ranchan, I'll be done in a minute. I'll be waiting for you in the hall."

Several minutes later, the black haired boy with the pigtail came into the family room, with his sister close behind him. Oddly, "Ranma" was now wearing Ukyo's blue outfit, while the pigtailed boy was wearing the red shirt and pants. The clothes seemed to fit them better that way around.

Akane glared at the two of them, but Nabiki merely looked surprised. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ranma Saotome," said the pigtailed boy.

"I knew we were going to be sorry about this," added the brown haired girl.

* * *

"I am Genma Saotome," said the balding man in the worn gi. "And this is my son..."

"... Ranma." Ranma and Ukyo both glanced up at Akane, to find her glaring at them.

"I thought that you said you were Ranma Saotome," Kasumi said to the girl with the ponytail, although of course without a hint of reproach in her voice. Not more than a little bit, anyway.

"Actually... I kinda didn't. You see... I was the little redhaired girl. I'm Ukyo."

As this sank in, Genma cleared his throat. "Where should I begin? I know..."

Moving with a speed that was somewhat surprising, given Ranma's already demonstrated agility, Genma grabbed his son by the shirt. Tossing him over his head, he sent the boy sailing through the air and into the koi pond.

Ranma emerged from the water as a brown haired girl, sputtering and spitting out water. The Tendo family all turned to look at Ukyo, who shrugged. The two girls looked exactly identical, except for their different clothes.

"What'd you do that for old man?" Ranma exclaimed, in Ukyo's voice.

"Were you not prepared to... whoop!" Genma's retort to his son was cut short as Ukyo suddenly leaped behind him, and propelled him into the pond as well. Moments later, the pond was overfilled by the mass of a panda.

"Ha ha! Good one Sis!" Ranma ducked as the panda swung at her, and moments later the two martial artists were engaged in frantic combat.

Ukyo sighed. "Maybe I'd better explain. It all started in the Bayankala mountains, in the Qinghai province of China. There is a legendary training ground there, Jusenkyo, the Training Grounds of Cursed Springs. The old man brought us there to train.

"There was this funny guy there, the Jusenkyo guide, and he was trying to warn us about the place, but Ranma and the old man didn't listen. Too busy playing their male ego games to pay attention." Ukyo smirked. "There are all these bamboo poles stuck into the springs, and Genma hopped onto one of them, and Ranma followed.

"Now, the guide was going on about 'Very dangerous you fall in spring' and talking how each of them had their own tragic legend, but I just decided to stand back and watch. Sure enough, Ranma gets the best of the old man in a few seconds, and knocks him into one of the springs.

"All of a sudden, this panda comes jumping out of the spring, just like you see there." She gestured at the panda fighting the girl in the middle of the koi pond. "The guide said something about 'You fall in Spring of Drowned Panda' and 'now you cursed to take body of panda', but I had already started to figure out what was going on. I could see Ranma was panicking, and when he heard what the guide was saying and turned to look at him, the old man hit him in the back."

Ukyo looked sort of sheepish. "I didn't really think about it, I just sort of reacted. I mean, obviously I could have been cursed too, but I just thought that I had to save Ranchan. I didn't think of anything else. So I just leaped at him, and as he flew at one the pools, I grabbed him, and flung him aside. He just barely missed the pool, but I fell in it.

"I was fine, though. I heard the Jusenkyo guide say, 'you very lucky one, you fall in Spring of Drowned Girl, but you not affected because you already girl.' But Ranma was reaching over to help me out, and just as he did, the stupid panda jumped up and kicked him in the back."

Ukyo turned a glare on the panda. He and Ranma had stopped fighting, and were watching her tell the story. "Ranchan slammed into me, and we fell into the water together. And I felt this... weird tingling, kind of. Suddenly I was changing, I could feel it. I turned into the red haired girl you saw, and Ranma turned into me."

"Ah, that explains it." Nabiki had said that. Soun and Kasumi seemed too stunned to say anything, and even Akane was looking a little shell-shocked. "And that girl, she's got blue eyes and a pigtail, like Ranma."

Ukyo nodded. "At first, the guide thought I was Ranchan, since he thought he had changed and I was still unaffected. But then when we explained what had happened, he guessed that the fact that we had been touching when we hit the water, plus the fact that the Spring had tried to curse me before but failed, caused it to act this way. He mentioned that sometimes the Jusenkyo magic tends to have a mind of its own..."

"So, Ranma is a boy that turns into a girl, and you're a girl that gets cuter, and a lot better endowed."

"Hey!" Ukyo said hotly. "I happen to think I'm kind of cute in my natural form, too! A little bit, anyway..."

Nabiki smirked. "But the better endowed thing you can't argue with, huh?"

"Well, no." Ukyo blushed, but then managed to fan her anger up again. "That didn't stop you from feeling up my body, though! And that was MY body..."

"Hey, I was just trying to confirm that Ranma was a girl. It's not my fault he was in your body at the time."

Akane spoke up. "But in the furo, he was... he was..." Her face grew redder and redder, although it was not so much from anger now. "And you... that's why I thought you were talking to yourself. You were both in... the same body..." Akane's voice trailed off as she considered that.

"Hot water reverses the curse. Temporarily. Cold water returns you to your cursed form. Ranma was getting in the furo when you... saw him..." She couldn't hold back the grin, even though it made Akane scowl. "And I had just gotten out."

"Yes, Genma already told me about this," Soun produced a kettle, which he poured over Genma's head. The panda returned to being the old man in the gi.

"I said it needed to be hot," Genma said with a grimace of pain, "Not boiling!"

He then tried to pour the kettle over Ranma, but she dodged it. "There, you see, your problem isn't so terrible after all."

"Easy for you to say," Ukyo said. "No one's sharing your body."

Soun put his arm around Ranma's shoulder. "Go ahead, boy. These are my daughters, Kasumi, nineteen, Nabiki, seventeen, and Akane, sixteen. Pick the one you want, and she will be your fiancee."

"Fiancee? Hey, wait a minute!"

The other two girls had crowded around Akane. "Oh, he wants Akane. They're perfect for each other."

"Why do you say that?" Akane snapped.

"Well, you hate boys, right?" Nabiki answered. "You're in luck, he's half girl."

"He's half ME!" cut in Ukyo. "I'm not letting some woman touch me!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Akane yelled back.

"Hey, I don' wanna get engaged anyway! I got no time for fiancée's! I got to get back to China and find a cure for this thing!"

Nabiki gave that wicked smirk again. "What's the matter, 'Ranchan', something wrong with looking like your sister?"

"I don't want him looking like me any more than he does!"

"And I don't want to be married to either of them!" Akane yelled. She pointed at the two girls, for the moment looking like a pair of identical twins. "She's a girl, and he's a... pervert!"

"Hey!" both ponytailed girls said simultaneously.

"He looked at my BODY!" Akane protested.

"I tried to warn you! And I pulled you back as quick as I could! It was an accident!"

Ranma snorted. "You were lookin' at me, too..."

Akane snarled, taking a step towards Ranma, but Ukyo stepped between them. "Shut up, Ranchan, you're not helping." She elbowed her double in the gut, and she doubled over.

Genma tried to step in. "Quit acting like a girl, son, and be a man. This is the honor of the Saotome name we're talking about."

"You shut up, too, panda!" Ukyo turned on Genma, her voice rising. "You're not even going to tell them, are you? You talk about the honor of the Saotome name, but you were just going to forget about that, weren't you? Or were you holding that in reserve in case this arrangement didn't work out?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, girl! This is about the Saotome name. You aren't involved."

"Not involved! Not involved!" Ukyo grabbed at the old man, and he ducked. She darted around behind him, though, and as he turned to follow her move, she pulled the floor mat out from under his feet. Genma tumbled to the floor, and she kicked him into the pond.

"You're gonna engage him to her after you've already engaged him to me? And didn't even bother telling me? How many other girls is he engaged to? How many guys have you engaged me to? How many of those times you tried to leave me behind were because you engaged me or sold me to somebody?"

"Oh, my..." Kasumi commented.

"Whoa, Ucchan... calm down." Ranma put a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?" Ukyo turned on her twin, and she stepped back at the anger in her eyes. But there were tears as well. "How can you say that! If you don't marry her, you'll have to marry me! If you don't marry me, there's probably somebody else! He's got you trapped as much as he's got me trapped!"

"I don't wanna marry either of ya!" Ranma protested. "I ain't gonna be forced to marry nobody. Certainly not my sister, and not some stranger I ain't never met!"

"Wait a minute," Akane cut in. "You two are engaged, too?" It was hard not to boggle at that, given that at the moment both girls were identical.

Ukyo turned to scowl at her. "The old man just told us, when he was telling us about you. When Ranma said he didn't want to get married, he said that if Ranma didn't honor the agreement, he'd have to marry me, instead."

"So if that pervert doesn't marry me, he has to marry you?"

"Hey, I ain't no pervert!"

"You're engaged to two girls, you saw me naked! You turn into a girl! I don't care whether you're a pervert or not, I'm not marrying you!"

"And I'm not marrying you either!" Ranma, unfortunately, was losing her temper. "I'm not marrying either of you two! You're both a couple of short-tempered tomboys!"

Akane clenched her fists, but it was Ukyo that attacked. "BOTH of us?" In a fluid move, she picked up the table and swung it up into Ranma's face. The cursed boy hit the ground with a thud. "Ranchan, you baka. Sometimes you make me hate that face." She ran from the room, an arm up to hide her tears.

Akane smirked. "I'm glad she did that. Saved me the trouble."

* * *

Ranma awoke, still in her female form. She felt her nose and forehead. Kasumi and Nabiki were hovering over her.

"Are you okay?" Kasumi asked, worriedly. "Your sister sure is spirited, isn't she?"

Nabiki snorted. "He's lucky it wasn't Akane."

Grumbling to herself, Ranma headed down the hall to the furo. Her head was still hurting, and she was sure Ukyo would still be upset in the morning. It wasn't his fault, it was the stupid panda's, couldn't she see that? It wasn't like he had ever abandoned her, he always went back for her, didn't he?

And then there's this Akane girl. She had such a cute smile, and said she wanted to be friends, but then she calls me a pervert! Ranma slipped out of her clothes, wondering what curse she picked up to make her life such a pain - literally. As she stepped up to the divider it slid open.

Akane was standing there. A look of rage came over her face, which Ranma met by wincing and hoping she would not get beaten too badly. Akane stood silently for a moment, clenching and unclenching her fist.

Finally, she asked, almost tentatively, although her eyes never lost their glare, "Ukyo? ... or Ranma... ?"

Ukyo. Definitely Ukyo. Ukyo would keep him from getting hit.

The ponytailed girl looked at the ground. "... Ranma..."

The slap echoed through the room.

Akane stalked past, arms stiffly at her sides. She walked over to the hamper and pulled out her clothes.

As Ranma started to continue into the furo, a quiet voice stopped him. "Ranma. If you had lied to me, I would have hit you a lot harder."

"Ukyo wouldn't have needed to change back." Akane was silent for a moment. "Thank you." Then she finished putting on her clothes and left the room.

Shaking his head, still wondering what he had done to deserve this life, Ranma set off to return to his natural form and go to bed.


	2. Ukyo vs the Blue Thunder

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 2

Akane walked along on her way to school, while Ranma and Ukyo walked on the fence beside her, balancing there with no apparent effort. She scowled a bit. "What are you two doing that for?"

"It's just balance training." Ranma skipped along a few steps. "A clumsy tomboy like you couldn't do it."

"Clumsy?" Akane's scowl grew darker.

"Don't listen to him," Ukyo said to Akane. "It just takes practice, that's all."

"Sure, Sis," Ranma grinned. "You're as big a tomboy as she is."

"Don't you start on that."

Ranma suddenly jumped back. "You're not still mad, are ya?" Ukyo just looked at him, and stuck her nose in the air. Then she jumped down to walk next to Akane.

"I'm staying down here," she said. "The company's better."

"Aw, you're still mad." Ranma put his hands behind his head and kept walking along the fence.

Ukyo turned to Akane, as the black haired girl gave her a friendly smile. "So, Akane... you don't mind sharing your room, do you?"

"No, you're welcome to stay with me... although if your pervert brother tries to sneak in as you, he'll be sorry." Akane shot Ranma another angry scowl.

"Why would I wanna sneak into the room of a macho tomboy like you? It's not like you're cute or anything. Not as cute as Sis, anyway."

"Shut up, Ranchan. You don't know when to stop." Ukyo was starting to glare at him, too.

"Whatever..."

Ukyo turned back to Akane. "Don't mind him. He doesn't mean half of it."

"Do too." He was walking backwards on the fence now, watching Ukyo carefully, his stance obviously guarded. He was smiling, though, and a matching smile crept onto Ukyo's face, as she shook her head.

"You're just jealous because I'm better at it than you are," Ukyo countered. With that, she ran up the fence, and gracefully flipped backwards to land on her hands. Darting a few feet down the fence hand over hand, she blocked Ranma's blows with her feet, and then twisted her entire body around to try and kick Ranma's legs out from under him.

"That's because you're a gangly chick with no muscle tone." Ranma leaped off the fence to dodge her attack, landing sideways on a telephone pole. Ukyo followed, whipping around the pole to try and strike him from behind.

"Yeah, you've got plenty of muscle. In your head," Ukyo replied. Akane couldn't help smiling as the two of them sparred. At first, she had been a little upset about the insults, but Ukyo seemed to be taking it in stride. Their battle returned to the fence, and even over it, as the two martial artists tried to dunk each other in the canal. Somehow, though, Ranma and Ukyo always managed to hook the fence with a foot or hand and pull themselves back.

"Hah! Check this out!" Ranma landed on the street, striking a pose as he did so. At that very moment, he was splashed by an old lady with a ladle of water.

"And now YOU are a gangly chick with no muscle tone," Ukyo said.

"Gah!" Ranma protested, looking down at her wet clothing. "Well, I'm still stronger than you, Sis!" She stuck out her tongue at Ukyo, who rolled her eyes.

Ranma stomped off back towards the Tendo house. "Think I'll go take a bath."

"You'll be late for school," Akane told her.

"You think I want ta start school as a girl!"

Ukyo landed next to the two of them. "Not to mention the confusion caused by two of me showing up."

"You just need hot water, right? Come on." Akane turned and led them further down the street.

After a few moments, they had reached a shop with "Acupuncture", "Moxibustion" and similar signs set around the entrance. Akane asked for a kettle of hot water from an old lady who was waiting nearby, and Ukyo stood back and watched her. Ranma, behind a fencepost at the corner, tried to stay out of sight.

Ranma was startled as a hand was placed on her shoulder. Looking around, she found herself looking into the face of a skeleton. With a shriek of surprise, she leaped onto the fencepost.

Ukyo had run up to confront the attacker, but he was a kindly looking doctor, and offered a smile of apology. "Pardon me, Miss," he said to Ranma. "This is just Betty, my skeleton. Nothing to worry about."

"Oh! Dr. Tofu!" Akane suddenly turned very timid and shy, and looked down at the ground. Ranma noticed, and Ukyo, following her gaze, glanced at Akane as well.

"Hello, Akane!" Dr. Tofu said. "It's nice to see you. You haven't been by lately, no new injuries?"

"No, sir... I haven't been doing anything that would..." Akane said quietly. She couldn't meet the doctor's eyes. Ranma snorted, but Ukyo stepped over and elbowed her double in the ribs.

"And who are your friends? Twin sisters, I see?"

"Um... not exactly." Ukyo said. "I'm Ukyo and he's... um, well, he's Ranma. It's a long story. I'd explain, but we've got to get to school." Taking the kettle from Akane, she poured it over her "sister's" head, and then dragged the other two teenagers along behind her as she continued to school.

"Huh. He's a martial arts master, too, isn't he?" Ranma asked.

Akane looked surprised. "How could you tell?"

"The way he snuck up on me. He totally masked all sense of his presence. Only another martial artist could have snuck up on me like that."

Ukyo grinned at Akane. "You kind of like him, huh?"

"Uh... No! Well..."

Ukyo smiled, and Akane blushed deeply. "He's just our doctor. Ever since I was little..." Her voice trailed off. "... he's taken care of me..."

Ranma made a rude noise. "I thought you said you hated men."

Ukyo shook her head again at her brother's insensitivity, but Akane didn't seem to notice. Instead, she looked up. They were approaching the school, and as they did, Akane's expression began to grow tense and enraged. "That's right..." She muttered. "I... hate... boys..."

"Hm." Ukyo said to herself as Akane charged on ahead. "Boys, but not men." She smiled, as she trailed after the infuriated black haired girl, and her clueless brother.

As she arrived at the entrance to the school, she found Akane already engaged in a pitched battle. It seemed like hundreds of boys were pouring out of the school at her, calling out various platitudes of love, or how they were going to defeat her. Ukyo was a bit stunned by the madness, and more than a bit worried for Akane. She was doing well, though, fighting off the crowd with a skill and focus that was a bit surprising, given their sparring match in the dojo. Ukyo wondered for a moment if this was due to the seriousness of the situation, or if Akane had a talent for fighting large groups.

Then again, none of the boys seemed to have any martial arts ability whatsoever. Ukyo glanced around and found her brother sitting on the wall nearby. She leaped up next to him, and looked up as Nabiki called out from a window above them. "Ranma! Ukyo! Quit your gawking and get to class!"

Ranma looked down at the crowd below them. "But..."

"It's okay. This happens every morning."

Ukyo shook her head. At least now the girl's reaction to Ranma made sense. Akane wrapped up the battle, and stood panting in the center of the pile of unconscious boys. As Ukyo started to leap down and make her way to her, a new figure appeared.

"Truly, such a boorish lot," the new guy commented. He was, oddly, dressed in Kendo robes, not the usual school uniform, and carrying a bokken. "They fought for the priviledge of a date with you, if only they could defeat you. Surely they know none can defeat you but myself."

"Upperclassman Kuno," Akane said, her voice cold. She fell into a defensive stance.

"Man, you sure are popular, aren't you? Who is this guy?" Ranma said, leaping off the wall to stand beside Akane. Ukyo jumped down as well, although she stood slightly back to size up the fight. This was a far better martial artist than the other boys were, and she and Ranma could both sense it.

"You there," Kuno pointed his bokken at Ranma. "You are being awfully familiar with Akane. Who are you?"

"Huh? Who am I? Tell him, Akane." Ranma glanced at her.

"Tell him what?" Akane sounded bored, and didn't take her eyes off Kuno.

"Who are you, boor?" Kuno asked again. "But, is it not the custom to give one's own name first? Fine, then! My name is Tatewaki Kuno, the rising star of the Furinkan High Kendo Club. But my peers call me the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High."

"Blue Thunder?" One of Nabiki's friends asked her.

Nabiki shrugged. "It's news to me," she answered.

Ukyo glanced up to the conversation in the school windows above, then to the skies, which had flashed with lightning at Kuno's proclimation. Was that a freak of nature, or was a thunderstorm on the way? She frowned at the black clouds that were gathering.

"Okay, um... I'm stayin' with the Tendos, and..." Ranma, as usual, was far from eloquent. He seemed a bit disoriented, although likely not intimidated.

"Under the same roof as AKANE? I shall not permit it!" Kuno leaped at Ranma.

"Oh, great. Ranchan's not gonna be able to resist this." Ukyo muttered.

"I'm heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts..." Ranma added, as Kuno struck. Ranma did a backflip to escape from the attack, sailing several feet into the air.

"Oh, yeah. There he goes." Ukyo said. "Spoutin' off the Anything Goes Martial Arts thing." She noticed Akane looking at her, having overheard her muttering.

While still in midair, Ranma tossed his book bag to Ukyo. "Here. Hold my bag a sec."

"Sure, Ranchan." Ukyo caught the bag, with one hand. "Kick his ass, Bro!"

Ranma landed in a stance, with a defiant smirk. "I am Ranma Saotome. And I accept your challenge!"

Ukyo shook her head, fondly. "Boys..." was all she said.

Kuno paused a moment, perhaps to acknowledge Ranma's counter challenge. He then charged, with his bokken held high. "I shall end your hounding of the beauteous Akane Tendo!"

"Hounding? I'm just staying with them." Kuno struck, driving his bokken into the wall around the school, shattering the stone. Ranma had leaped onto the trunk of a nearby tree, though, and hung there, before Kuno brought the tree down with a slash of his wooden blade.

Ranma dodged the attacks effortlessly, not even bothering to leap out of range of Kuno's strikes. Instead, he darted inside Kuno's swing, and put himself face to face with him. Akane looked a little startled by his speed, but Ukyo just glanced at her and then turned her attention back to the fight.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear," Ranma said, his voice showing that he was getting angry, "Akane means nothing to me. Who'd want a violent tomboy like her?"

"Violent! Watch who you're calling violent, you pervert!" Akane's eyes were flashing with anger, and she looked like she wanted to charge into the fight herself. Ranma screamed back at her, and Kuno shouted his outrage at the insult, calling Ranma's attention back to the fight.

Ukyo just put a hand to her face and shook her head. She looked up, though, as she felt a drip of water on her shoulder. Ukyo glanced at the clouds gathering above them, and felt another drop hit her cheek.

"Oh, crap."

Ukyo suddenly whipped Ranma's bookbag at Kuno, as the skies opened up, drenching the combatants with rain. Ranma had leaped at Kuno, even as he struck out with his bokken. Ranma's hand came down at Kuno's forehead. As Ranma's fingers made contact, the bag swept Kuno's feet out from under him, causing him to topple forward into the strike. In the next heartbeat, a small red haired figure slammed into Ranma. Within seconds, the two had disappeared into the school, a girl with a brown pony tail tucked under the arm of her blue garbed rescuer.

Akane watched as Kuno fell face forward onto the ground. It had all happened so fast Ukyo was nothing but a blur of red and blue. Sighing, she set off after the fleeing siblings.

"What... was that that other girl that was watching?" came a voice from the windows of the school above. "She knocked out Kuno with one blow!"

* * *

"Well, this is all your fault," Akane snapped. She, Ranma and Ukyo were standing in the hall with buckets of water.

"My fault?" Ranma scoffed at her. "It was your fight, remember?"

"I'm able to fight off that crowd every morning just fine, AND be on time." Akane said.

"Besides, Ranchan, you know you got too caught up in that fight with Kuno. If you'd just taken him out instead of letting him boast, we'd have been inside before that rainstorm."

Ranma just scoffed again. Ukyo turned to look at Akane. "What's with that idiot, anyway?"

"I don't know, he's got this crazy obsession with me." Akane's shoulders sagged. "This whole thing is his doing anyway. Kuno told them, that if anyone wanted to take me out on a date, they would have to defeat me. Ever since then, I've had to fight off half the school every morning, and then Kuno."

"You mean you fight that guy every morning?" Ukyo looked impressed. "That's pretty good, he's not half bad with that bokken."

"Well," Ranma looked off away from the two girls, nonchalantly. "Sometimes when a guy fights a girl, he lets up a lot. You know."

Ukyo's eyes narrowed. "You better not start into that again. I can take you pulling your punches, but you fail to show me the proper respect and I'll kick your ass."

"Yeah, whatever."

Akane frowned at Ranma, but then gave Ukyo an apologetic smile. "Well, thank YOU for helping anyway, but I didn't need it. I'm just sorry you ended up being late, along with me and this jerk."

"Eh, we weren't really late because of Kuno," Ukyo said. "It's the curse, really. I can't believe that freak rainstorm coming out of nowhere. We're going to have to be more careful of it." She looked at herself and Ranma. "I was going to see about getting a girl's uniform, but maybe I'd better get a boy's, so we can hide it better when you change into me."

"Hm." Ranma thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess that's a good idea. I can just be you until I get some hot water." He looked down at his red shirt, then over at Ukyo's blue outfit. "Guess we shoulda thought to wear the same clothes today or somethin'."

Akane was staring at the other girl, startled. "You don't mind wearing a boy's uniform?"

Ukyo laughed. "Nah. Ranma and I actually went to a boy's school for a while, about a year ago. Before the trip to China. The Old Man was too cheap to send me to a separate school. So I had to pose as a boy for a while. It didn't bother me, although I had to avoid gym and stuff like that."

"Wow." Akane looked at the floor. "I had no idea."

"Toldja she was a tomboy."

"You're one to talk." Ukyo brandished her bucket, preparing to throw it on Ranma, and he drew back. Kuno then charged down the hall, and Ranma dodged the other way, as he threw his bucket of water at the pigtailed boy.

"Never, Ranma Saotome!" Kuno cried dramatically. "I shall never accept your engagement to Akane!"

The windows of the surrounding classrooms burst open. "What? Engagement? Akane! I thought you hated boys!" Ranma and Akane both turned beet red, as they tried to protest.

Kuno threw his other bucket of water, and Ranma decided to take the fight somewhere else. He took off down the hall, with Kuno and a good portion of the rest of the school behind him. As they came around a corner, Ranma jumped onto a window sill. "Follow me, Kuno!"

"You idiot!" Akane protested. "This is the third floor!"

"No problem," Ranma said, with his confident grin. He jumped out the window, only then noticing that he was heading straight for a swimming pool.

Ukyo, however, had noticed the pool instantly as she came up beside him. Looking around herself frantically, she leaped up the wall, and flew across the ceiling, ripping down a banner that had been hung across the hall. As Kuno leaped out the window to follow Ranma, Ukyo did the same, perching on the window ledge long enough to gather all her strength and kick off with both legs.

Ukyo shot past Kuno, the banner fluttering behind her. She slammed into Ranma, just before the two of them hit the water. Seeing her coming, Ranma twisted in midair, and Ukyo felt his arm go around her, as he shielded her from the impact with his own body. Kuno hit the water seconds later, and a column of water erupted from the pool. The impact was so forceful, in fact, that Kuno was slowed by the spray before he actually hit the pool.

Kuno still blacked out for a moment, but awakened to find himself underwater. Searching around in the half light, he noticed the shadow of a pigtailed martial artist ahead of him. He swam forward, grappling with the figure, only to feel something unusually soft and fleshy under his hands as he wrapped his arms around the person's chest. The person began to struggle with him, and he was pulled to the surface.

Ukyo finally managed to dislodge Kuno's hands from where they were grabbing her, and fling Kuno out of the pool. Grabbing at the banner as it started to sink below her, she rode Kuno's momentum as he flew out of the water, pulling herself along behind. She then flipped as she reached dry land, driving Kuno into the ground with a cry of "Pervert!". Landing on her feet, she quickly set about wrapping the soggy banner, which was almost shredded by the impact, around her hair and upper body.

She returned to the pool just as Ranma surfaced, and helped the pony tailed girl out of the water. Then the two took off, leaving Kuno laying on the ground. He just lay there for a long, long moment, turning over his memory of what he had grabbed in the water over and over. Finally, he concluded, "A female. That was a female. Which means..."

He sat up. "Do you think you can leave someone else in your place and escape me, Ranma Saotome?" Standing, he ran off in a random direction, although it turned out to be the same direction Ranma and Ukyo had gone.

Back at the school, the watching audience seemed a little stunned. "Um... did Ukyo and Ranma just change into each others' clothes?" "Maybe it's some of that stuff that changes color with cold water." "Don't be stupid... a trick of the light, maybe?" Shaking her head, Akane made her way quietly out of the crowd.

* * *

"Damn pervert. He didn't have to squeeze me so hard." Ukyo sat on a branch of a tree, trying to shut out the memory of being groped by the maniacal Kendoist. And knowing she was better built in this form was not helping.

She then looked over, and noticed what Ranma was doing beside her. "HEY! Don't take off your pants while you're in my body!"

Ranma looked at her like she was stupid. "I gotta wring 'em out. I can't change back if I'm still wet all over. And neither can you."

"Well, geez, you still shouldn't flash my body like that!" Ukyo turned red and looked away. "We'll wait until we're sure we've lost Kuno and try and sneak back to the gym or something."

A voice came from below. "That was clever, Ukyo," Akane said. "I know your brother's a moron, but what were you thinking?"

"Hey, I was trying to preserve the secret." Ukyo looked smug. "The school saw me go into the pool, and they saw me come out of the pool."

"Yeah, in Ranma's clothes," Akane countered.

The smug look faded. "Okay, so I can't think of everything."

"You didn't think of grabbing any hot water, either." Akane held up a kettle.

"Akane!" Ranma grinned widely. "You aren't so useless after all!"

"Useless? Then maybe I'll just dump this out then." Akane put the kettle behind her back.

"Ranchan! SHUT UP!" Ukyo looked panicked, and Akane giggled.

At that moment, unfortunately, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High chose to show up, calling out for Ranma to show himself. Akane tossed the kettle up into the tree. "Here! Change and I'll buy you some time!"

Ranma saw the kettle coming, and knew it was going to miss them. Cursing the useless tomboy's bad aim, she leaped out. To her relief, in Ukyo's body she was more than agile enough to catch the kettle in midair, extending out horizontally, while bracing her feet against the branch. However, Ranma realized, now that she was in this position she could not pull back. She hung there in midair, braced impossibly against the pull of gravity, holding the kettle out in her hands.

Ukyo looked at this display with bemusement. As Akane and Kuno began to fight below them, though, Akane caught Kuno's bokken in her hands, and then flipped onto her back, sending Kuno sailing up into the tree. He struck the trunk right below Ranma, and her strength failed. Before the kettle could fall, Ukyo snapped a smaller branch off of the tree, and snagged the kettle with it. Ranma fell onto Kuno, and they both dropped to the ground.

Kuno looked into the blue green eyes of the girl that had fallen on top of him. "Did you see where the boy with the pigtail went?"

Ranma stared at him, wide eyed. Akane quickly spoke up. "That's Ranma's sister, Ukyo. You remember, she was watching the fight this morning, by the school wall?"

"Ah, but such a lovely creature as this cannot be kin to the cretinous Saotome. Even now, that cowardly cur runs in fear of me. What fiend would so abandon this vision of loveliness, and his own flesh and blood, as well? He is no man. He is no man!"

"Hey!" Ranma said, leaping to her feet. "I ain't running in fear of no one!"

In the tree, Ukyo shook her head. "Oh no you don't, Ranchan. Not this time."

Standing, the red headed girl dropped out of the tree. "Yo, Kuno. Ranma can't fight you right now. But if you like, I'll fight you instead."

"Hey!" Ranma growled. "Butt out. This is my fight!"

"No it isn't," Ukyo said, holding his gaze cooly. "It is RANMA'S fight. And Ranma isn't here, is he, UKYO?"

"She's got a point there," Akane said, her arms crossed over her chest.

Ranma glared at her, then back at Ukyo. "This is a man's fight. Don't interfere."

"A man's fight... Ucchan? So does Ucchan really want to fight this man's fight? What if this man wants to keep fighting Ucchan?" She poked her sister in the chest. "What if he comes after Ucchan again? Huh, Ucchan?"

Ranma turned redder and redder. But finally she just looked away.

"Yet another vision of loveliness," Kuno cut in, obviously completely ignoring the conversation between the two 'sisters'. "And you have such fire and determination. A tigress with fiery red hair. And by what name would such loveliness be known?"

"Huh?" Ukyo started, obviously not expecting the question. She glanced at Akane, who gave her a blank look. Finally, she just shrugged. "Um... My name is... Ranko. Ranko Tendo. I'm... uh... Akane's cousin."

"Really?" Akane looked amused.

Ukyo rolled her eyes at her, but turned back to Kuno. "Anyway, I have given my name as is the custom, and now I challenge you. Do you accept my challenge, Tatewaki Kuno?"

"I do, beauteous maiden, and should you defeat me, I shall allow you to date me. But be warned, I am prepared to lose."

"Oh, I don't want a date with you, jackass, but I do want to pay you back for groping me in that pool." Ukyo's blue eyes flashed angrily. "So come on!"

"Very well." Kuno charged, and Ranma almost moved to stop him, but Ukyo leaped up into the tree. A flurry of twigs and leaves flew at the Kendoist, followed by Ukyo, with Ranma's black pants slung over her shoulder. Ukyo's arm flashed out, and the kettle crashed into Kuno's bokken, knocking it from his grasp. She then flung the pants at his feet, while rolling to the ground to retrieve the bokken.

As Kuno tried to reclaim his lost weapon, his feet tangled in Ranma's pants, and he again toppled over onto his face. He rolled over, to find Ukyo holding his own bokken to his neck. "She is skilled," Kuno said to himself, staring up at the shapely redhead standing over him, her blue eyes angry, but also shining with the thrill of victory. "Perhaps more skilled than Akane."

"And guess what, Kuno..." Ukyo lifted the bokken, to put it over her shoulder. "Ranma Saotome's even better than me." Ukyo looked up to meet Ranma's eyes, and the brown haired girl grinned at her.

"Come on girls... let's go home." Ukyo took Ranma and Akane's hands. "I feel like skipping the rest of school."

* * *

Ranma made his way up the stairs to Akane's room. He didn't want to, it was the old man's idea for him to thank her for her help today, but she had brought the kettle when he needed it. And held off Kuno, at least for a while. And it was more than just him, she had helped Ukyo as well. That was the main reason he had to thank her, because she had helped Ucchan. Maybe she wasn't such a useless tomboy after all.

As he approached the door, he overheard talking. Nabiki was in there, and spoke first. "So what's wrong with a boy that turns a girl? He turns into his sister, even. I think it's kind of cute, actually."

"But everyone's spreading rumors about me!" Akane said. "Saying I'm his fiancee. What if they think I'm a pervert too!"

Ranma slumped. Stupid tomboy. And he was supposed to thank her? What for?

As he turned to leave, though, Akane spoke again. "But then again, he did protect his sister. And she protected him, too. He's a stubborn, self-centered, egotistical jerk, but he does love her. And he realized that by fighting Kuno, he would have put Ukyo in danger. He backed down.

"He... I guess he was a pretty good guy. I mean... I don't know what to make of him, he's always making fun of me and saying I'm a tomboy, but he calls her a tomboy too. It's... I guess it's all he knows how to do. And she seems to love him. And she loves teasing him back."

Nabiki sounded smug, as usual. "But you still think he's a pervert."

"I dunno. Maybe not. I mean, he's a guy, and guys are... well, anyway. I guess he treats Ukyo right. I mean, he turns into her. Into her body. I don't know if I could stand that. But she seems okay with it. So I guess... she trusts him."

"I'd never tell him that, though." Akane laughed. "He'd probably just make fun of me or something."

Deep in thought, Ranma turned and headed back down the stairs.

* * *

"To the tree borne kettle girl, and the pony tailed goddess?" Ukyo looked over the letter Nabiki had given her.

"From Kuno, obviously." Nabiki looked disinterested. "I think he wants a rematch."

"Hm." Ukyo read over the letter again. "Or a date. Or both. It sure sounds like a challenge, but with that nutcase..."

"But how can you show up as both?" Akane asked. "He clearly means you and..." she glanced at Ranma.

"No way. If that jerk wants to challenge me, I can fight him in my body." Ranma crossed his arms.

"But it's not a challenge for you. It's a challenge for me. Ukyo. Like I said, Ranma, it was me he was seeing, and it was me you were trying to fight him as. You can't just accept challenges for me, and you can't make challenges for me, either."

"But you can't go as both," Akane said. "Ranma's going to have to be you. So you can be... well, Ranko."

Several hours later, the two girls waited for Kuno's arrival. Finally, he made his appearance. "So, you have both come," he said.

"You don't learn quick, do ya pal?" Ranma said sourly.

"Well," Ukyo noted. "You don't have your sword."

"I have no need of a sword..." Kuno answered.

"You seem pretty confident," Ukyo said.

"Confident enough to give you... this!"

Kuno brought out two bouquets of roses, which he tossed to the girls. Instinctively, they caught them.

"I love you..." Kuno said. "... both."

Ranma sank to her knees on the ground. Ukyo just put her hand to her forehead. Kuno turned, and walked off into the sunset.


	3. Kuno Figures It Out

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 3

Ranma sat, bathing in the furo. As he sat, the furo changed, becoming a hot spring. Then Kuno appeared, leering at him. "I love you..." He said. "I love you both."

"You idiot, look at me! I'm a guy!" Ranma said, but looked down to find that he wasn't. She was in Ukyo's body. The hot spring was no longer a hot spring, it was an swimming pool, and Kuno was trying to help her out. She dove under the water, trying to escape. Then it turned into an ocean, and Kuno loomed over her like a giant. Ranma swam as hard as she could trying to get away from his reaching hands.

Suddenly, she saw the glitter of metal and realized it was a tea kettle. She swam towards it, trying to grasp it, but it seemed to stay just out of reach. Kuno came closer and closer, and his gigantic hand closed around Ranma's female body. Just at the last second, her shaking fingers snagged the handle of the kettle.

"No! No! I'm a boy! A boy!" Ranma poured the water over herself. But instead of returning to male form, she became more female. Her hair turned red, her body shrank, and she became even more curved and rounded.

Ranma grabbed at her female body, trying to change it back, trying to hide it from Kuno, but there was no denying the truth. She was a girl. "I love you!" Kuno said, and she screamed.

Ranma sat up in bed screaming. He quickly realized he had been dreaming, but it still took several seconds for his heartbeat to quit pounding frantically. It took several more seconds for his memory of the other female body, his sister's cursed body, to fade. The one that supposedly was himself, as a girl. He was glad he was in his male body, he didn't think he could handle it if he'd awakened as a girl, and been unsure if he could change back.

"That jerk, Kuno," Ranma muttered. "I think I'm going to be sick..."

* * *

Ranma still found himself unable to shake off the memory of the dream, even as he, Akane and Ukyo headed for school. While Ukyo stood back, Ranma charged into the crowd with Akane, both of them apparently equally enraged. They plowed a path through the perverted boys in record time, each sending their half of the crowd flying in a different direction. Even Kuno did not last long, as the two planted their feet in his head at the same time. Ukyo quickly ran to join her brother and his fiancee as they continued into the school, without breaking pace.

"Hey, who asked you to help me?" Akane snapped at Ranma.

"I wasn't doin' it for you," Ranma said darkly.

Ukyo noticed the look on Ranma's face, and was pretty sure where it was coming from. She decided to ignore that for the moment, though. "Maybe you can take that... Hentai Horde on alone, Akane, but there's no way we're going to let you. At the very least, we'll just take part of it off you. You don't need all that. That's not a challenge, that's... that's every woman's nightmare."

Akane growled, but didn't argue. "As long as we get to school on time I couldn't care less."

* * *

Several hours later, after recovering from his injuries, an apparently confused Kuno approached Nabiki. He was holding a stuffed panda under one arm, and a cute wide eyed doll in a frilly dress under the other.

"They're adorable, Kuno," Nabiki quipped. "Do you have a large collection?"

Kuno eyed her as one might a bug. "They are gifts."

"No thanks."

"I never said they were for you. What can you tell me about the fiery Ranko Tendo?"

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Ah, yes, your pig tailed goddess."

"No, the 'pony tailed goddess' is the lovely Ukyo, with the long tresses of the color of the warm earth."

"Oh, the 'tree borne kettle girl', then."

"The very same. What can you tell me about them?"

"You might find this interesting. 2000 yen for the set of three." Nabiki tossed some pictures down on the table. "I am afraid my selection is quite limited, our... 'cousin'... does not visit very often."

The pictures showed Ukyo, in redhead form, in a number of somewhat ordinary situations. Sprayed with water from a hose, running up the walk in the rain, and sleeping peacefully (and fairly modestly clothed) on the engawa, with a panda splashing in the koi pond in the background.

"Ah, so modest and dainty, the very flower of femininity. Such a healthy and robust girl, I will take them. What about the sister of Saotome, Ukyo?"

"You'll like these even better, Kuno baby. 3000 yen for 5."

Kuno's eyes bugged at the photographs. They were far more racy, with Ranma asleep in Ukyo's form, clad only in t-shirt and boxers. Even one of her topless, from the back. "She seems so... so... defenseless..." Kuno muttered.

"Almost like a boy?" Nabiki smirked. "So tell me, Kuno baby, does this mean you've given up on Akane, then?"

"Ah, the fierce and active Akane. The earthy and unashamed Ukyo. Or the innocent and womanly Ranko. So dear I can give up none of them."

"So you're two timing Akane then?" It was not entirely clear if Nabiki's look of anger was an unconscious reaction, or just pretense.

"Would you call it two timing? Deceit? That I cannot stand to choose? That I would openly wish for all of them?"

Nabiki laughed, although not with humor. "Three timing then. 3000 yen."

She slapped another set of 5 on the table of Akane. "And three of these are of her sparring with Ukyo. So two for the price of one. A real bargain." She smirked knowingly.

Nabiki's expression then turned downright conniving. "Now, then, Kuno baby, am I right in guessing that the... 'presents' are for your two goddesses?"

"They are indeed. I wish to present them as a token of my affection, but I have been unable to locate the two lovely damsels. The only Ukyo registered at this high school is an Ukyo Kuonji, and there is no listing of a Ranko Tendo at all."

"Well, first of all, Kuno baby, Ukyo's name IS Ukyo Kuonji. She is not truly Ranma's sister, but grew up with him on his ten year training mission."

"Of course, I should have known she could not be flesh and blood to the foul Ranma Saotome. And the fair Ranko?"

"Well, as I said before, we do not see her often." Nabiki smiled wickedly. "But if you would like to present your gifts in person, I have a suggestion..."

* * *

"Ranma! Ukyo!" Nabiki stuck her head into the classroom as school was ending for the day. "Kuno wants you."

"Me?" Ranma asked. "Not Ranko?"

"Not at the moment, no." Nabiki smiled.

Ranma glanced at Ukyo. "Another challenge, perhaps?"

"Then why me?" Ukyo asked, obviously concerned.

"I've had enough of this. I'm gonna beat that jerk's head in."

"Ranma! Wait!" Ukyo hurried after her brother, as he stomped out of the classroom.

They met Kuno at an apartment building near the school. He smiled warmly at Ukyo. "Ah, my pony tailed goddess. I present this token of my love for you..."

He handed her the panda. She was already looking a little cross, but at the sight a blood vessel began to pulse in Ukyo's forehead. She grabbed the toy around the neck, as if strangling it. "What is this supposed to mean?"

Ignoring her, Kuno turned to Ranma, his look more indifferent. "And I am told I must give this to you."

He handed Ranma the doll. His reaction wasn't much better than Ukyo's. "Me? Why are ya givin' it to ME?"

"Nabiki Tendo told me, and I quote, 'The fastest way to get the doll into the hands of Ranko Tendo is to give it to Ukyo. However, as you are already giving her a gift, you should give it to Ranma.'" Kuno looked disgusted. "Tell me why I must give it to you! What connection have you to Ranko Tendo?"

"Nabiki..." Ukyo muttered. She squeezed the panda a little tighter, while looking into its plastic eyes.

"Look, forget about her!" Ranma glanced at Ukyo. "And forget about my sister, too! If I have any say in the matter, that redheaded girl will never appear before you again. And if you even look at my sister..." He tossed the doll to the ground and stepped on it.

"What?" Kuno protested, but Ranma had already turned and stomped off. He disappeared around a corner of the building, while Kuno followed after.

"Saotome! That was a gift for my beloved kettle girl! I will not stand for..." As Kuno came around the corner, a sheet of water fell on Ranma from above. Kuno skidded to a halt, as he found himself face to face with Ukyo. Or at least, Ukyo wearing Ranma's clothes.

Ranma pulled at her damp collar, sure that Kuno had seen the change. "Well... figured it out yet?" she muttered.

"Ah, Ukyo. But you have misplaced my gift for you as well! No matter, my embrace shall be gift enough!" Kuno wrapped his arms around the brown haired girl, and somehow held her despite Ranma driving a fist into his face.

"Um... Kuno." He turned to see Ukyo standing behind him. The girl was scowling, but clearly had decided to show herself. She was still holding the panda.

"What?" Kuno stepped back, his hands still on Ranma's shoulders, to look the girl over. He then turned back to Ukyo. "Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Am I so sick with love's affliction that I see double?"

"Look, Kuno," Ukyo sighed. "That's not me. That's Ranma."

"Ah, but my heart is large enough for two of you!" He drew both girls into a hug, which caused both to stiffen in shock. "Illusion though this may be, I shall not question my good fortune!"

Ranma sputtered as hot water suddenly poured over him. "Sorry, Ranma. Too hot?" said Nabiki, holding a kettle.

"How long are you plannin' on holdin' me," said a masculine voice. Kuno looked down to see the black haired boy in his arms. He released Ranma, who kicked him in the face.

Ukyo pushed away from Kuno as well, but studied him carefully. "Do you get it now, Kuno?"

Kuno looked between brother and sister, and then his mouth turned in a scowl of distaste. "I see now! Imagine, Ranma Saotome, a practitioner of the Dark Arts!"

"Kuno baby, I don't think you get it..." Nabiki tried to cut in, but Kuno would not be stopped.

"You practice your foul illusions, Saotome, and even worse, you are so evil as to ensnare your sister in your web of sorcery as well! Oh, I see it now! Though she is no kin to you, you have bound her to you with the black magic of a blood ritual! You use your foul trickery to exchange places with her body, and to disguise your true identity! I shall free her from your influence, demon!"

Kuno reached for his bokken to draw it, but before he could move, a washbasin tumbled from the window above. "Whoops," a voice was heard saying from the window. "First I spilled my washtub, and then I dropped it. And there was still water in it!" The tub hit Kuno on the head with a clang, then fell forward, splashing both Ranma and Ukyo with its contents.

Both girls backed away from Kuno carefully, as he studied them. Suddenly, with an intense look in his eyes, he darted forward, grabbing the red headed girl by the arm. Ukyo tried to pull away, but he held her fast. He studied her face intently, peering into her blue eyes, and also clearly making note of her pigtail. He sized the girl up for a few more seconds, then stepped back, drawing his bokken and pointing it at her.

"Of course! I must have been blind to not see it! The illusion is good, but you cannot hide the truth! You thought to fool me, to use your foul sorcery to tempt me, but I see through your spell!" Kuno raised his bokken and charged. "Ranko Tendo indeed! I now know your secret! You are none other than Ranma Saotome!"

Ukyo dodged the strike. "Hey, wait... no she's Ranma now." She pointed at her brown haired sibling, but then shook her head. "Geez, even to me that sounds crazy."

"Silence, wretch! I will not be swayed by your attempts at misdirection!" Kuno continued his relentless assault, and Ukyo continued to dodge, a bit surprised by his unexpected speed. "I should have seen it from the first! You enchanted me to make me believe you were a beautiful maiden! But you are no vision of loveliness as I believed! You are nowhere near as beautiful as Akane or Ukyo!"

"Hey..." Ukyo seemed a little off guard. "I... I am... kinda... beautiful, too..."

"I should have realized from our first encounter in the pool! I fell for your seduction, but no more! I can see now that you are no woman. Your form is a mockery of femininity!" Kuno looked the little red head over. "You even carry yourself as a man..."

"I DO NOT CARRY MYSELF LIKE A MAN!"

Ranma could not help a small smirk at the retort, although he was rapidly growing worried. Ukyo was getting angry, which normally meant she was becoming more focused. However, Kuno was more focused as well, and Ukyo was on the defensive. Ranma started to charge, but then drew back, remembering her current gender. She looked down at her hands, and her body, then up at Kuno, grinding her teeth.

Kuno swept in for another strike, and Ukyo leaped, turning a somersault over his head. Coming down next to the washbasin, she stepped on it to set it up on edge, then grabbed it just in time to block a strike. She then blocked a set of further slashes from the bokken, twisting the basin around herself to keep it in position for each blow. She then leaped backwards, tossing it at him, but he sliced the metal tub in half with a single swing.

Ukyo backflipped to give herself some distance, as she cast about for some other weapon to use. As loath as she was to admit it, it did seem Ranma was right when he said Kuno was letting up a lot when fighting a girl. He now believed she was a man, and not holding back. While she could hold her own, she wasn't going to be able to just take him out with a distraction and a single blow, like before. She needed something to match his bokken, something more manueverable and sturdy than the washbasin.

In desperation, she darted in, hoping to buy some time with a direct attack. Much like Ranma that first day, she ducked and dodged inside the reach of Kuno's blade, striking him under the arm. The blow didn't seem to have any effect, but something came fluttering out of his robe. Ukyo snatched it out of the air.

It was a picture of herself, in her current redhead form. Ukyo glanced up at Kuno, ducking as he slashed at her again. Where did he get this? She struck the same spot again, and more pictures flew out. One was of her and Akane fighting, with herself in her normal form.

Ukyo frowned a bit at the demented Lothario having pictures of all of them. The important thing, though, was that he had presented her with something she could use. At least to keep him back until she could find a proper weapon. She flung one of the photographs at him, spinning it, and it slashed open a gash in his robes as it passed.

"What? You turn pictures into blades? Truly, this is foul sorcery!"

Ignoring Kuno, Ukyo darted in to reach inside Kuno's robes. She pulled out a handful of photos, then ducked and twirled around behind him, reaching around to grab more. Kuno whirled, bringing his bokken down hard to strike her, but he was slowed by the effort of not hitting himself. Ukyo flipped up on his shoulder, then rolled down his body to grab another handful of pictures from the pocket on the other side of his robe.

Kuno then caught Ukyo across the head. "Sis!" Ranma shouted. She turned to Nabiki, and grabbed the kettle from her. It was empty. Nabiki shrugged apologetically, but Ranma looked back at the fight between Kuno and Ukyo. She stood, almost shaking with the effort of holding herself back. Then, finally she turned and ran out of the lot, and into the street beyond.

"Ha! I have freed Ukyo from your spell, fiend!"

Ukyo said nothing. It was taking everything she had to keep Kuno from hitting her again. Her vision had grown blurry, and she shook her head to clear it. Dancing backwards, Ukyo began to pelt him with flurries of photographs, keeping him at a distance as he avoided them. Finally, she found herself at one of two stone pillars, set in front of the building. Kuno's bokken smashed into it, scattering bits of stone everywhere.

Ranma charged down one street after another. Suddenly, she crashed into Akane, on her way home from school. They ended up tangled up with each other, both of them landing sprawled on the ground. To Ranma's shock, he realized he was looking right up Akane's skirt.

"Ukyo?" she called out, but then noticed Ranma's clothes. "Ranma? Watch were you're going, you idiot!" Then she noticed where Ranma's eyes were looking, and she pulled her skirt closed, with a scream of outrage.

The pony tailed girl leaped to her feet, however, and grabbed Akane, pulling her up and putting her hands on her shoulders. Akane was a bit taken aback by the intensity in her eyes. "Kuno's fighting Ukyo. He thinks she's ME! I gotta get hot water! Go back and check on her!"

Akane swallowed. "Where is she?"

Ranma pointed in the direction she had come from. "It's a big apartment building about two streets back. Nabiki is there too." Almost as an afterthought, she yelled out, "Grab something, anything, she can use as a weapon!" Then she was gone.

Akane set off in the other direction. As she passed a shop, she saw the shopkeeper mopping the floor with a mop and bucket. She frantically asked to borrow the items, then continued on. In a few minutes, she had found a large apartment building surrounded by a fence, and spotted Ukyo fighting Kuno by a huge stone pillar. She was dodging and leaping around it, using it as a shield to protect herself from Kuno's strikes, but could not fight back.

"Ukyo!" Akane tossed the mop and bucket in the highest arc she could, which meant it was way out of Ukyo's reach. The red headed girl ran up the pillar, however, vaulting into the air to grab the objects as they sailed overhead. As she landed, she brought the bucket around to block a blow from Kuno, and he sliced it in half. She then brought the mop handle around and struck him across the chest with it.

Kuno stepped back to recover, and Ukyo drove him back further with the last of the pictures. Then she leaped forward with the mop, holding it like a staff. She got in several good strikes, before Kuno slashed the mop in half, but Ukyo just shifted her grip, blocking with one half of the handle, while shoving the soggy mop end into Kuno's face.

"Fiend!" Kuno exclaimed. Ukyo tried to sweep his feet out from under him, but he hadn't fallen for the distraction and countered. Ukyo was hit in the side, and almost fell to the ground, instead flipping over onto her hands before unsteadily righting herself. As Kuno drew back for another swing, Ranma, in male form, suddenly charged in and slammed into her, taking the blow himself.

Ukyo was flung backwards, and slid across the ground, stopping next to the pillar. She put an arm to her side and sat up. Ranma, meanwhile, settled into a stance as he turned back to face Kuno. "Leave my sister out of this, Kuno. I'm the one you wanna fight."

"Yet another illusion, Saotome? You seek to disorient me by confusing me as to which is real and which the counterfeit?" Kuno pointed his bokken at him. "Now that you have dropped your disguise, it is clear, for you cannot hide your true evil. Thus, the true Saotome is your true form."

"Yeah, that's right, Kuno. This is the real me. So come on. Let's end this."

"And so I shall!" Kuno suddenly began to strike, with a speed that was levels higher than anything he had demonstrated before. His bokken flashed out, again and again, so fast that it was just a blur of motion. Akane's eyes widened in astonishment, and even Nabiki looked shocked, as the pillar behind Ranma began to crack and shatter, taking the blows that missed Ranma despite the distance between them.

"Whoa..." Nabiki commented. "From just the air pressure alone..."

The pillar collapsed, already damaged from Ukyo attempting to use it as a shield. Large chucks of stone tumbled off of it, and Ukyo, who still crouched at its base, was showered with rubble. One large chunk just barely missed her. She put an arm over her head to protect herself, crying out in surprise.

Ranma glanced back at her. "Get outta there Sis! What are you hangin' around there for, stupid?"

Ukyo yelled back at him, frightened, although not for herself. "Eyes front, idiot!"

Kuno swung as Ranma turned back, and he flipped over onto his hand to avoid the strike. As he turned over, he brought his foot up in an arc along Kuno's chest. Then Ranma contined the backflip, and landed on his feet.

Ranma stood still for a moment, but then smiled. "It's all over, Kuno."

"You will address me as... Uppercla..." Kuno toppled forward, unconscious.

Akane and Nabiki just stared for a few seconds, but then the black haired girl ran to Ukyo to check on her. Nabiki walked over to Kuno, looking stunned. She pushed the Kendoist over with her foot, to reveal footprints down the length of his body.

"You kicked him?" Nabiki said. "I never even saw your feet move."

Akane had the kettle, which Ranma had refilled, and poured it over Ukyo's head. "Are you okay?" she asked, looking over the girl's bruises. Ukyo was still kneeling on the ground, although she didn't look too badly hurt. "I can take you to see Dr. Tofu..."

"That's okay," Ukyo gave her a weak smile. "He just knocked the wind out of me, that's all. I'll be fine."

Akane helped her to her feet, with an arm under Ukyo's shoulder. Meanwhile, Ranma had gathered up the pictures Ukyo had scattered. He had seen Ukyo's expression and wondered what they were. As he got a look at them, he glared at Kuno. "Pervert," He muttered. He quickly set about gathering up the rest of the pictures, his eyes widening at a couple in particular.

"What have you got there, Ranma?" Akane asked as she approached, still supporting Ukyo. Ranma showed her one of them. "Pictures of me?" She exclaimed. "Why do you have pictures of ME?"

"They were just laying here!" Ranma protested. "As if I'd want pictures of an uncute tomboy like you!"

"Kuno had them," Ukyo said. "They were in his pocket, and I knocked one of them out accidently during the fight."

Akane looked at them. "Where did he get pictures of..." She turned to glare at her sister. "Nabiki!"

"Can't blame a girl for trying to make a little cash." Nabiki gave her sister an overly sweet smile.

"Who would want pictures of a couple of tomboys like you?" Ranma said mischievously. "I don't know how either of you are going to find husbands. Now THESE pictures, on the other hand..."

He held up the pictures of Ukyo's cursed form. "Since Kuno thought this was me, maybe I should keep them. I mean, if this is what I would look like as a girl, I guess I would have been pretty hot."

Both Ukyo and Akane were glaring at him. "Yeah, right," said Ukyo. "According to Kuno, that body was 'a mockery of the female form', and Akane and I were both much cuter."

Ranma scoffed. "No accounting for taste. Anyway, you should be glad, Ukyo. I mean, you turn into me! I'm so great, well, that can only be an improvement."

Ukyo snatched the pictures out of his hand. "Ranchan, you are an arrogant jerk."

"Yeah, Ranma, why do you keep picking on her like that?" Akane elbowed Ranma in the ribs, and he doubled over in pain.

Akane's put both hands to her mouth. "Oh, Ranma, I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were hurt!"

"You violent macho chick! What's with you, anyway?" Ranma crouched on the ground, trying to fight back the tears of pain.

Akane grew mad again. "Well, I said I was sorry! If you were hurt, you should have said something!"

Grinning, Ukyo put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Ranchan. It wouldn't hurt to have Dr. Tofu look at both of us, would it?"

Ranma looked at her, obviously torn between preserving his male pride, and concern for Ukyo. Concern finally won out. "Okay, fine." He said. Akane helped support Ukyo again, and they made their way past the rubble of the destroyed pillar towards the street.

Ranma started to follow, but frowned at a sudden thought. Patting the pictures that he still had in his pocket, he looked around for Nabiki, but she had already disappeared. Sighing, he set off after his sister and fiancee.

* * *

"So, you're Ukyo, aren't you?" Dr. Tofu asked, as he examined the brown haired girl's injuries. "I asked Mr. Tendo about you and Ranma, and he had a lot to say. Although he didn't mention why you occasionally look like twin sisters."

"Ranma and Ukyo were cursed at a training grounds in China," Akane told him. "This place called Jusenkyo. They fell into a spring which was apparently magical. Now Ranma turns into his sister, and Ukyo turns into a female version of him."

"That's very interesting. I know a lot of magical legends about about China, but this is the first I've heard of Jusenkyo."

"Well, I don't know that much about it. Just what Ranma and Ukyo told me..." Akane looked at the ground, blushing a little. Ranma noticed her expression, and glanced back at the doctor with a grin.

Dr. Tofu continued to examine Ukyo, taking some time to massage and work her legs. "Well, you took a number of injuries here, but none that won't heal up soon enough. I'm more concerned with what sort of thug would do this to a pretty girl like yourself."

Ukyo blushed a bit at the praise, but shrugged. "It's not a problem. He didn't realize I was a girl. The curse kind of confused him. I'm hoping it never happens again."

"You shouldn't have fought him in the first place, Sis." Ranma said. "You're not strong enough to take on someone like Kuno. Next time don't be such a stubborn tomboy and let me handle it."

"Not in my body, Ranma. I could handle him, he just caught me off guard, is all. Next time I'll be ready."

"There won't be a next time. Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Ranma!" Akane cut in. "Leave Ukyo alone! She did great! Quit putting her down!"

"Stay out of this. Ukyo's my sister, and I'm not gonna let that nutcase hurt her again!" Ranma scowled at Akane, who started to protest back.

"It's okay Akane," Ukyo interrupted. "I'm all right."

Tofu turned to look at Akane, and as she looked at Ukyo, she met the doctor's eyes. Akane blushed and looked down again.

"Well, you're fine, Ukyo, and I've got some ointment to help with the soreness," Dr. Tofu helped her up. "Now, Ranma, why don't we take a look at you."

"I ain't been hurt. I'm just fine." Ranma looked away.

"He's hit on the side here, and it's pretty sore," Akane said. "He's just being a macho jerk about it."

"Shut up, Akane, what do you know about it? I don't need some girl telling me that I'm hurt."

"Ranma!" Akane was about to hit him, when she noticed Tofu looking at her, and blushed again. Ranma frowned at her, but Ukyo was watching both of them with a smile on her face.

"Why don't you just let me take a look at it anyway," Tofu said. "So it was Tatewaki Kuno that you two fought against?"

"Yeah, but he didn't have much," Ranma answered. He glanced down uncertainly as Dr. Tofu lifted his shirt to examine him, but the doctor didn't seem to make a big deal of the wound. It did feel a bit worse now that Ranma had taken a look at it, though, and he did remember he had taken that hit to protect Ukyo. So maybe it was okay for the doctor to check it out.

"Perhaps, but my understanding is he's a skilled martial artist, at least when it comes to the sword. It's no wonder you two took the blows that you did. Although you will be fine as well." He put a bandage over the wound, then pulled Ranma's shirt over it.

Dr. Tofu sat back, with a friendly smile. "So, I hear you're Akane's fiance'."

Akane was quick to protest. "That's what our parents decided, not us!"

"Well, it's a bit early for that," said the doctor. "You're still children after all."

"Yes... I'm just a little child..." Akane looked away.

"I don't care if it's early or not! I got no time for fiancee's! And I ain't marrying no uncute tomboy!" He glanced at Akane, expecting a reaction, and when he didn't get one, looked confused. Ukyo, however, had noticed the whole exchange, and looked thoughtful.

"Hey, Ranchan, Akane. We better get a move on if we're gonna get home on time." Ukyo gingerly took a few steps, seemingly surprised that it was easy. "Wow, Doc, this feels a lot better!"

"See, I told you he was a great doctor!" Akane said.

The two girls quickly walked out of the office into the gathering darkness of evening, but Dr. Tofu called to Ranma to wait behind. "Fiance' or not, do try to get along with Akane. She's really a sweet girl."

"She is?" Ranma shrugged. "It's not like I start it. She just overreacts to everything."

Tofu slapped him on the back, a little low, but apparently just a good natured pat. "You'll understand soon enough," the doctor said. "And take good care of your sister, too. Everyone needs a little support, now and then."

"Sure. I always do." A little confused, he continued on after the girls.

"What was that all about?" Ukyo asked as he approached.

"Aw, nothing."

"Oh, nothing about Akane, then?" Ukyo grinned.

"Eh, he was just sympathizing with me for having to put up with her short temper. An' you, always gettin' in trouble."

Ukyo stopped dead in her tracks. Ranma would have noticed, but Akane had also stopped short, ahead of them.

There was a moment of silence, in which Ukyo studied her brother carefully, her expression unreadable. Then Akane sighed deeply. "Is that so?"

She kept on walking, her face hidden in shadow. Ranma started after her. "Hey. It was a joke." He tried to poke his face in front of Akane, to look her in the eye, but she turned away. "Just like a girl to get all moody."

"Are you TRYING to pick a fight?" Akane said sourly, at which Ranma jumped back into a stance. Ukyo just watched the two of them, her arms crossed, with one hand up to her mouth.

He stuck his tongue out. "Now that's the Akane I'm used to." He darted back as she swung her book bag at him. She pulled back for another swing, but suddenly Ranma's legs gave out from under him, and he collapsed in the street.

"Ranma?" Akane looked startled. "What is it?"

"My legs," said Ranma. "He... he did somethin' to my legs..."

"Well, come on." Akane knelt down in front of him. Ranma tried to protest, but she looked back at him. "We've got to get home. We can't wait for you to get your strength back. I'll carry you piggyback."

"No way! There is no way a MAN would ever let..." Ranma was cut off as he was drenched by a spray of water. Ukyo stood there grinning at him, holding a hose.

"Looks like that's settled then," Akane said.

"No! There's no way you're gonna... Ucchan?"

"Don't Ucchan me." Ukyo smirked. "I can't carry you anyway. I'm still barely able to walk myself."

Fuming, Ranma let Akane pick her up. The three walked in silence, as they continued on to the Tendo home.

* * *

Later that night, Ranma knocked on Nabiki's door. "Come in," she said.

Nabiki watched him as he walked into the room and closed the door. He paused a moment, staring at Nabiki, not exactly angry, but not happy, either.

"I just wanted ya to know, Nabiki, I don't care what pictures you take of me, or what you do with 'em. But when you take pictures of my girl side, you're takin' pictures of my sister as well."

He held up the pictures of himself sleeping in Ukyo's form. "I'm guessin' you wouldn't take pictures like this of Akane, and the ones of Ukyo were okay, too. But don't think that just because I'm a guy you can just take pictures of my girl side and I won't mind."

Nabiki stared back at him. "Okay, point taken. You were the one pulling your shirt off in front of everyone, though." She pointed at the topless photo.

"Yeah..." Ranma looked a little uncomfortable. "I guess I better watch that. Anyway, just remember this. If you take any pictures of me in Ukyo's form, you better make sure they're not ones she wouldn't want to see."

He tossed the pictures onto Nabiki's desk. "Because next time, I will make SURE she sees them." He turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Nabiki quirked an eyebrow at the closed door. Then she pulled open her desk drawer, picked up the photographs, and put them away.

* * *

Author's Notes:

As of this chapter, I've dropped the separate page of Author's Notes. At the time, I wasn't really sure I was going to continue this, and wanted to give a sense of where I was going, but I don't think I need to do that any more. I've pretty much highlighted Ukyo's fighting style in these two chapters, so I think that's pretty clear now. I do want to take a break from this for a while, but I've got ideas for the next chapters, so I will be writing them, eventually. I still don't know if this will be updated regularly, but at least I know I've got something to keep me going for a while.

I did want to keep the note, though, about Ranma having Ukyo's ponytail in cursed form, instead of his pigtail. I realize it's not totally canon, but this variation on the curse isn't really canon anyway. I'm basically assuming that the curse is semi-sentient, and has a somewhat perverse sense of humor. When Ukyo fell into the spring the first time and "escaped", the Spring basically decided that it would not let her escape again. When she fell in again with Ranma, the Spring basically manipulated the curse so that Ukyo would get Ranma's girl form, and Ranma Ukyo's. I'm also using the theory that the curse uses a "template" that it attaches to, and if another Spring has someone drown there with a similar "template", it becomes more precise. Thus, in effect, Ranma fell into the Spring of Drowned Ukyo, and Ukyo fell into the Spring of Drowned Ranma Who Fell Into The Spring Of Drowned Girl. The "template" of Drowned Girl fell back on the more precise templates of its subcurses in order to include Ukyo in the curse.

The tie doesn't actually change, Ranma still uses the Dragon's Whisker in both forms, while Ukyo uses the same tie for both her ponytail and the pigtail. You probably could tell the difference by studying their ponytail closely. The main thing that changes, though, is the hair length, which I believe is supported in the canon by the Spring of Drowned Akane. Even if it isn't, I'm taking enough liberties with the curse as it is, so I'll just say that's the way it works here.


	4. Baseball and Heartache

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 4

Ranma sat watching the girls playing baseball out in the school field. Two of the guys from his gym class, Hiroshi and Daisuke, sat down next to him, and were trying to engage him in conversation.

"So what's it like being engaged to Akane? Man, she sure is cute," Hiroshi said.

"No, she's not," Ranma countered, watching Ukyo as she tagged out a runner. Ukyo and Akane were on opposite teams, and they slapped each other's hands as they passed, Akane's team going out onto the field.

"That's your sister, huh?" Daisuke elbowed him, watching Ukyo as she headed off the field. "She's cute too. Kinda wierd that she wears boy's clothes, though."

"Yeah, she's just a skinny tomboy. She wouldn't know how to wear a skirt."

"She sure looks good in those shorts, though..."

Ranma turned to glare back at him. "Hey, watch the comments about my Sis."

"Sure thing, man. So how far have you gotten with Akane?" Hiroshi asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, she is your fiancee, right?" Daisuke answered. "The whole school's jealous."

Ranma snarled. "Yeah, I've seen your 'jealousy'. That whole thing was sick." Never mind what Ukyo had said about it. It was the memory of his dream about Kuno that really made him shudder.

That morning, they had discovered the whole 'Hentai Horde', as Ukyo put it, had given up on Akane. They had all heard about Kuno's defeat, and as Akane and Ranma arrived, they had announced they would no longer try to defeat her. So at least they didn't have to fight that crowd this morning. Hopefully, it would stay that way.

To make things even crazier, Ranma had arrived in Ukyo's form. The crazy tomboy had just grabbed his hand and rushed him to school, not even stopping to talk or anything. She didn't even notice as they passed by the ladle lady and he got splashed. All because she didn't want to take some book Kasumi wanted her to give to Dr. Tofu. It was obvious Akane had a thing for the doctor, Ranma figured Akane would jump at the chance to go see him. Ranma shook his head. He didn't think he'd ever figure that uncute tomboy out.

"Hey, we weren't part of that group," Daisuke said. "We just wanna know the details. Don't play innocent with us."

Ranma snorted. He looked up to see Akane leaping to catch a baseball, a wide grin on her face. He could feel his heart start to beat faster at the look of her, the slight sheen of sweat on her body, the smooth and graceful way she moved when she was not pushing herself, just enjoying the friendly game. He found himself surprised by the reaction, and had to work to force himself to remember that she was a violent, short tempered tomboy.

"Man, she's cute..." Hiroshi muttered.

"No, she's not," Ranma said again, although the words sounded false coming out of his mouth. He turned away. "Besides... she's already got a guy she likes."

A baseball hit him in the face. Out on the field, Ukyo had hit the ball, and she turned to look at him. "Ranchan!"

"Saotome? I thought you had karate reflexes, man," Hiroshi said, as Akane ran off the field to take a look at him.

"I had something on my mind..." Ranma growled. Akane came up and knelt in front of him, looking concerned. Hiroshi and Daisuke seemed to be drooling.

"Akane? Is he okay?" Ukyo called out from the field. Akane grabbed Ranma's head, which he endured without comment, and she looked him over carefully.

"He's got a pretty big bruise here, but I don't think anything's broken," Akane called back. "Why don't I take him to Dr. Tofu's? This will get really sore if he doesn't look at it right away."

"You want me to come with you, sugar?" Ukyo asked. Ranma scowled even further, at the thought that he wasn't even being included in the conversation.

"No, I can take him. No sense in both of us skipping class. Come on, Ranma."

Ranma started to protest, but his cheek was really starting to hurt, and for some reason he didn't feel like arguing. Maybe it was because Akane's hair smelled of sweat, and was hovering right near his nose. Still grumbing a little, he let Akane help him to his feet and lead him off of the field. Ukyo, meanwhile, watched the two of them with a smile on her face. She looked as if she had noticed something that Akane missed, and was amused by it.

"Take care of Ranchan for me, sugar," Ukyo said quietly, with that mysterious smile.

* * *

As they arrived at Dr. Tofu's office, they found a panda sweeping the walk outside. "Pop?" Ranma asked, somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, hello Ranma and Akane." Tofu had a friendly smile for the couple. "Mr. Saotome started working for me today. Do you know each other?"

"That's Ranma's father," Akane told him.

"Oh? Not much family resemblance, is there?" They went inside, and Tofu set off looking for some ointment for Ranma's bruise. The phone rang, and Tofu asked Genma to get it, which he did. As a panda, though, he could pick it up, but couldn't answer it.

Akane took the phone. She looked surprised, then turned to Ranma as she hung up. "I... I'm going home."

"Is something wrong?" Ranma watched as Akane almost ran out of the room, and he followed. He finally cornered her in the entrance hall, although she wouldn't look at him.

"It's nothing like that."

"So what's the big hurry?" His voice became teasing. "I thought you'd want to stay with the Doc..."

Akane put a hand over his mouth. "Shut up! You don't know anything!"

She lowered her hand, still looking away. "Look... there's this girl, who Tofu likes. That was her on the phone. I... I've got to go."

Ranma studied her carefully. "Hey, come on... you're the one that brought me here. You ain't leavin' me with Pops and that doctor."

Akane looked up as if something had occured to her, but then she looked away. "You'll be fine, Ranma, I... I can't stay here."

"If you leave, then I'm leavin'. I ain't hurt, I don't need to stay here."

After a moment, Akane just shook her head. "All right, all right." She led Ranma back into the office, just as Tofu returned.

Akane made Ranma sit down, a little forcefully, but then blushed and looked away from Dr. Tofu. He studied Ranma intently, however, examining the bruise. "This was a baseball, right? From the impression, and the depth of the bruise, I'd say... this was Akane's work, wasn't it?"

Akane looked up, startled, but then blushed again. "Does... does it look like I hit it?"

Ranma chuckled. "You mean she even hits a baseball like a brute?"

Tofu looked at her, and Akane looked away again, hanging her head. "You mean you really did hit this, Akane? I was just joking."

"Nah, it was my Sis." Akane looked at Ranma, startled, but he was looking at the doctor. "She's a skinny tomboy with no muscles, but put a weapon in her hand, and she's dangerous. There ain't nothin' she can't throw or hit."

He said this with just a hint of pride, which Tofu picked up on. "She sounds a lot like Akane."

"Heh. If Ukyo had Akane's muscles, she would probably have taken my head off." Ranma laughed again. "Yeah, it's too bad her cursed form isn't Akane! With Akane's strength, and her skill with weapons, she'd be a monster!"

Akane turned beet red, and looked intently at the floor. Tofu grinned pleasantly and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Akane. What's wrong with being active?"

"Or macho," said Ranma.

"It just means you're healthy."

"Or sexless," said Ranma.

"Would you SHUT UP!" Akane yelled.

Just as Akane was afraid the situation was going to go out of control, it did. "Good afternoon, Doctor," came Kasumi's voice from behind her. "I've brought back your book."

Tofu's glasses fogged up. "K... K... Kasumi! Imagine meeting you here of all places!" He twisted Ranma's neck, and there was a loud popping sound, as which time Ranma realized he couldn't straighten his head.

Kasumi handed him the book, and he gave it to Genma. "Would you put this away for me, Ranma?" he said to the panda.

The panda held up a sign saying "I'm Ranma's POP!"

"Hey Doc!" Ranma called. "I'm over here." He called out a few more times, at which time Tofu looked at him. "Uh... can you do something about..." He pointed at his neck.

Tofu twisted it the other way. "We'll have you fixed in a jiffy." Ranma cried out in pain.

Kasumi giggled. "He's so funny."

Akane managed a smile. "You think so? He's completely different when you're not around."

"Really?"

"Well... I gotta go!" Akane headed out the door, and Ranma watched her. Taking a few seconds to break free of Tofu's further attempt to "fix" his neck, he followed after.

* * *

Back at Furinkan High, class was just letting out for the day. As the first of the students made their way through the gates, a young boy in ragged brown clothing stood waiting. He had a yellow bandanna tied in his hair, and surprisingly, appeared to have fangs.

As Hiroshi passed by him, he grabbed the boy. "Where is Furinkan High School?" He asked.

Nervously, Hiroshi pointed at the sign on the school gate. The boy read the sign, and looked frustrated. Then he turned back to Hiroshi.

"Were is Ranma Saotome?"

Hiroshi looked around. "I think he's gone home, but... that's his sister, over there."

He pointed at Ukyo, just coming out of the school, and the taller boy let go of him. He ran after the brown haired girl.

"Miss! Miss!" He called. He was a bit surprised to see that the girl was wearing boy's clothes, but it was fairly obvious she was a girl. A boy might have had waist length hair tied in a pony tail, but he wouldn't have the subtle curves the girl showed under the exotic-looking blue shirt she was wearing. She looked up at him as he came near. "Are you the sister of Ranma Saotome?"

"Yeah, Ranchan's my brother. What do you want with him?"

"Where is Ranma Saotome?" The boy's expression was somewhat threatening, and Ukyo stepped back slightly, her eyes narrowing.

"Akane took him home after he had a little accident in gym class. Why do you ask?"

"Still running away I see. He hasn't changed"

Ukyo sized the boy up, not liking the vibes she was getting off of him. "Look, Ranchan will be back tomorrow, so you can look for him then. But I'm not sure I like your..."

Suddenly, a look of recognition crossed her face, and her eyes widened. "Hibiki? Ryoga Hibiki?"

"Yes. Do I know you?"

Ukyo smiled widely. "Ukyo! It's Ukyo, remember! We went to school together, you and me and Ranchan."

Ryoga looked confused, and Ukyo sighed. "You probably don't recognize me because I was pretending to be a boy at the time. The Old Man wouldn't buy me a girl's uniform, or send me to a separate school. I had to go with Ranchan."

Understanding dawned in Ryoga's eyes. "Ukyo? That... that boy that was sometimes hanging around with Ranma? You were... you were a girl?" Ryoga looked the girl up and down, trying to jog his memory about the boy he had seen before. That boy had... curves like this? And... that soft face and cute smile?

A trickle of blood dripped out of Ryoga's nose. Seeing it, Ukyo chuckled. "I'm guessing you don't remember me looking like this." She blushed a little. "I had to pose as a boy back then, so I had to... um... hide myself, if you know what I mean. I'm registered as a girl at this school. I still find boy's clothing more comfortable but... well, I didn't find that very comfortable either."

Ryoga tried to shake off the images that were forming in his head before they caused him to die of massive blood loss. "Sorry I didn't recognize you Ukyo, but now you know why I want to see Ranma! I will wait no longer! He will not run out on our man to man fight again!"

Ukyo rolled her eyes. "Is THAT what this is all about? That silly duel? Ryoga, Ranchan waited for you for three days in that lot. You never showed up!"

"I showed up on the FOURTH day! He broke our vow between men!"

"You and your lousy sense of direction..." Ukyo shook her head. "Ryoga, we didn't have any choice in the matter. That third day, the Old Man clobbered Ranchan over the head and dragged him away! We went to China! Ranma couldn't meet you on the fourth day, because he wasn't even in Japan any more!"

"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?" Ryoga was starting to get angry, and Ukyo instinctively fell back into a stance. "I have seen HELL because of your brother! He has made my life a disaster! I will destroy him, and his happiness, no matter what it takes!"

Ukyo's eyes narrowed. "Look, Ryoga, this is my brother you're talking about. I'm not going to let you threaten him. I'm not worried about Ranchan, I'm sure he can still kick your ass just like he used to. But you've gotta know, Ryoga, he thought of you as a friend. He helped you to and from school every day, so you wouldn't get lost. He sparred with you because he liked to, not because he was trying to beat you. I know you took this whole bread feud thing seriously, but..."

"This is not about BREAD! You cannot possibly know the depths of my suffering!" Ryoga stared into Ukyo's eyes for a moment, but then, with effort, regained control. "Look, I have nothing against you, Ukyo. You... you seem like a nice enough girl..." He put a hand to his forehead. "But this is not a crime that can be repaid with words and apologies. I must have justice."

Ukyo sighed as well. "All right, Ryoga. If you must have your duel, Ranchan will be here for the next week at least. If you can manage to make it here, he'll be here." She scowled at him. "I know you're not going to be back for at least a few days, though."

"You just tell Ranma to prepare himself. And don't interfere in our fight..."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Ryoga. I'm a martial artist, I understand. This is between you and him." Ukyo paused, and her expression softened. "But please... try and consider what I said."

Ryoga nodded to her, then set off away from the school. Ukyo watched, worried, until he disappeared from sight.

* * *

Ranma finally made it to the Tendo home, but he still hadn't caught up with Akane. He looked around, somewhat awkwardly given the sideways position of his head, but couldn't find the girl anywhere. Finally, he checked the dojo, and found Akane breaking bricks behind the building.

He watched her as she smashed the bricks. Then she got up and walked over to the wall. Akane leaned against the wall, braced with one hand, her head down. Was she... crying? Slowly, Ranma made his way over to her.

"I can't let it hurt me..." Akane muttered. Then Ranma suddenly leaned into her view, sticking his face in front of her and sticking out his tongue.

She hadn't been crying, although it did look like she had been holding back tears. Her face twisted in anger. "What do YOU want!" She punched him, and Ranma's head was driven into the ground. He jumped up, trying to dodge her next attack, but then he twisted his neck back and forth. His head was back upright.

"I'm cured!"

"How nice for you," Akane said darkly. "Just leave me alone."

"There you go. Back to your old self."

"That won't work with me." She shook her head, her long black hair swaying slightly.

"You're no fun. Stupid tomboy, you can't take a joke."

"I'M NOT UKYO, RANMA!" Akane screamed at him, and now the tears came. "Has it ever occured to you that your insults HURT? That I'm not as strong as her? That I can't take it, like she can?"

Ranma flinched. Akane looked away from his look of distress. He put both hands behind his head, looking really uncomfortable.

Finally, Akane took a deep breath. "I'm... sorry." She paused, as a thought occured to her. "Look... do you really want to help?"

A few minutes later, Akane was sparring with Ranma in the dojo. She was pushing herself harder than she had ever pushed before, sweat running down her face, and over her body. Ranma found himself captivated by the look of determination on her face. He mostly dodged her blows, although the few that he chose to block hit with the force of a sledgehammer. He didn't feel like throwing any punches for her to block, and from the intensity of her concentration she didn't seem to mind.

It was her anger Ranma found most fascinating, though. Unlike in previous sparring sessions, it wasn't boiling over on her, she had it in rigid control. He'd never seen her like this before. He had wanted to, since that first match, he had wanted to. He had seen that potential in her, if she could only focus.

But she still didn't have quite enough. "Don't you get tired of being angry all the time, Akane?"

The rage slipped its reins a bit. "I LIKE being angry!"

"Well, that's too bad..." That punch came at him, the one that had all of her massive strength behind it, and Ranma twisted inside it, grinning. "... because you're kinda cute when you smile."

Akane froze, her eyes wide. "W... what?" She looked at him, blinking.

Ranma smirked, poking her firmly between the eyes. She fell on her bottom, hard. "Gotcha," he said.

Akane's eyes widened again, this time in shock and embarassment. "Hey! No fair! That... that didn't count!"

Ranma laughed. Akane continued to protest, but inside her mind, there was only one question. Does he really think I'm cute?

* * *

Akane was sitting at her desk, looking at herself in a mirror, when Ukyo came in. "So, how did it go with Ranma?"

It took her a few seconds to realize Ukyo wasn't asking what she thought. "Um... he was all right. A little bruising, but nothing Dr. Tofu couldn't take care of."

"Good. I don't know why Ranchan didn't dodge that, but I guess he was distracted like he said." Ukyo grinned. She was pretty sure of what had distracted him. "I've got some news for Ranchan, too, but it can wait until tommorrow. I ran into one of his old friends."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'll tell you both about it tommorow." Ukyo unrolled her futon, and settled down into it.

Akane was silent for a long moment. She stepped away from the desk to climb into her own bed, and lay there for a while. "Ukyo? Um... has Ranma ever... does he ever give you compliments instead of just insults?"

Ukyo laughed. "Nah. Mostly it's just insults. Sometimes, though. Not very often."

"Um..." She swallowed. "Has he ever called you cute?"

Ukyo paused a moment, stealing a quick glance at the black haired girl. "Yeah. A couple of times. The first time he had done something really stupid, I was giving him hell about it. Just out of the blue, he snuck in this comment about me being cute. Then acted like he hadn't said anything."

"He mostly does it when he knows he's in trouble. You know. To try and get out of it. But sometimes he says it when I'm feeling down about something." Ukyo sat up, drawing her legs up to put her arms around her knees.

"This one time... we were working on balance training, in the forest. I leaped to this tree and... I just slipped. I felt so embarassed. It was a thick branch, there was nothing slippery about it, I just misjudged and landed wrong. And fell into this puddle of mud. I felt horrible, my hair was all messed up, I was covered in mud, I felt like I had made a complete fool out of myself. I think I must have been about to start crying when Ranma jumped down. I expected him to tease me.

"Instead, he just said, 'Way ta go, Sis. Only you could look cute covered with mud.'" Ukyo grinned at the memory.

Akane smiled too, but then sighed. "But... if he doesn't mean half of what he says, how can you believe any of it? How do you know if he means it?"

Ukyo looked at her. "You just have to know. You just have to trust him." She laid back down.

"Ukyo..." Akane was quiet for a moment, and Ukyo sat up. "Dr. Tofu... he's been in love with Kasumi for as long as I can remember. You didn't see him when Ranma and I were there today. It's... it's really obvious."

"I see..."

"It's just... he's never going to look at me like that. To him, I'm just..." Akane sighed. "He'll never call me 'cute'. Not like that..."

Ukyo swallowed. "I guess... I really don't know what that's like. It's been nothing but me, and Ranchan, and the panda. I never stayed in one place long enough to find someone... I liked."

Akane wiped her eyes. "Sorry, about that, Ukyo. I guess I'm just in a mood to talk tonight. Didn't mean to put that on you."

"No, no, that's okay. Any time you want to talk, sugar, I'll listen."

Akane nodded. "Thanks."

There was another long pause, in which both girls laid back down. Akane kind of spoke softly, as if afraid to break the silence. "It's kind of funny, actually. Here we are, engaged to the same man, and he's a brother to you, and a stranger to me. We should hate each other or something. But..."

"Yeah..."

"You know... Ranma's right, I guess." Akane looked over at her pony tailed friend. "I guess you are kind of cute."

There was a rustling, as Ukyo turned away on the futon, hiding her blush. "No... no, I'm really not."

"Sure you are!"

"No... I'm not. But you're kinda cute, I think..."

Now Akane was blushing just as deeply. "No, I'm not..."

Both girls broke out laughing. They were interrupted by a knock from the window.

"Geez! Isn't that just like a couple of girls!" Ranma was hanging upside down outside the window. Ukyo and Akane both jumped to their feet to throw the window open. "I shoulda known if you get two silly girls together in a room they start gigglin'!"

"Ranma, you baka!" Akane slugged Ranma off the window and out into the yard. The two girls then looked back at each other, and started giggling all over again.

* * *

Author's Notes:

For those who may be thinking Akane was a bit quick to admit that she is engaged above, remember that she is alone in her room, and with a friend that she sees as trapped in the same situation. So it's not as much acknowledging the engagement as acknowledging that it's a problem. Also, note that Ranma and Akane have never denied their friendship (not yet) as it wouldn't really be fair for Akane to be friends with Ukyo, and yet expect Ranma to act like a stranger to her and stay away from her.


	5. The Haircut

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 5

"So what did you do to this Ryoga, anyway?" Akane asked.

Ranma thought for a moment. She was in her Ukyo form, after sparring with her Pops, and wringing out her shirt. She didn't seem to care about her near nudity, but had at least wrapped a towel around her breasts. "I dunno. As Sis said, we went to school together, and we often fought. It was a boy's school, and it was always a real battlefield around lunchtime. I would always try and get the last bread of the day, curry bread, chow mein bread, melon bread, whatever. Ryoga would always be a second too late, and he would challenge me for it."

"I don't think it was the bread," Ukyo said, coming in from the kitchen with the breakfast. "Ryoga sounded like he was really angry with you. It really upset him that you missed the fight."

"I waited for three days!" Ranma protested.

"Three days?" Akane looked skeptical.

"Ryoga has a lousy sense of direction," Ukyo told her. "The worst. He can get lost walking out of a room. The lot where he was supposed to meet Ranma was right behind his house. It took him four days to get there."

She looked over at Ranma. "I think that's probably what's bothering him, Ranchan. You were always helping him get to and from school. Heck, even I helped him find his way from one class to another sometimes. He had a chance to live a normal life, and then one day, it just ended. He went back to being lost all the time, never finding his way where he wanted to go, or knowing where he was. That was probably just the last straw for him."

"Wait a minute," Nabiki cut in. "Are you saying you went to this boy's school too?" When Ukyo nodded, both she and Kasumi got a look of horror on their faces. Akane had already heard, but still seemed to be frowning at the thought of going to school with nothing but "perverted boys".

"It wasn't that bad," Ukyo said. "I usually left for the day before gym, and was really careful in the bathroom. Other than that, it wasn't all that hard. I was used to wearing boy's clothes anyway, since the Old Man would just give me Ranchan's hand me downs."

"Oh, my," Kasumi said sympathetically. "How terrible for you."

Ukyo shrugged. "Anyway, it may take a while to get Ryoga calmed down, but maybe after your duel you can offer to help him find his way home or something. Then maybe we can find out what's really bothering him."

"Assuming he ever finds the place." Ranma shook her head. "It'll probably be another four days before he can get back."

"He seemed pretty determined," Ukyo said. "I wouldn't count on him just getting lost and giving up."

Nabiki suddenly paused in eating her breakfast to give Ukyo a startled look. "Is this okonomiyaki? I've never tasted anything like it before!"

Ukyo smiled. "I call it Pot Luck Okonomiyaki. I just basically take whatever's available and throw it in. It was a great way of getting rid of leftovers on the road. Not that we ever had many leftovers..."

Ranma was suddenly on her feet. "You didn't tell me you were cooking, Sis!"

"I wanted to make sure everyone else had a chance to taste it before you devoured it all." Ukyo grinned at her. "And put on your shirt, 'Sis'."

Ranma had the good sense to look embarrassed, and turned around while she put her shirt back on. Meanwhile, Nabiki had resumed eating with almost the enthusiasm Ranma usually showed. "Well, this is delicious. I had no idea you were this good a cook."

"It's not nearly good enough." Ukyo frowned, shaking her head. "My father's cooking was much better, but I haven't had much chance to practice, being on the road. I'm hoping I can help out in the kitchen, though, if that's okay with you, Kasumi."

"Oh, of course," Kasumi answered. "I would welcome the help. And Nabiki is right, your cooking is fantastic."

"It's the greatest," Ranma agreed, sitting down to begin stuffing her face. Ukyo chuckled, noting with amusement that Ranma hadn't even bothered to change back.

"You're not bad yourself, Kasumi, but thanks. I'm still a little rusty, but hopefully I'll be back in form soon. I'd like to open my own restaurant some day."

"Maybe I can help too!" Akane put in. This caused everyone in the Tendo family to turn pale and begin choking, although Ranma and Ukyo had no idea why.

* * *

Several days passed, during which Akane wondered if this Ryoga really did have such a lousy sense of direction that it would take him a week just to find his way back to the school. After four days, though, as she was accompanying Ukyo and Ranma out to the schoolyard for lunch, she was far enough behind Ranma to spot a figure coming at him, and shouted a warning.

Ranma didn't need the warning, however, as Ryoga announced his attack. "Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!" Ranma leaped aside as the boy slammed his umbrella into the concrete, shattering it. Akane was a bit surprised to see a crater formed by the impact.

"Ah, there you are," Ranma said good naturedly, although he didn't drop his guard. "I was beginning to think you'd given up."

"Shut up! You're not going to talk your way out of this! I will have my revenge!" Ryoga swung his umbrella, to attack again, but Ranma avoided him. Ryoga opened his umbrella, and threw it, and it circled around like a boomerang. Ryoga hoped to use the move as a distraction, but Ranma merely stepped out of the umbrella's path, while still keeping well out of Ryoga's reach. Several of the boys watching were caught by the edge of the umbrella as it passed, however.

Ranma's dodging was irritating Ryoga, but more than that, Ranma was still not fighting back. "Stop running away and fight!"

Ranma gestured at the boys, who were examining their ripped shirts. "I ain't runnin' away, Ryoga, I just don't wanna fight here, where someone could get hurt!"

Ukyo stepped between the two of them. "We've got a place set up for your duel. Nabiki said that she could arrange it so you two could use the athletic field, and no one would get in the way. Although I think she's got some plan of her own as well..." Ukyo scowled a bit.

Ryoga eyed the two of them warily. "Okay, but this better not be a trick."

Ukyo took his arm, which distracted the lost boy from further protest. He stared at her hand on his, and turned a little red. Ukyo didn't seem to notice, though, and led Ryoga off towards the field. Ranma just glanced at Akane, and the two of them followed.

Nabiki showed up a few minutes later, obviously in a rush, and out of breath. "Were either of you three going to come tell me this was finally happening?"

"You didn't take long to find out about it, did you?" Akane looked at her, a little annoyed herself. She hadn't yet forgotten about the pictures.

"Well, no, but I would have liked a little more time. Everything should be ready, though, you go on ahead, and I'll catch up." She then met up with a bunch of her other people, who started going around collecting bets.

"Ah, that's what she's up to," Ukyo commented, overhearing the conversation. "I'd put myself in for Ranchan, but that would hardly be fair. I've got insider information." She smirked.

"I don't know..." Akane looked worried. "Did you see the way he cracked the pavement? Can... can Ranma really handle him?"

"He always did before. Their fights were usually pretty even, but Ranchan always won in the end. And he's been training for a year, since then. He's a lot better." She thought for a moment. "Maybe Ryoga's stronger, too. I've seen him break stuff before, but not quite like that. And that umbrella is new, too..."

Akane bit her lip. Ukyo was worried, now, and she did not like that. But then the pony tailed girl shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Anything Goes is about thinking on your feet, and being prepared for anything. Ranchan won't underestimate him. I'm sure he'll be fine." What Ukyo didn't mention is that she had never seen Ryoga this angry and focused before. Before, their duels had been almost friendly. Now, she was afraid, that had changed.

The two boys took up positions opposite each other on the athletic field. Ranma held up a hand. "Before we start... Here. Catch."

Ryoga looked surprised, but reacted in time to catch a package that was thrown at him. "Curry bread?"

"Not it, huh? Well, I've got more." He started fishing more bread out of his book bag and tossing it at Ryoga.

"THIS IS NOT ABOUT BREAD!" Ryoga bellowed, obviously enraged.

"I told ya so," Ukyo said.

"I know, Sis, but I figured it was worth a try." He turned back to Ryoga. "Either way, we're even. Clean slate." He fell into a stance. "I don't wanna fight you, but if you want your duel, you've got it."

Ryoga sneered back at him. "You just don't get it, Saotome. This isn't about those days. This is because of the hell you put me through. You can't possibly understand. This is because you broke your word, our vow between men. And it'll be even when I've ruined your life, like you've ruined mine!"

He charged at Ranma, but Ukyo shook her head. "If it's not that, then WHAT IS IT?" she muttered, and Akane glanced at her.

Ranma, meanwhile, leaped aside as Ryoga again threw his umbrella. The fanged boy then charged as well, but just as before, Ranma ignored the distraction, and leaped over Ryoga's charge. Ranma used his momentum as he came down to catch Ryoga's shoulders and throw him. He managed to force Ryoga to the ground, only to find them both catapulted skyward when Ryoga pushed off from the ground with just one arm.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi and another boy had tried to pick up the umbrella, which had continued to circle the field before sliding to a stop nearby. "Wow. This thing must weigh a ton."

Akane, overhearing them, went over to try to lift it herself. She was able to lift one end of it, but it was obviously incredibly heavy. "He is stronger than he was before," Akane said, and then looked up at Ukyo. "I bet he wasn't using something heavy like this before..."

She didn't wait for Ukyo to confirm her suspicions, but called out to Ranma. "Be careful! He's been building up his strength since you last fought him! He's got the strength of a monster!"

Ranma got the warning just in time to dodge a bandanna that Ryoga flung at him. It cut him across the cheek, however, and a followup bandanna tangled around his wrist. Ryoga smiled. "Looks like you found out a little too late." He struck, but Ranma moved so fast that Ryoga's fist passed through the afterimage of his face.

Ranma whipped around, dragging Ryoga along by the bandanna to send him flying over the fence. Ranma hesitated a moment, then leaped after him. "Keep everyone back!" He yelled to Ukyo. "Those bandannas he's throwing are razor-sharp, and he might hit someone flinging them at me."

He caught up with Ryoga in one of the streets around the school, but kept avoiding him until he could find an open area where he would have some space. Fortunately, he quickly found a park nearby. In trying to evade Ryoga's constant charges, though, he was caught by one of the bandannas, which ripped a slash across the front of his shirt.

"Aw, man, and this was my favorite shirt, too!"

Ryoga snorted. "It's just a shirt, Saotome. Don't act like a girl."

If Ryoga's intention was to goad Ranma into attacking, then it worked like a charm. "Who are you callin' a GIRL?" Ryoga suddenly found himself on the defensive, as Ranma charged at him. A few minutes later, Ranma was about to crash into a water fountain, when Ryoga suddenly grabbed him and flung him aside, sending them both tumbling away from the fountain. He left an opening, which Ranma took advantage of, slamming the boy so hard he plowed a furrow in the grass.

Akane and Ukyo had managed to catch up with the fight, and watched as the two came within inches of the fountain. "Ranma!" Akane called out, knowing what would happen if he got wet.

Ryoga glanced back, noticing Akane calling out. He then noticed that she was carrying the umbrella. He leaped towards her, avoiding Ranma's attacks as he did.

"Gimme back my umbrella!" He called out as he neared, trying to grab the umbrella from the two girls. He would have gotten it away from Akane, but Ukyo instinctively tried to pull it aside. It turned out to be too imbalanced in her hands, and whirled off to one side, rolling across the grass. Ukyo slipped and fell, and cried out at a sharp pain from her ankle.

"What, are YOU runnin' away now?" Ranma asked, his tone almost crazed in its intensity. "I asked you, WHO YOU CALLIN' A GIRL?"

Ranma swiped at Ryoga as the lost boy tried to leap for the umbrella. There was a brief struggle, but he finally grabbed it. Swinging it up and stabbing at Ranma with it like a sword, he cut an even deeper slice into Ranma's chest, drawing blood from a cut across his ribs. The entire left side of the shirt fell away, exposing the wound.

"Ranma!" Akane charged forward, but Ranma was already returning the attack, forcing Ryoga back across the park. His path, of course, brought them right through the fountain. Ryoga leaped out of the spray, opening the umbrella to shield himself, but Ranma just charged straight through. He continued his assault relentlessly, not even noticing the change in gender. Ryoga also did not notice, too busy trying to block the incoming blows, without being driven back into the fountain.

Ukyo suddenly looked startled, and began to stare at Ryoga.

"Ranma!" Akane called out. She had come up behind the two fighters, now a boy and a girl. As Ryoga paused a moment, he realized for the first time that he was looking at a girl. A girl who, in fact, had the entire front of her shirt torn off, clearly exposing the fact that she was female. He took a long moment to look her over, while Ranma seethed.

Ranma leaped at Ryoga again, but this time he avoided her attacks. "Ukyo?" he muttered. He glanced back at where he had seen the two girls before, when Akane had the umbrella. Ukyo stood right there, looking him in the eye, with an expression of deep confusion and concern on her face. She was wearing her usual clothes, an outfit slightly different from what he had seen her in before. The Ukyo in front of him, the one attacking him, with her chest bared to him, was wearing Ranma's clothes.

"Ranma?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Ranma yelled, still barely controlling herself. "Who do you think it is, stupid?"

"RANMA!" Akane called out again. "Your... your shirt!"

Ranma looked down. With a loud gasp, she wrapped her arms around herself. Ryoga was staring at her, and his nose was bleeding, now. "Well..." She looked away, still furious, but blushing deeply. "What are you lookin' at?"

"Ranma... you... what?" Ryoga looked back and forth between Ranma and Ukyo. Ukyo, for her part, looked deep in thought, but was watching Ryoga closely. As she noticed the approach of some of their classmates from the school, she slipped back into an open pavilion nearby, still favoring her ankle a little, but quickly hiding in the shadows. Nabiki had also approached the battle, and spotted Ukyo, although it didn't seem like anyone else had. She glanced back at Ranma, obviously recalculating how this would affect the odds on all her bets.

"So you know my secret now," Ranma said. "Happy? You say I ruined your life. Well look at me! This is my curse, this is what happened to me when Pops dragged me away to China. So, is this good enough? You wanna laugh at me, now that you have your revenge?"

Ryoga just stared for a moment. Then, he did burst out laughing. "THAT you call a curse? With a cute figure like that? And not that much shorter, you haven't lost any reach at all, either... No, that is nothing!"

He leaped at Ranma again, and the girl danced backwards, unable to strike while hiding her breasts. Tentatively, she exposed herself enough to deflect his attacks, but that didn't seem to stop Ryoga. His earlier nosebleed notwithstanding, Ryoga showed no sign that he would be distracted by the sight a second time.

Akane called out to him. "Ranma! You can't fight like... well, like that!"

"I know, tell him that!" Ranma continued to try to dodge, but more and more of the kids from the school were showing up, and as they did, Ranma grew more concerned about keeping her arms wrapped around her chest.

"Take your punishment like a man, Ranma!" Ryoga grinned at the irony. "Turning into your sister? That's nothing. No, you aren't small, you aren't weak, you aren't ugly. That is no curse..."

Ukyo let out a gasp, which went unnoticed by everyone else. But her eyes suddenly widened in horror. "No. No, no, no... It can't be... He couldn't have..." She put both hands to her mouth, sinking to her knees, her eyes fixed on Ryoga.

Ranma had backed into Akane, and was trying to protect her, while Ryoga continued to fling bandannas at them. Akane had started to unbutton her blouse, and Ranma turned to stare at her. "Whattaya doin'?"

"You've got to cover up, Ranma!" She gestured at the boys gathered to watch the fight. "I'm wearing a bra, it'll be all right." Actually, she had begun to blush, deeply. But it was more than just Ranma, this was for Ukyo's sake, as well.

"No way! No way you're doin' that!" Before Ranma could protest further, Ryoga took advantage of the distraction to launch a number of bandannas, and throw the umbrella at him like a missile.

Still covering her chest with her hands, Ranma kicked the umbrella up into the air as it came near her. Flipping the missile over, she opened it, both deflecting the incoming bandannas, and hiding herself from the watching audience at the same time. Grabbing Akane, she leaped into the air, using the momentum of the heavy umbrella to carry them skyward. She didn't really have enough strength in Ukyo's body to carry them far, but with the drag from the umbrella she was able to float into a nearby tree.

Ukyo, meanwhile, had missed the close call, as she was no longer paying attention to the fight. She knelt on the ground, her head bowed. "Oh, Ryoga, no... Why did you have to follow us? I... I... It's all... Ranchan... I'm so sorry..." It was all for the best that the crowd had not noticed her, lost in her own thoughts, and out of sight of the actual battle. Ryoga set off in pursuit of his foe, and the crowd followed.

Ranma crouched in the tree, with her arms around Akane. Akane wasn't exactly shivering, but she held Ranma in her embrace as well, tightly, as if afraid she would fall. Ranma breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, it had hit her how much danger Akane was in, and suddenly all Ranma could think of was how any one of Ryoga's attacks could have hit the black haired girl. In the heat of the moment, she had just reacted on instinct, blocking the attacks, but looking back on it, it all just suddenly became ten times more frightening. If anything had happened to Akane...

Before she even really noticed the feeling of relief, though, Ranma began to feel something else. Her shirt was ripped open, and her bare skin - her bare chest - was pressed against Akane. Against Akane's chest. It did keep any of the boys around from seeing her, but that concern quickly faded before an even more uncomfortable feeling. The shapes that she could feel pressed against each other were totally unfamiliar to Ranma, and caused sensations in her that were strange and even frightening.

She slowly pulled away, and Akane let go as well, timidly looking away from her. Blushing, Ranma wrapped her arms around herself, turning her body away from Akane's. They sat in silence for an awkward moment, then snapped, "What?" at each other. Then, surprised, they both looked away.

"This is your fault. Interferin' like that," Ranma grumbled, falling back on familiar ground. Although her voice was a little tight.

Akane pointed at her chest, but blushed crimson as she did. "You can't fight like that!"

"I ain't got no choice, do I? I sure don't need you gettin' in my way an' makin' it worse!"

"Worse? How can it get any worse! You're giving half the boys in the school a look at Ukyo's body, you pervert!"

"I'm tryin' to hide myself, ain't I? I don't want no pervert lookin' at my Sis!"

Ryoga had approached the tree, and looked up at the bickering couple, his face showing no amusement. He pulled off his belt, and snapped it, and it sprang out and stiffened, as if made of steel. He swiped at the tree trunk, effortlessly slashing through it, sending the tree falling, with Ranma and Akane in it. Ranma grabbed at Akane again, and leaped off the tree, trying to use the umbrella as a shield to protect herself from Ryoga as they passed. He simply wrapped the belt around the umbrella and it was cut in half.

"Let me go!" Akane yelled, as they were once again pressing together in that disquieting way. Ranma kept bounding from surface to surface, trying finding purchase before it also fell out from under them. Although she was still holding Ranma tightly, Akane had begun to struggle, and her movements rubbed against Ranma in a way that only reminded her that she was still very exposed. She could feel her face growing hotter and hotter, as the sensations became more distracting.

"You don't think I'm holdin' you like this because I want to, do you?" Ranma, as usual, just let her mouth say whatever came to mind. Not that she would have known to stop what was about to come out of her mouth anyway. "Besides, you're the one holdin' me! With the way you're touchin' me there, I'd think maybe YOU'RE the pervert!"

Akane's eyes widened in shock and anger, and then tears sprang to her eyes. She glared at Ranma for a few moments, her teeth clenched. Then, as they finally found a purchase on solid ground, Akane slapped the pony tailed girl as hard as she could across the face.

"Fine! If that's the way you feel about me..." Blinking away tears, Akane spun on her heel and stomped away.

Ryoga charged at Ranma, now that she was in the open, but the girl just stood there, stunned. She wasn't even covering herself any more. She looked back in Akane's direction, muttering her name. She turned to follow Akane, but Ryoga tried to strike while her back was turned. Irritated, Ranma turned back to Ryoga and kicked him in the hand, knocking his belt flying. Then she sent him sprawling across the grass.

Ranma ran after the girl, only to have her turn back as she approached. "Save it, Ranma! I couldn't care less! From now on, you and I are no longer friends! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

At that moment, Ryoga's belt flew past the back of Akane's head, and sheared off the lower length of her hair.

There was stunned silence for several minutes. Then the girls in the audience began muttering. "Caught in public... with a haircut like that..."

Ranma glanced at them, then back at Akane. "She's in shock..."

"Well of course," one of the girls said. "A girl's hair is her life." She frowned at the brown haired girl. "Surely you know that, Ukyo, with hair like that. What kind of girl are you?"

Ranma put her hand to her pony tail, Ukyo's pony tail. Another of the girls snickered at her. "Have you been wearing boy's clothes so long you don't remember how to be a girl? You aren't even wearing a bra..."

This caused Ranma to jump and cover herself up. "Well... I just don't feel like wearing one sometimes! It doesn't mean that... well, Ukyo doesn't... I mean, I... don't... um... wear one... sometimes..." She blushed deeply.

This was not a subject Ranma felt comfortable with. "That's not important! What's important is... Akane..." She turned to look back at her, just as Akane met her eyes. She still looked stunned, but watched as Ryoga approached.

As Ryoga stood next to Ranma, Akane walked over to him. Not saying a word, she stopped in front of him, and started undoing the ties of his shirt. By the time she had taken it off, Ryoga was beet red, and his nose was bleeding a little. Akane took the shirt over to Ranma, and put it on her, fastening the ties along the side to cover her up.

Then, she slapped both of them hard across the face. Akane then turned and walked off.


	6. I Wanna Be Uncute?

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 6

Ukyo quietly opened the door to the Tendo home. She didn't bother to announce herself. There was a dark, gloomy air around the brown haired girl, as if she was carrying a great weight. Sighing deeply, she limped towards the kitchen, still favoring her ankle.

She heard talking, and stepped up to the doorway to find Kasumi cutting Akane's hair. The black haired girl looked totally different, her previously long, shoulder length hair now raggedly cropped to just behind her head. Ukyo stared at her. "Wha... what happened?"

Akane gave her a smile. It was quite obviously fake. "I just felt like cutting it." Her smile faded as she studied the other girl carefully. "Didn't you see the fight between Ranma and Ryoga?"

Ukyo looked away, as if lost in thought. "No, I... something happened and I had to get away for a while."

"I know what you mean..." Akane muttered. Then her false smile returned. "Anyway, I was trying to cut it, but I messed it up. Hopefully Kasumi can fix it."

"Of course I will," Kasumi said pleasantly. "We'll just even out some of these edges and it will look fine."

Ukyo watched as Kasumi continued Akane's impromptu haircut. All of a sudden, it struck her how Akane's hair, tied with a bow but not into a pony tail, had been similar to Kasumi's. Although Kasumi did tie her hair back somewhat, she wore it over her shoulder. Akane had simply gathered it together, near the base. Although their hairstyles were different, there had been elements in common, like the bow.

Ukyo put up a hand to stroke her own pony tail. When she was younger, she had worn a bow in her hair, too, but there was little room for such cosmetic touches on the road. Plus, Genma always complained that bows were "girlish" and not appropriate for a serious martial artist. That was probably because Ranma had once suggested tying his pigtail with a bow, and the Old Man was quick to shoot that down. But to spite Genma, Ukyo stopped wearing a bow in her hair as well.

Actually, over time, she had taken to wearing her hair more like Ranma's. Ukyo grinned at the thought, although she had realized it years ago. She tied her hair with a simple tie, and moved the pony tail down on her head, to the base of her neck. To be more like Ranma. Ukyo glanced up at the two sisters and smiled. That explained a lot about Akane. She had grown her hair to be more like Kasumi.

It had obviously been cut in the fight. Yet another thing to blame... Ukyo shook her head. There was no sense going down that path. If she was right, Akane was going to need a friend right now. "So... where's Ranchan?"

Akane scowled, and Ukyo recognized what that meant. Damn it. No, no time for blame now, for who's at fault. No time for guilt. Kasumi answered her. "I think he said he was going to take a bath. Probably to change back, he was in girl form."

She stepped back, to examine her handiwork, then helped Akane to her feet. "All done!" Kasumi exclaimed happily. She handed Akane a mirror, who studied her new haircut closely.

"It looks nice," Ukyo said with a smile. It had been neatly trimmed across the back, hanging to just above her shoulders. Two strands of hair that hung in front of her ears, that had been much longer, had also been trimmed to the same length. It suited her a lot better, somehow. Ukyo ran her hand through her pony tail again, wondering for a moment if she should trim it short. To look more like Ranchan's pigtail, now that she shared that hairstyle half the time anyway. But no, a pony tail suited her better, too.

She smiled at Akane, and the black haired girl gave her a sad smile back. Then she looked down at Ukyo's foot. She had noticed Ukyo was stepping on it a bit gingerly. "Did you hurt your ankle? Maybe you should let Dr. Tofu take a look at it."

"Yeah, I was going to go see him. Would you go with me?"

Akane looked up, and there was suddenly a glimmer of tears in her eyes. She blinked them away. "Of course I will." She put her arm around the other girl. "You can lean against me."

"Thanks, Akane." She said nothing else, though, and the two girls slipped quietly out of the house. The mood was just as somber as they left, as when Ukyo had come in.

They had walked a couple of blocks, when Ranma, in male form, suddenly charged up to them. He dropped in front of them. "Oh, sorry, wrong..."

Suddenly, Ranma's eyes widened. He recognized Ukyo, standing next to her, but it was like he had never seen Akane before. He stared at her, his mouth open, as he looked over her face, her hair, his gaze almost intimate in its intensity. Finally, Akane nervously put a hand up to her hair. "It looks different now, huh?"

Ranma swallowed. He nodded, slowly. "It's... uh... yeah, different..." Then he blushed deeply, and looked away.

The two girls stared at him for a moment, but then Akane helped Ukyo to limp along further down the street. Ranma suddenly turned, though, and walked back to Akane, biting his lip.

"Um... I just... I just wanted to say..." He swallowed, even harder than before. "I'm sorry." He cringed away, closing his eyes.

Akane looked more exasperated than relieved. "It's okay. Forget it."

"No, no, it's not okay." He looked her in the eye again. "What I said about not wantin' to touch you, that was just stupid. And the other stuff..." He blushed again, deeply.

"It's just..." He looked away, obviously struggling to find words. "It felt wierd, ya know? I'm not used to feelin'... stuff like that. Bein'... a guy and all. I didn't know what to say. What to do."

Akane sighed. "It's all right, Ranma. I understand. I know you didn't mean it."

She was silent for a moment. "I didn't mean it either. We're... we're still friends, Ranma."

A huge smile spread over his face, which he quickly suppressed. Then he looked guilty again. "I... I'm sorry."

"It's all right Ranma. Just... quit being so nice. You're making me nervous." She shook her head at him, with a hint of a smile.

Akane glanced at Ukyo. "Besides," she said. "I was thinking of getting it cut anyway." Ukyo didn't react, just continued walking along, leaning against Akane.

Ranma studied her expression, and then nodded. He fell behind them, dropping his gaze to look at the ground.

Ukyo found it hard to keep her smile off her face as well. But she concentrated on walking along as they continued to the clinic, trying to keep her weight off her ankle. Ranma stepped a little closer again. "Um... Sis... I could... carry you... if ya want..."

"That's okay, Ranchan. I'm fine."

"But..." Ranma looked uncomfortable, folding his arms behind his head. "I don't mind. You don't have to do all that... Akane... if you don't want to..."

"Ranma, cut it out. I'm helping Ukyo."

He fell back behind. "Oh... okay, Akane."

She sighed again. "Don't worry Ranma. I'm not mad. I just want to help Ukyo, is all."

They quickly arrived at Dr. Tofu's clinic, and both Tofu and Genma-panda looked a bit startled at Akane's short hair. "Oh, Akane! Cut it short again, eh?" Tofu asked her.

Akane smiled. "Yeah. I just felt like a change. Anyway, I think Ukyo sprained her ankle. Could you take a look at it?"

Akane helped Ukyo into one of the offices, and stepped aside as Dr. Tofu looked at Ukyo's ankle. After a few moments, Akane put her fingers to her hair. "Doctor..." She began, hesitantly. "Do you think my hair looks... good?"

The doctor looked back at her, with a friendly smile. "Oh, yes. It's very cute."

Ukyo winced. That was exactly what Akane had said. "He'll never call me cute. Not like that."

Tofu looked back at her, noticing her flinch. "I'm sorry, did that hurt?"

Ukyo glanced at Akane. She was biting her lip, and tears had started to run down her cheeks. She quickly looked back at the doctor. "Yeah, a little. Sorry, I just moved it accidently." She kept Tofu's attention on her ankle, while Akane regained control of herself.

"Short hair always did look good on you, Akane," the doctor said, as he taped up Ukyo's ankle.

Akane turned away, to wipe away her tears, but her voice was in control as she spoke. "Thank you, doctor. That's what I thought, too..." As she looked up, she noticed Ranma staring at her. His eyes widened as he noticed she had seen him, and he quickly looked away. He and Akane took several minutes glancing at each other uncomfortably.

Tofu almost turned to look at her, until Ukyo hissed as if in pain, to draw his attention again. His taping did make her ankle ache a bit, so it wasn't exactly a deception. He was almost done, though, and so he patted her knee as he finished. "There, you should be just fine now. Just stay off of it for the next couple of days, and the pain should go away soon."

"It's really not that bad," Ukyo said. "I'm just a big baby. Can't stand pain." She grinned, good naturedly. Then she stood up, and stepped onto the foot, testing it. "Yeah, this is fine. Thanks, Doc."

"No problem." He glanced over at Akane and Ranma. Akane turned to look back at him, with a big smile on her face. There was almost no sign of her tears, but Tofu seemed to catch that something was wrong. "Akane, thanks for bringing her in. That was kind of you."

Her smile grew brighter. "Thank you."

Tofu looked from Ukyo to Akane, thoughtfully. But then he helped Ukyo walk out out the door, and into the clinic lobby. Akane stepped up to take his place, and Ranma trailed behind as they left. Tofu seemed to shake his head for a moment, with a sad smile. Then he went back to take care of his other customers.

Akane helped Ukyo along the street, but then the brown haired girl began to subtly guide her in a different direction than towards the Tendo home. They walked in silence for a while, Akane and Ukyo holding on to each other, and Ranma bringing up the rear, looking like he was watching anything but the two girls. After a while, Ukyo seemed to decide where she wanted to go, and brought them into a park.

"Let's rest a moment," she said, not saying that her foot was hurting. Akane helped her over to a park bench, and the two of them sat down together. After a moment, Akane leaned over to put her face in her hands. Ukyo rubbed a hand along her back, reassuringly.

Ukyo glanced up at Ranma, who was fidgeting nervously. He was blushing, a little, and still looked incredibly guilty. Akane shuddered a little, and Ukyo looked back at her, continuing to rub her back. The black haired girl lifted her head, but still kept her gaze on the ground in front of her.

"Ranchan, why don't you head on home? We'll catch up with you."

"Oh. Um... ah..." Ranma stammered, looking away from them.

"It's all right. He can stay." Akane stared intently at the ground, obviously fighting to keep control. Her voice was even, but a tear still rolled down her face.

"Are you sure?" Ukyo looked at her carefully, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.

Akane just nodded. She sat quietly for a few more moments, not daring to speak.

Both girls just sat on the bench, saying nothing. Ukyo watched her face, as Akane stared off into space, the breeze ruffling her now short hair. Finally, Ukyo asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Akane said, very quietly. Then, she suddenly turned and buried her face against Ukyo's chest, breaking out into wrenching sobs.

Ukyo pulled her into a tight hug, rocking the girl and whispering softly to her. Ranma just stood, looking around as if he wished he could be somewhere else. In fact, he was wishing the ground would open up and swallow him right there. He continued to glance at his sister as she comforted Akane, hating to stare, but unwilling to leave.

After a while, Akane's tears began to slow, and her sobs grew quiet. She gave Ukyo an appreciative hug, and leaned away from her. "Thanks. I... I needed that."

"Nothing like a good cry, huh?" Ukyo asked with a smile. But then she bit her lip. Akane dried her eyes and stood up, putting a hand out for Ukyo.

"Come on, let's get back," Akane said. "I'm better now. Thanks... and you too, Ranma."

She glanced at Ranma, who looked startled, and then embarassed. He said nothing, just fidgeted some more. Akane and Ukyo continued on past him, and out of the park. Ranma trailed behind, as the three of them headed back for the Tendo home.

After a while, Akane glanced back at Ranma, who was still moping along behind them. He jumped up onto the fence beside the canal, but not in his usual energetic fashion. "Come on, Ranma", Akane finally asked. "What's wrong?"

He looked away from her. "I... I just don't get it. He... the Doc said you were cute. I thought..." He paused a moment, still looking down into the waters of the canal. "I thought you'd be happy."

Ukyo gave a quiet sigh, then looked up at Akane. The black haired girl was smiling, sadly.

"It doesn't matter, Ranma," Akane said, continuing down the road. "Dr. Tofu's in love with Kasumi, not me. I needed to realize that."

"Yeah, right..." Ranma followed, still on the fence.

Ukyo shook her head. "It's not something you can explain, Ranchan."

They all fell silent again, and Ranma continued to walk on the fence. Then he jumped down, and without trying to make it too obvious, edged closer to Akane. "Anyway... I dunno... I guess he's kinda right..." He was stammering again. "I know I didn't say so, but... I think your hair is... kinda cute."

Akane looked at him, startled. "Do you think so?"

"Uh, well, sorta," Ranma looked suddenly frightened, and stepped back. Then he became thoughtful. "I mean... if you don't like... um... 'cute'..." He swallowed hard. "It's kinda nice. It looks good, and..."

Shaking her head, Akane laughed a little. "It's okay, Ranma. You don't have to say that just to cheer me up. I'm fine now." She glanced at Ukyo. "You too. I'm fine."

Ukyo put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, what are friends for, if not to cheer you up?"

Akane laughed a little more, at that. She turned to continue on, but then stopped to look for Ranma. He had crouched back on the fence again.

"Well... it's just that..." Ranma fell silent, staring back into the waters of the canal. When he spoke again, his voice was far away. "When I saw you a few minutes ago, when I almost didn't recognize you, you looked so... different. I mean... cute is like girly and cutesy and bows in your hair and stuff. You're not like that. Not that you were ever like that... but, well... the Doc said you were cute... and..."

He put his hand to his chin. "You didn't look like that. It was like... I saw you. Really saw you. It was... more like you. Strong and... determined. Not like... cute... you were more grown an'..."

Suddenly, Ranma turned to look at Akane, blushing deeply. "Um... not that I really count or anything. I mean, what I think." He looked down. "I just like it. Not that my taste makes any difference."

Akane stepped closer to him. Quietly, she asked, "Ranma... do you mean that?"

He looked at her, his blue eyes wide with fear. Somehow, he managed a shaky nod.

She smiled. "Thank you. It really means a lot... to hear you say..." She started to sob again, then smiled widely, her face lighting up. "That was exactly what I wanted to hear, Ranma. Thank you."

Akane brushed at her hair. Her eyes were glistening with tears, but happy ones. Ranma found his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't tear his eyes away. "Imagine... all this time..." She sighed, deeply. "All this time I was waiting for someone to say my hair was... 'uncute'."

She stared at him for a moment, and Ranma couldn't breathe. She gave him that beautiful smile. And then she reached out and poked him in the middle of his chest with her finger.

"Gotcha." Ranma had only a second to realize he was off balance, and then he was flailing his arms. In the next second, she was in the canal, shaking off the water in female form. She heard Ukyo burst out laughing.

"What'dja do that for?" She yelled.

"Now we're even," Akane answered, grinning impishly. "Now you don't have to feel guilty."

"Why you! That's not fair! Uncute tomboy! It's not like I care what you think!"

"Oh, sure, Ranma. You were so moping around and acting guilty. And being all kind and considerate. One would think you were a girl!"

"You take that back!"

"Will not!" Akane stuck out her tongue.

Ranma splashed indignantly in the water. "I don't know why I said I liked that you're uncute! You're not even that uncute! You're not as uncute as Sis! I should start calling HER uncute!"

"Too late, you said it! I'm not cute at all. I'm totally and completely not cute."

"Bah. I can't very well argue with you now. I'd have to say you're cute." Ranma managed a slight smirk at that. "And who'd ever say that?"

"Well, go ahead, try it, see what it gets you."

"Yeah, dumped in the canal!" Ranma wrung out the front of her shirt. "You don't treat Sis like this, you violent maniac!"

"She's better at being nice than you! Not that you're any good at it at all!" Akane giggled.

Ukyo burst out laughing again. "Okay, okay, you two. Truce while I pull Ranchan out of the water." She pointed at Ranma. "And don't you dare splash me, or I'll leave you there!"

"You're ganging up on me, you crazy tomboys!"

Akane smiled to herself as Ukyo helped her brother back onto dry land, and then they all headed on towards home. As the siblings continued their verbal sparring, however, an unexpected thought crossed Akane's mind. Ranma probably didn't realize it, but he had said, indirectly, that he LIKED that she was uncute. Could 'uncute' be... a good thing?

* * *

Ukyo pulled herself up onto the roof. Ranma sat there, holding something in his hand. He had obviously sensed her coming, though, because he quickly hid whatever it was behind himself. He sat down on it, and then shifted over to make sure it was completely hidden from her view.

"Hey, Ranchan," Ukyo called. "I thought I'd find you here."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Sure. Whenever you want to be alone, you always seek out the highest spot. The top of a tree or something. I guess you like to know if anybody's coming."

"Hmph." He looked away. "Didn't help me with you."

"So, mind if I sit down?" Not waiting for an answer, she took a seat next to him anyway.

Ranma said nothing, and Ukyo let him sit in silence for a while. After a while, he sighed deeply, and slumped, hiding his face in his hands.

"You got it bad, huh?" Ukyo asked him.

"What... what do you mean?"

The edge of her lips curled up in a smile. "Akane."

His protests were almost instantaneous. "That uncute tomboy! No way! I don't like her! How could anyone like a violent, short tempered chick like her?"

Ukyo giggled. "Yeah, sure. That's why you were moping around all day, and acting like you'd lost your best friend, just because you thought you'd really hurt her."

"Did not!" He turned away, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly.

"Don't worry, I won't tell her."

"Tell her what?"

That knowing smile crept across her face again. "That you saved that lock of her hair."

Ranma turned beet red and looked down.

"So what happened, anyway?" Her expression turned to one of sympathy, and she put a hand on his shoulder. "Was it you, or Ryoga?"

"Ryoga." He wouldn't meet her eyes. "His belt. I... I kicked it out of his hand. *I* kicked it. It was my fault..."

"So?"

"She got hurt because of me. I was so worried about her getting hurt... and she did."

"So? I got hurt too." She glanced down at her ankle.

Ranma put his head down in his arms. "You're right, Sis. Oh, geez, I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot..."

She put her arms around him. "Stop that, Bro. I'm a martial artist, I can take care of myself. And so is Akane. She's good. She's really good. And you know what can happen. But you can't let it get to you. You can't blame yourself for it. You know that."

When Ranma said nothing, Ukyo squeezed his shoulder again. "Is that when she said she didn't want to be friends any more?"

"Nah, that was... that was before. I... I said somethin' stupid."

Ukyo grinned. "Nothing new about that."

"It was really stupid." Ranma looked at her. "But she was goin' on about how my shirt had been ripped open. Sayin' I was a pervert. But I was TRYING not to let anybody see me. See you..." He turned away, blushing. "But I couldn't just let Ryoga beat me..."

Ukyo had started blushing as well, but she nodded. "It's okay, I know you did your best. It's not like I expect to you start wearing a bra or anything..." She grinned mischievously at him.

Ranma blushed deeply and looked away. There was a moment of silence, and then Ukyo spoke again. "Hey, I've been thinking. What if whatever is bothering Ryoga doesn't have anything to do with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well... say that when you missed your duel, Ryoga went looking for you. And something happened while he was lost. Something that's not directly your fault, but he blames you for it because he was looking for you."

"Hm. That makes sense." Ranma looked thoughtful.

Ukyo put her hand on Ranma's shoulder again. "Look, I know how much your honor means to you, and I know you don't want to turn your back on a challenge. But maybe this isn't really your fight after all. Why don't you let me talk to him. Maybe I can talk some sense into him, get him to agree to call this off."

"I dunno... Ryoga was never one to listen to reason. He insisted on blaming everything on me when we were in school. Even though I did everything I could to help him..."

Ukyo paused a moment. "You know you're worried about Akane and me. But, none of this really had to happen, if Ryoga's just blaming you for something that isn't your fault." She gave him a sad eyed look, knowing exactly how to twist the screws on Ranma's sense of honor. "I know Ranma Saotome doesn't lose, but... can't he call a truce? For me? Pleeeeeeeease?"

Ranma shook his head, knowing he was being manipulated. "Sure, Sis. Whatever you want."


	7. Ukyo's Secret

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 7

Ryoga wandered through the darkness, his umbrella out to shield him from the rain. It had taken him only a few minutes to get a description of the Tendo home from some of the students from Furinkan who had been watching the battle, but three days to actually find the place. Now his wait was over, now he would finally be able to make Ranma pay. And without further worry about endangering either that girl whose hair Ranma made him cut, or the honor and reputation of Ranma's sister.

After all, he took a moment to admit to himself, both girls seemed pretty nice. Ranma certainly didn't deserve to be friends - or more - with pretty girls like that.

He approached the house quietly, first making sure it looked like the home that had been described to him. It was pretty nice, too, a large two story building with a dojo attached by a walkway to the back. And a koi pond in the front which he carefully avoided. Ranma didn't deserve to be staying in a nice place like this, either.

He made his way quietly through the house, going up the stairs to the bedrooms. He lucked out, the first room he checked was where Ranma was staying. He started a bit when he realized a huge panda bear was laying on a bedroll next to him. There was something about that that jogged his memory, but he decided not to think about it.

"Wake up, Ranma. It's me, Ryoga. It's time for our fight." He tried to wake the sleeping boy, but Ranma seemed to be too heavy a sleeper. Finally, he chose to punch him in the face. Ranma happened to roll over, and the attack missed, tearing a hole in his pillow instead.

Ryoga lifted his hand, taking the pillow with it. Now he was getting irritated. "Wake up, already!" He punched him again, this time knocking a hole in the floor, but Ranma had again rolled aside. Ryoga drew back to scream at him at the top of his lungs.

"Ryoga. We need to talk." The voice came from the door, and Ryoga turned to see Ukyo standing there. "Follow me."

"Stay out of this!" Ryoga protested. "This is a fight between men!"

The girl's blue green eyes narrowed in anger, and Ryoga found himself unconsciously leaning away from her. "NOW, Ryoga!" she hissed.

She stepped out of the room, and reluctantly, Ryoga followed. They headed down the stairs. As Ryoga drew near, Ukyo looked back at him. "I knew you would be coming. I set up a trip wire in the hall. Don't think you can get past me without me knowing."

"You said you wouldn't interfere." Ryoga accused, scowling.

"That was before." She continued down the hall and past the family room to the engawa, where she slid open the doors to look out into the rain. Ryoga started to step out past her, but then realized she wasn't joining him. She just stood there under the eaves.

"Before we start, there are some things I've got to tell you. You may not know this, but... I hate Ranchan's Old Man.

"You say Ranchan ruined your life? Well, the Old Man ruined his life, and he ruined mine. He took me away from my father, took me away from my home, he took every opportunity he could to belittle me and make fun of me, saying I was a weak, stupid girl, not fit to be a martial artist. Or, he said that to Ranchan, anyway, he never said it to my face, although he never had to...

"Every chance he got, the Old Man tried to dump me by the side of the road. I hadn't been with him for two days before he tried it for the first time. He asked Ranchan, 'Which do you love more, Ukyo, or okonomiyaki?' Ranchan said, 'Ucchan.'" Her expression grew clouded. "Not that he meant it, really, not back then. He just figured I could make him more okonomiyaki.

"He eventually figured it out. After about the fifth time the Old Man tried to abandon me in some town, Ranchan finally realized I wasn't just 'getting lost'. Pops tried to stop him from going back to get me all the time, and he threatened to run away. So the Old Man just stopped trying. Instead he started into all that 'girls are weak' stuff." Ukyo sneered. "I wanted to prove him wrong, but I was just a kid. I tried to fight back, but I just wasn't strong enough. And neither was Ranchan. He started working the both of us extra hard, maybe figuring I'd give up and run away, but I never did."

"Nice story," Ryoga interrupted, looking like he was trying not to appear sympathetic. "But I don't have time for this. This is between me and Ranma, and you..."

Ukyo put up a hand. "Just let me finish, Ryoga."

She paused a moment to study the boy, standing out in the rain under his umbrella. "For as long as I can remember, Pops kept saying that weapons were useless." She gestured at the umbrella. "If you use a weapon, it can be taken away from you. That makes you weaker, and your opponent stronger.

"But I wasn't strong enough to beat the Old Man with just my bare hands. I'm still not. After a while, though, I started to realize that I had something the Old Man didn't. That Ranchan didn't. I had an awareness, a perceptiveness about my surroundings that I could use to my advantage. I realized that if I took my weapons from my environment, then it didn't matter if my opponent took it away from me. I could always get another. And if my opponent took a weapon away from me, but he couldn't use it as well as I could," she gestured at the umbrella again. "then that made him weaker, and me stronger.

"Oh, the Old Man figured out what I was doing, after a while. I think he was actually impressed. But he started using new techniques against me. Distraction techniques, and manuevers intended to restrain and slow me. So I took his techniques, I learned them, and I started using them against him. The Old Man had experience and knowledge on his side, but I still had that awareness. I could see things he missed, and use them against him."

Ryoga frowned. "Okay, okay, I get it. Ranma's father ruined your life. You want revenge, just like I do. I don't see what this has to do with Ranma..."

"It has everything to do with Ranma!" Ukyo countered, almost yelling. "He spent ten years of his life being beaten up by that... panda! And so did I. It didn't happen overnight. I had to work HARD to get good enough to protect myself from him. And I had to work even harder to protect Ranchan from him. To help Ranchan get strong enough to protect himself from him." Her eyes were flashing with fury, now, but a tear rolled down her face. "I was never happier than when Ranchan said he was proud of me. That maybe his Pops was wrong and girls weren't weak. And then the Old Man just turned up the training for us for the next week." She snarled.

She met Ryoga's eyes again. "I hate that panda. I hate everything he stands for. I hate what he's done to me, but more than that, I hate what he's done to Ranchan. He's even done it to YOU, although you don't realize it yet. He's the one who dragged us off to China, and made you miss your duel."

Ryoga was snarling now, showing his fangs. "I know all about that. But it's all your 'Ranchan's' fault. I won't hear your excuses any more! You can't possibly know what it's like! The Hell I've been through..."

"The Hell you've been through!" Ukyo yelled, cutting him off. "What do you know about it? My curse, my curse I can live with that. But Ranchan! All his life his father has told him that women are weak. And then he goes and turns him into one!"

Ukyo almost came off of the engawa, stepping forward to stick her face into Ryoga's. "I HATED him! I HATED what he did to Ranchan! And what's worse is, I know Ranchan can't hate him, because he's his FATHER! He loves his father, and he'll do anything for him! So I had to hate him enough for both of us! I have to... to want to kill him... enough for both of us!"

She took a moment to close her eyes, getting control of her anger. She was shaking from it, and stood for a long moment, clenching her fists. But then, she took a deep breath, and stepped back a bit. "But let me guess at your story, Ryoga. You say you know about our trip to China. And you didn't seem surprised by his curse. Oh, it was a bit confusing, at first, seeing both me and him there, but once you figured it out, you didn't seem to need an explanation. And don't think I didn't notice that you used your umbrella to shield yourself from the water which splashed Ranma. Just as you're using it right now against the rain."

Ukyo studied the boy for a long moment, then smiled sadly. "You followed us to Jusenkyo, didn't you? You either heard about Pops taking us there, or just being lost, as you always are, you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You picked up a curse, like Ranchan's curse that turns him into a girl. Like the Old Man's curse. Like my curse. But something small, and helpless, and I guess really, really ugly. That's why you said it wasn't so bad that he becomes... well... cute." She blushed a bit, but quickly recovered.

"Shall I guess how you got cursed? I'd say you were wandering around Jusenkyo, you probably didn't know Ranchan was there, but you could see all the springs around, and the bamboo poles in them. Maybe something told you they might be dangerous, or maybe you just wanted to avoid getting wet. So you made your way around the valley, up on a cliff overlooking it. Probably circling around to see if you could find someone to ask for directions."

Ukyo looked up, and her eyes were dark with pain. "You were making your way through the forest around the valley, when a panda burst out of the trees. It ran past you, and pushed you aside, shoving you back the way it had come from. And then, a little red haired girl in a white gi came out of the trees after him. She was chasing after the panda, because she hated him. She wanted to kill him. And at that moment, nothing else mattered.

"So when she saw you, she didn't see a person. She saw a weapon." Another tear rolled down her face, and she looked away. "Something to use. Against the panda. So she grabbed you, and she threw you into the panda. Hard. You bounced off of it, and sailed over the edge of the cliff. And you fell into a spring, didn't you? A spring that turned you into something small, and weak, and ugly."

She raised those blue green eyes to meet Ryoga's. "I know this, because I was there. I saw it." She stepped forward, out from under the eaves, and into the rain. The water washed over her, and her form shifted, becoming a petite, but muscular red haired girl. And her eyes became a vivid blue, still dark with guilt and shame.

"It's not Ranchan's fault you're cursed, Ryoga. It's mine."

Ryoga stared at her for a long moment. Then, his lips curled with rage, exposing his fangs again. "UKYO KUONJI, PREPARE TO DIE!"

Ukyo leaped over his head, landing on the stones around the koi pond. "Before we start this, Ryoga, I should warn you. I've already told you it's a mistake to try and use a weapon on me."

Ryoga charged at her, almost blindly, although he was not stupid enough to blunder into the pond. "I think you'll find this umbrella is a bit too heavy for anyone to use but me."

"I figured you would think that. And I did have a little trouble handling it before, when I tried to keep it away from you. I wasn't used to its balance yet. But you should know, this body is stronger than my natural body, and its center of gravity is lower and more stable. I think I can probably handle it."

She leaped out of the way of another charge, and dropped to the ground to do a leg sweep. "Besides, you can't use the umbrella right now, or you'll lose it's protection against the rain." She darted in, as if to pull the umbrella away, and Ryoga stepped back, only to splash into the puddles at the edge of the pond.

Ukyo grinned for a moment, but her smile faded as Ryoga didn't transform. "Of course. That's why you wear those wrappings around your pants. They're tight enough to keep water out of your shoes and off your legs."

"Exactly," Ryoga countered, as he charged at her. Ukyo threw a few kicks at him, then leaped sideways, landing in the pond. She swept her leg in a circle, directing a spray of water at his legs.

"Yeah, but those leggings can only absorb so much water before they get soaked. You don't dare spend more than a few seconds standing in water. Which means the pond is my territory."

"I can still reach you even from here." Ryoga snarled, as he threw a handful of bandannas at her. Ukyo snatched two of them out of the air and propelled them back at him.

* * *

Akane was awakened by the noise, and sat up in her bed. She quickly grabbed her shinai, and slipped out into the hall. She took a moment to look in on Ranma, but found him still sound asleep. As she turned to head back down the hall, Kasumi and Nabiki approached.

"Do you think it's a prowler?" Kasumi asked.

"It better not be... for his sake," Akane growled. They headed down the stairs and to the engawa, where Ryoga was seen leaping past, silhouetted against the night sky. Akane stepped forward to confront him, but Kasumi stopped her.

"It's too dangerous..." she said. "Take this." She handed Akane a barbell.

"Ryoga!" Ukyo saw the barbell coming out of her peripheral vision, but her warning came too late. It struck Ryoga across the head, and his umbrella fell out of his hand. He stood stunned, for half a second, then suddenly realized he was caught in the full force of the downpour. Ryoga turned and ran, throwing his hands up over his face to block the rain drops as he charged. In the space of a heartbeat, he had cleared the wall around the Tendo home and disappeared.

"Ryoga!" Ukyo yelled again. She, too, leaped over the wall and disappeared, right behind him. Akane and the other girls overheard her.

"Why, it's only Ranma's little friend," Kasumi said sweetly.

"I wonder why he was fighting Ukyo," Akane muttered. "She'd better be okay..."

"She didn't seem hurt," Nabiki said. "Maybe she was trying to keep him away from Ranma."

"Maybe." Akane looked back at her sisters. "You go on back to bed. I'll get dressed and go help Ukyo find him."

Ukyo, meanwhile, had found Ryoga's discarded pack and his clothes. She looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. "I'm sorry, Ryoga. Really I am." She sighed. "This is all my fault. And I've got to do something about this feud between you and Ranchan."

As she gathered up Ryoga's clothes, she heard a dog growling behind her. "Ryoga?" She approached the dog, but it didn't seem too wary of her. It sniffed her hand.

Ukyo studied the dog for a moment. "No, you're not small or helpless. You can't be Ryoga." She gestured with an arm. "Go on. Go on home." The dog yelped, and scampered off. That proved it, if it had been Ryoga he would have attacked or at least acted lost. The dog seemed to know where it was going.

Ukyo finished gathering up the clothes. "I'd better hide these before Ranma or Akane come looking for me. I can't let them know about Ryoga's curse. If Ranchan thinks Ryoga is going to be out to kill me..."

* * *

As Akane returned to her room and sat down on her bed, she sensed a presence. "Something's not right." She looked around warily.

There was a sound from behind her. She turned, but saw nothing. After a few moments, there were more bumping sounds. She stepped over her bed, and leaned against the wall. It was coming from the other side. There was a series of thumps against the wall, and then she heard Ranma cry out.

Hurrying to the door, Akane ran to Ranma's room, arriving just in time to see him jumping around, flailing like a windmill. He looked half asleep, and disoriented. Something shot past him, moving so fast it was almost a blur, and bounced off the walls to come back at Ranma again. He spun around, and tripped, falling to the ground.

"Yaaa!" He called out. "Somethin's bitin' me!" He continued to slap blindly at himself as the fast moving shape zipped past him in all directions. Finally, it careened off a wall, and headed straight for Akane. Reacting instinctively, she struck out with a hand to knock it aside, and it rolled across the floor.

It was a small black pig, with a yellow bandanna tied around its neck. It grunted and got back on its feet, turning to face its attacker. Akane knelt down in front of him, though. "Oh, a little piggy. Come on. Don't be afraid." She gestured to him, and the pig eyed her carefully. He then looked back at Ranma, snarling with bared teeth.

"What th'..." Ranma looked startled. "That little thing was eatin' me?"

"Here, piggy. It's okay. The poor thing's probably just scared." She held out her hand to him, and the pig seemed to calm down. It kept looking over at Ranma, as if expecting him to attack, but hesitantly eased closer to Akane.

"Come here. Oh, you're all wet from the rain." Akane's soothing voice quickly drew the piglet in, and she picked him up. He had a very large bump on top of his head.

"That's a nasty bump. He looks like he was hit by a truck. I wonder what kinda brute could do that?" Ranma touched the pig's head, but the little animal turned and snapped at him, sinking his teeth into Ranma's finger. He cried out and jumped back.

"I dunno," Akane said sympathetically, then frowned at Ranma's behavior. "Leave him alone, Ranma, you're scaring him. Obviously some horrible person was beating him up. Poor little thing..."

"Well, it wasn't me," Ranma said, watching Akane care for the little pig. "I was asleep."

"I know that, baka. He must have been out in the rain and some dog attacked him or something. He came in here to get dry. Probably you rolled over on him or something." Akane smirked at him.

Ranma just turned away, feigning disinterest. He followed as Akane took the pig out into the hall, though. "Well, we'll just get you dried off and get you something for that bump, okay?" She hugged the piglet close to her chest, and although it seemed a bit surprised at first, it began to snuggle up to her.

Ranma laughed as the pig's face seemed to glow red. "Heh, look, I think he's blushing. You dirty little pig." Akane tried to protest as he took it away from her, but he held the pig up. "See, look, he's a boy pig."

Akane looked a little embarassed, but also amused. "So he is." Then she reached out as the pig started to squeal and claw at Ranma's face. He dropped the pig, and Akane caught it. "Be careful, you baka! I won't let you be mean to him!"

"Hey, he started it!" Ranma glared at the pig, then smirked. "Obviously he likes you a lot more than me." He had snuggled against Akane's chest again, and blood was starting to trickle from his snout. "He's sure got a temper like you do."

Akane frowned, but then she smiled mischievously as well. "Well, he's as big a pervert as you are then."

Ranma pointed at the blushing piglet. "Hey, I ain't snugglin' up to you like that! Not that you got anything to snuggle up against, you flat chested tomboy!"

That would have gotten Ranma punched, but before Akane could move, the pig turned and snapped at Ranma again. He jumped back, grinning widely. "Whaddya know! He does have your temper!"

"Huh. He just beat me to it." Akane regarded him with a slight smile. "He may be just a little pig, but HE obviously appreciates me."

"Appreciates you a bit too much, I think..." Ranma smirked. "So, weren't you going to do something about that bump?"

A bit surprised by the change in subject, Akane nodded. "Sure. Let me get some medicine from the kitchen." She headed downstairs, and Ranma followed. After picking up the first aid kit in the kitchen, they headed into the family room while Akane treated the piglet's bump. Ukyo wandered in through the engawa, and looked surprised to see Ranma and Akane. She dashed down the hall to the laundry, hiding Ryoga's clothes behind her back. A few minutes later, she returned.

"What's goin' on?" She called out, noticing Akane tending to the pig. She was still in her redhead form, and soaking wet from the rain.

"Akane's got a widdle baby," Ranma said mockingly. "He's got her looks, too."

Akane stuck her tongue out at him. Ukyo studied the pig for a moment, then noticed the yellow bandanna. Her eyes widened, and then she grinned.

"Well, my, my," Ukyo said. "He's a friendly little fellow. Ain't you sugar?" She smiled at the pig as she approached, and he glared back at her, starting to growl.

"Friendly to her," Ranma countered. "He's a little monster to me."

"Somehow I don't doubt that, Ranchan." She reached out to pet the pig's head, but he bit into her finger just like he had Ranma's. She pulled her hand back, now angry. "Damn! Well, see if I try to be nice to you!"

"He's just scared, Ukyo." Akane calmed the little pig down, as he had started to struggle in her arms, snarling and trying to leap at Ukyo. "He's been all alone, hasn't he? All alone, out in the dark and the rain. Well, it's okay, I'll take care of you now. Hush, now."

Ukyo leaned in to look him in the eye. "Funny how he likes you, but hates Ranchan and me. Almost like he has some sort of grudge against us." The pig snarled back at her, baring its fangs. "He's got pretty sharp fangs for a pig."

Akane looked at the both of them. "Maybe you look too much like Ranma. For now, maybe you'd better just leave him alone. Maybe he just needs time to get used to you."

Ukyo's mood seemed to darken. "Maybe. I hope so." She looked the pig in the eye again. "Anyway, I don't wanna hurt the little guy. I'm just gonna take a bath and go back to bed."

"Yeah, what happened to Ryoga anyway?" Akane asked. "Did he run away and get lost, or what? And what was he doing fighting with you?"

Ranma suddenly drew himself up. "Ryoga was here? Fighting you?" He looked Ukyo over. "You okay, Sis?"

"Sure, I'm fine. We weren't fighting, just talking. Or mostly talking, anyway." She snuck a glance at the pig, and his eyes narrowed as he glared back at her. "Don't worry, Ranchan, he didn't hurt me."

Ukyo put a hand on Ranma's chest. "You just remember what I told you. I don't want you fighting with Ryoga about this. I talked to him, and I think I can get him to drop this grudge. I just need you to be nice to him." She glanced at the pig again. "You didn't do anything to him. Whatever he thinks you did, it's not your fault."

"Well, okay, Sis, whatever you say."

Ukyo turned to walk back towards the furoba, when Akane stopped her. The pig had sneezed, and was starting to shiver. "Hey, since you're going to take a bath anyway, why don't you give the little piggy one, too?"

"What? You want me to take a bath with a pig?" Ukyo looked a little disgusted. And, for some reason, a little embarassed.

"Well, he's pretty wet, and dirty. I'd clean him up, but I already had a bath." She looked down at him, as the piglet had started to squirm and squeal in protest. "Although, given the way he's reacting to you..."

"No, let me see him." Ukyo stepped forward, and carefully took the pig from her. "That actually seems like a really good idea. As long as he doesn't bite me or anything..."

Ukyo held the pig for a few moments, while it struggled to get away from her. But then, as she gently stroked his back, holding him away from her so he couldn't bite, he seemed to calm down. He turned to glare back at the red headed girl, his eyes narrowed to mere slits. She stared back at him, her expression just as determined.

"There, I think I can handle him, just for a bath anyway. I'm sure he wants to get dry and cleaned up as much as I do, he just doesn't know it yet." At that, the pig relaxed even more. "I'll be back in a few."

Ukyo headed down the hallway and into the laundry room, where she slipped out of her shirt and shoes, leaving only her bra, which was a couple of sizes too small for her, and her pants, which were a size too large. Making sure the door was securely closed behind her, she walked over to the bathroom and opened the divider, setting the pig down. Then she walked back over to the laundry hamper.

"Don't think I'm doing this to give you a show or anything, Ryoga, but in this body this thing is pinching me something FIERCE. So I gotta take it off..." She slipped out of her bra, with her back to Ryoga, and picked up a towel, draping it around her shoulders. Ryoga's eyes, already unusually large and round on a pig's face, widened even further. With the towel now covering her from Ryoga's sight, Ukyo walked back to him and picked the blushing piglet up.

Ryoga began to struggle again, but only half-heartedly. For one thing, if he twisted too much, he kept getting looks at her which, from his point of view, showed a lot more of the female body than he was used to seeing. So there was really not much he could do as Ukyo brought him over to the furo. She held him high in one hand, and then dunked him in.

A few seconds later, Ukyo turned away, blushing herself, as Ryoga surfaced in the water. After all, he did not even have a towel to preserve his modesty. Ukyo's voice was calm, however, as she spoke.

"So... Ryoga. I believe we were going to have a little talk..."


	8. Deal, Pchan?

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 8

"Are you crazy?" Ryoga protested, as he splashed about in the water, trying to scramble away from Ukyo while still remaining covered up. Ukyo put her hands up in a defensive gesture, in case he was going to attack, but he was too busy trying to get away. He finally settled into a crouched position with his arms crossed over his lap, keeping as much of himself as possible hidden under the water. As Ukyo regarded him with a sly grin, he glared back, his face red with embarassment and anger.

"Relax, Ryoga," Ukyo said, although her cheeks were turning a bit pink as well. "After all, you got a good look at me, back when Ranma was in my body. So I'd say this makes us even."

The memory caused Ryoga to blush even deeper. Despite himself he glanced down at Ukyo's barely covered chest, then quickly looked away. He couldn't help noticing that her assets in this body were much more generous than what he had seen before. He covered his eyes with one hand, still trying to keep Ukyo from seeing too much of him with the other.

"I've gotta say, I don't think your cursed form's all that ugly." Ukyo told him. "The way you were going on about it, I was expecting you to be a rat, or a slug or something. You actually make a kind of cute little pig..."

"Don't be stupid," Ryoga snapped. He kept looking away, still very uncomfortable with her nudity and his own, but he seemed to be watching her warily as well, unwilling to drop his guard.

"No, seriously." Ukyo smiled at him. "Akane seems to think you're cute. Girls love cute little animals. That's hardly the 'you've made my life a living Hell' that you described."

Ryoga snarled angrily at her again. "Don't you get it? People EAT pigs! Every time I turn into cursed form, I'm a potential main course for somebody's dinner!"

Ukyo's face fell. "Oh. I see..." She looked up at him. "I'm sorry..."

"You have no idea of the horror that I've gone through! It was a nightmare, right from the start." He shuddered. "When I fell into that spring, I almost drowned right then and there. I was so small, and everything else became so big compared to me, that it was like I suddenly fallen into the ocean. I struggled to stay afloat, but my legs had become so short I could barely keep my head above the water. I was sure I was going to drown.

"Then I saw that panda again. I didn't realize he was Ranma's dad, but I think I had figured out what had happened to him. I mean, I saw him with you, running away from you. And when he pulled me out of the water, I dunno, I guess I thought I was saved. But then he took me back to this hut, and this guy there, I guess he was the guide to the place.

"He and that panda started preparing to eat me!" He frowned at Ukyo, and she flinched. "They hung me up and started boiling water for a stew! Meanwhile, the guide started going on about how there was a 'Spring of Drowned Pig', and maybe I had fallen in it. I tried to tell him, yes, I had, but I couldn't talk. And finally he said he was just joking and threw me in.

"Fortunately, the water changed me back, but it was boiling! I was pretty much burned raw. And I just ran out, I didn't try to look for my clothes or anything, I just ran off as fast as I could."

Ukyo gave him another pained look. "Ryoga, I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing. I was so mad... I wanted to kill Genma so bad I couldn't see straight. I know what I did was wrong, but..." She looked away, wrapping her arms around herself. "At the moment, I just wasn't thinking."

"Yeah, well, you and your 'Ranchan' have ruined my life. Everywhere I go I have to constantly be on the run, looking out for water, and ready to run the moment it touches me. It's bad enough being lost all the time, now I can hardly go a day without turning into a pig. And then it can be weeks before I find hot water to turn back. I don't dare fall asleep in human form unless I can be sure to avoid getting wet, and it's too dangerous to sleep as a pig at all..."

Ukyo flinched again. "Look, I know I can't make up for all that I've done to you, but I'll try. And I'll try to do all I can to help. We want to go back to China eventually to see about a cure for this curse, and I'll be happy to help you find a cure as well. And if there's anything I can do to make it easier for you, I will.

"It's just... you can't blame Ranchan for this. He's cursed as much as you are. I know you hate him for what happened but..." Ukyo's expression grew serious. "I don't want you fighting him any more. If you've got to take it out on somebody, I'd rather you take it out on me."

She took a deep breath. "If you want to challenge me, you just let me know and I'll be there. Any time you want a fight. Just leave Ranma out of it."

Ryoga regarded her for a long moment, frowning. Finally, he looked away, blushing a little. "I can't fight you. You're a girl."

Ukyo snorted. "Oh, really? Then what was that about, 'Ukyo Kuonji, prepare to die'?"

He blushed even deeper. "I was angry. I wasn't thinking straight." He met her eyes. "You know what that's like, right?"

The pained look returned. Ukyo sighed. "Look, I'm serious. I won't let you threaten Ranchan. He doesn't know anything about this, and that's the way I want it to stay. If he thinks you might hurt me, he will seriously hurt YOU." Ukyo regarded him evenly. "And he will do it, too. I don't care how good you think you are. Ranma will not let you hurt me."

She held his gaze. "I will not let this come to bloodshed over me. Not because of a stupid mistake I made because I lost my temper. I will do whatever I can make to make it up to you for getting you cursed. But you bear a lot of the blame yourself. You were just as blind and obsessive about chasing down Ranchan as I was about chasing down the panda."

Ryoga frowned at her. "And what if I decide I don't want to leave Ranma alone?"

Ukyo sat back. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to that. But if you continue to harass Ranma about the curse, then I will have no choice but to tell him all about it."

"You can't!" Ryoga was suddenly in her face. "He'll know my weakness! I'll never be able to face him in fair combat again! You would betray the warrior's code of honor, and reveal a weakness of another martial artist?"

"You're damn right I'll tell Ranma your secret! The only reason I haven't already is I'm too worried about your sorry hide, and what Ranchan will do to you when he finds out you threatened to KILL me!"

He looked away. "I told you! I didn't mean that! As a girl, you can't understand..."

"And that's another thing!" she countered. Ryoga started to get a nosebleed, as he realized Ukyo was now leaning far enough over the edge of the furo to see everything, if she happened to look down. And the fact that she was topless under her own towel wasn't helping at all. "I'm every bit as good as Ranchan is. I may not be as strong as he is, or as tough, but I'm a heck of a lot faster. And even if he's in my body, with my speed, I've still got the edge when it comes to focus and awareness." She poked him in the chest. "I trained hard to get as good as I am, and I'm not going to sit here and let you insult me."

Ryoga gulped. Ukyo's poking him had caused her to wiggle in just such a way as to expose something. As Ukyo noticed the look on his face, she glanced down at her chest, and blushed as well. She sat back, wrapping her arms around herself.

She didn't look away, though. "Don't think I'm a pushover just because I'm a girl. I'm glad you don't want to hurt me, and I don't want to hurt you, either. But if it comes down to it... you do not want to fight me."

"You ARE crazy!" Ryoga protested. Her proximity, given that he was naked, and she was nearly so, was starting to get too much for him. Ryoga was beginning to panic. "What do you want from me?"

"Look, I'll keep your secret, if you keep mine. I won't tell anyone about your curse, if you promise not to tell Ranma I'm the one that cursed you. I don't want him to worry about me. He already spends too much time trying to protect me, I don't want to add on to that. And you can fight Ranma if you want the practice, but no more revenge."

Ryoga shrank away from her, trying even harder to cover himself. The unflinching way she was looking at him, no more than a bit of a blush showing her embarassment, was making Ryoga even more uncomfortable. "Okay, okay, I agree. No more revenge on Ranma. Now, can I please get out of here?"

"Sure," Ukyo turned, to fetch the lost boy a towel, but he was in such a flustered state that he just stood up in the furo to get out. Ukyo suddenly blushed beet red, and put both hands over her face. "Ryoga! Control yourself!"

Ryoga fell back into the water, slipping as he tried to cover himself. He reached out and grabbed the first thing in reach, which turned out to be Ukyo, and almost pulled her into the furo with him. She put her hand on Ryoga's chest, to catch herself, and he started struggling to get away.

"I gotta get outta here!" Ryoga had flown into a full panic, and pulled Ukyo's towel from around her shoulders. It quickly became soaked with water, as he tried to wrap it around his waist. Ukyo threw her arms over her breasts, slipping as she tried to pull away from Ryoga and falling on her bottom on the floor.

"Just calm down, Ryoga," Ukyo said, trying to keep calm herself. He rose up out of the furo again, and Ukyo cried out, as he started to come at her. She scrabbled across the wet tiles, trying not to look at him, or to think about why he was getting so close. He reached past her, though, and she realized he was turning on the shower. The cold water rained down over her body and his, and she suddenly had a panicking black pig shooting around the room like a bullet.

"Calm down!" She shouted again. She hurried to the door, putting her arms up to shield her head, as Ryoga was just darting around blindly, not looking where he was going. She opened the door, and the pig shot out into the hall. Ukyo took off running after him.

"Come back! I didn't mean to scare you! Come back!" Ukyo reminded herself firmly not to call out his name, even as Ryoga ran straight up to Ranma and Akane. The little pig ran around behind Akane, then cowered behind her legs. "I'm sorry!" Ukyo called out again. "Please come back!"

Akane bent down to pick the little piglet up, while Ranma reached out a hand to stop Ukyo's charge. Unfortunately, as Ukyo slammed into him, Ranma found that at the level where he was holding his hand, she was pressing her breast right into his palm. Ukyo suddenly felt an intense sensation, like an electric shock, spreading from the point of contact and over her entire body. She cried out, involuntarily, and then her eyes rolled back in her head. She fainted.

"RANMA!" Akane yelled at him. Ranma drew his hand back, as if burned.

"I didn't mean to!" He protested. He stared down at his hand. "I wouldn't do something like that to my own sister!"

Akane had knelt next to Ukyo. "Turn around, pervert!" She snapped, as Ukyo was still topless, and no longer covered by even a towel. Ranma quickly turned his back on them. He then noticed the pig seemed to be watching the proceedings as well, its eyes wide. A little bothered by the pig's stare, and remembering the way it had snuggled up to Akane, he picked the little pig up. It struggled a bit in his arms, but seemed too stunned to really want to fight.

"What did you do to her?" Akane asked, her tone more one of worry, although Ranma didn't catch that. He was keeping his gaze turned away from the two girls, blushing and cringing in shame.

"I didn't mean to!" Ranma said again. "It was an accident! She's gonna be okay, isn't she? I didn't think that would hurt her! I mean... I didn't do that on purpose... but... I didn't know you could hurt a girl like that! I swear!"

"Ranma, you're freaking out, calm down." Akane studied the unconscious girl for a moment. "She seems fine. Did you squeeze her really hard, or hit a pressure point or anything?"

"No, I didn't do anything like that! I don't think so, anyway! I... I didn't mean to! I didn't think I... squeezed her... that hard. Or at all! I wouldn't!"

Akane glanced back at him, then stood up. "Ranma!" He turned to look at her, and she conked him on the head. "There. Better?"

He stared at her for a moment. "Okay. Yeah, better."

She smiled at him. "You deserve it, baka. Now, why don't you go get me a towel, so I can cover her up?"

He grinned back. "Okay." He left, and returned with two towels. He handed one to Akane while he used the other to dry off the still damp piglet.

Akane knelt back down again. She carefully draped the towel over Ukyo's shoulders, gently lifting her to sit upright. "I guess she's just sensitive. Or isn't used to... the difference, or something." She frowned a bit. Akane had been growing a bit jealous of Ukyo's cursed body, it hadn't occured to her that there might be drawbacks to it.

Ukyo started to stir, then opened her eyes. "What... what happened?" Then, as she noticed Ranma leaning over her worriedly, she reached up and slapped him across the face. "You pervert!"

Akane giggled. "I already did that for you, don't worry."

"Oh." Ukyo looked a little disoriented. "Sorry, Ranchan."

He rubbed his cheek. "Don't mention it."

"So, are you okay?" Akane asked.

Ukyo looked confused. "Yeah. I guess. It... it just caught me off guard is all."

She glanced up at Ranma, but before she could berate him again for being a pervert, she noticed his guilty expression. "I'm sorry, Sis..." He muttered. "I didn't mean to..."

She shook her head. "Don't worry. It was probably nothing. Just shock." She nodded at the pig, which Ranma was still drying off. "I see he seems to be more comfortable with you."

"Yeah, I guess so." Ryoga had started to wriggle around, though, and he almost dropped him. Akane quickly darted over and grabbed the pig before he could hit the floor.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," Akane cuddled the little pig, and took the towel from Ranma to finish drying him off. "It's okay now." She shook her head. "I guess he just doesn't like you at all."

"Nasty little pig. And I caught him starin' at Sis, too, when she was naked." He smirked, for some reason enjoying teasing Akane about the pig.

"Don't be silly, he's just a little pig," Akane said. Ukyo, however, frowned and regarded the pig carefully. He looked away, blushing.

"He sure seems like he knows what's goin' on." Ranma commented. "He seems pretty smart for a pig."

"I'd say so..." Ukyo said. She glared at the pig. "And he better watch where he puts those eyes."

"Oh, come on, you two, leave little P-chan alone," Akane said. She wrapped him in the towel and started off out of the family room. "He just doesn't know any better, do you baby?"

"P-chan?" Ranma asked.

Akane gave him an adorably sweet grin, which caught Ranma totally off guard. "P for Pig, and -chan for cute, of course?"

Ranma just stared at her. "Um... of course." His heart had skipped a beat, there for a second.

As she turned back to leave the room, Ukyo interrupted. "You're... you're not gonna let him sleep in your room, are you?"

"Why not?" Akane looked back at her, then noticed P-chan giving her a startled and somewhat hopeful look. "It's okay, P-chan. I'll look after you. I won't let that scary old Ranma or Ukyo hurt you." She then kissed the pig on the snout.

Ukyo tried not to gag at the image that sprang to her mind. "Scary Ukyo?" she muttered, but Akane gave her an impish smile.

The red headed girl thought for a moment. "Well, I still need to finish my bath and change back. I'll see you when I get done. Uh... good night, Ranchan."

Akane watched, as Ukyo wandered off down the hall, looking extremely troubled. For a moment, Akane wondered if she had gone too far, including Ukyo in her teasing, when it was really Ranma she was trying to poke fun at. But then she just shook her head. "Well, good night, Ranma. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah. 'Night, Akane. And you too, P-chan," he added, sounding amused.

The pig growled for some reason, as they set off down the hall, and headed upstairs to their rooms.

* * *

Ukyo entered Akane's room in her nightgown, back in her normal form. She wandered over to her futon, and began setting it up for bed. Her mood still seemed somber and worried, and she said nothing. Akane had settled into her bed, and had cuddled P-chan up against her chest.

After several minutes, Ukyo had settled in, and seemed to be debating something with herself. Finally, she spoke.

"Hey, Akane... why don't you let the little piggy sleep with me for tonight?"

She sat up. "Huh? Why?"

"Well..." Ukyo bit her lip. "I was just thinking, pigs sleep on the ground, and he might not be comfortable that high up. He might like it better to sleep on a futon here on the floor."

Akane thought about it for a moment. "Well... I guess if he were to roll off the bed or something he might get hurt. And he might be frightened if he had to get down."

P-chan was shaking his head, as if to protest that he wasn't frightened. But Ukyo grinned as another thought occured to her. "Besides, we don't even know if he's housebroken. You wouldn't want him to pee in your bed."

Now the little pig began to squeal, and glare at Ukyo. Akane picked him up and stroked him, to calm him down. "I guess you're right," she said. "I really didn't think of that."

Ukyo sat up, then stood to walk over to Akane's bed. "It can just be for a few days, until we can get him housebroken. Then maybe we can have him on alternate days. If you don't mind."

Akane looked down at the piglet, who was now struggling wildly. "Are you sure about this? He still doesn't like you very much."

"Well, if he's going to get used to me, we'd better try and start now. It'll only make it worse if we encourage him to misbehave every time he wants something."

"You're right." Akane's expression hardened, and P-chan looked startled as she turned him around and looked him in the eye. "Now, P-chan, I want you to be nice to Ukyo. I know she scared you, but she's my friend, and I don't want you to be mean to her."

P-chan's struggles stopped, and Ukyo smiled. "That did the trick. Ranchan's right, he is a smart little thing. Let me see him."

She held out her arms, and Akane handed the pig to her. Ukyo hugged him to her chest, a little tightly, noting as she did that the pig's eyes seemed to unfocus, and a trickle of blood ran out of his snout. She grinned to herself as she stroked his head.

"There you go." Akane smiled up at them. "I'll bet it was your other body. Maybe the curse frightens him, or something."

"Or it's too much of a reminder..." Ukyo muttered. "Thanks Akane. Good night."

"Good night, Ukyo." Akane turned out her desk lamp, while Ukyo walked back over to her futon. She continued to cradle P-chan against her chest, holding him to prevent him from struggling. He wasn't trying to escape, but he would still glare at her and snarl occasionally.

"Don't fight me, Ryoga," Ukyo said, her voice lowered so only the pig could hear her. P-chan nipped at her, to show his distain, although not enough to make her cry out.

"Look, you want this, right?"

Ryoga's movements suddenly stopped. Ukyo looked down to see him frozen in shock, his eyes wide. His whole body could be seen blushing red, even under the fur. Ukyo almost snarled as she realized what he was thinking. After all, she was pressing him right between her breasts...

"Not THAT, you pervert pig!" She hissed. Regaining control, she settled into her futon. "I mean this. A roof over your head. A bed. Three meals a day. Someone to watch over you, and keep you from getting lost."

P-chan looked up at her, then looked away. "You want this, you can have it. Just cooperate with me. Because if you don't, I swear, I will tell Akane right now."

The pig started to squeal and struggle, and Ukyo pressed him down into the futon. "Don't think I won't! I don't give a DAMN about your male, egotistical ideals of honor! I will not let you violate Akane, and if that's what it takes, I'll spill the beans to Ranchan, and let him take you apart."

P-chan looked away again, obviously angry, but blushing deeply at her accusations about his intentions toward Akane. Finally, he nodded his head.

"Hey, Ukyo, what are you muttering about over there?" Akane said, sleepily.

"Just trying to get P-chan to settle down, that's all."

She fell silent for a moment. Then, after a couple of minutes had passed, she leaned over to whisper in Ryoga's ear. "And one other thing. When I'm holding you, that's one thing. But if you EVER touch me the wrong way... I will break all four of your piggy legs. Do I make myself clear?"

Ryoga nodded. Both pig and human then lay in the darkness for a long time, neither willing to let down their guard and sleep.

Finally, after several hours, Ukyo was drifting between wakefulness and sleep. She found herself replaying the sensation that had passed through her body when Ranma touched her breast, as she was running after Ryoga. It had been a very odd, but wonderful feeling. In her half dreaming state she found herself wondering if perhaps it was Ranma's body reacting to its true owner. She considered the thought for a moment, that in Ranma's cursed form, he became her, and in her cursed form, in a way, she was turning into Ranchan.

As she finally began to drift off, she found herself thinking that the feeling had been extremely pleasureable. She even, just at the last moment before dreams took her, wished that Ranma would one day touch her again like that. By the time she was fully asleep, though, she had completely forgotten she even had the thought.

Beside her, sensing the change in her breathing, Ryoga finally relaxed enough to fall asleep himself.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Well, this is going to be the last chapter that I release on a regular schedule. I was actually trying for a week with this chapter, but it turned out to be about a week and a half. Later chapters are going to be even slower, and I haven't even started on the next one yet. So it will likely be a while before the next chapter.

Still, I do still have some ideas for where the storyline is going, and I think it will hold my interest. I just can't say for certain when I'll be posting. It could be weeks, it could be months. So just keep a look out, and keep up the reviews. I'm really glad this has recieved the interest it has, and thanks to everyone who's left comments.


	9. I'll Win Her Away From You

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 9

A new day dawned at the Tendo household as it always did, to the sound of a surprised and half asleep Ranma flying through the window out of his room. This was followed by a splash as he hit the koi pond, and Ukyo's voice yelling back "What did ya do that for, Pops?" The sound of Ranma's father lamenting his fate, at having a son who "whines like a girl" was then cut off by a second splash, and the growls and growfs of a panda.

Ukyo herself, however, was in the dojo with Akane. They had begun their sparring when they awakened, some time earlier. Akane was slowly getting better under Ukyo's tutelage, although her speed was still not good enough to match Ukyo's. This was still a source of frustration to Akane. Ukyo usually let Akane get in the occasional hit, while avoiding her attacks any time she wished to test Akane's focus.

Akane had far more trouble avoiding Ukyo's attacks, particularly since she still tended to leave herself open when she went on the offensive. Ukyo noticed just such an opening, and nailed Akane in the arm, to remind her of her mistake. Akane frowned and closed up her defense again. She already had a bruise on her other arm, and had plenty of older bruises from her previous matches. Her friends Sayuri and Yuka had noticed, and commented on it. Although she had been proud to say that it was because she was a martial artist, and finally had a sparring partner that could challenge her, it had been embarrassing to explain why her partner didn't have a mark on her. It had been more than embarrassing, it had been humiliating, but at least Sayuri and Yuka had just shrugged it off.

The thought made Akane even more frustrated, and Ukyo noticed. "You're never going to hit me as long as you keep leaving yourself open like that," she said, switching back to dodging Akane's attacks, and making her chase her as she kept changing her position. As expected, that made Akane scowl, and redouble her efforts. Ukyo winced inwardly. Akane was still way too predictable.

Ukyo struck out with a few more blows, to get Akane to keep concentrating on blocking, but she was still pushing herself forward, and throwing herself off stance. Finally Ukyo swept her feet out from under her, and Akane hit the floor. She was just a millisecond too late in bringing her arms down to break the fall, and smacked the back of her head. Grimacing, she put a hand behind her head as she stood up.

"That was a fall a first year student could have taken, Akane. If you don't learn to focus and keep your mind on your defenses, you're gonna hurt yourself. Or I'm going to hurt you."

Akane's expression darkened. She was still a bit stunned by the fall, and had hoped Ukyo would at least ask if she was all right. As she blocked a punch and moved in for an attack of her own, Ukyo caught her with a kick to the stomach that knocked the wind out of her.

"Geez, Akane. It's no wonder Ranma doesn't want to spar with you, if you can't take a hit..."

Unexpectedly, Akane gave a snarl, and suddenly lunged forward, throwing a massive blow. Ukyo only barely managed to avoid it, noting as she did that it would have seriously hurt if it had made contact. As Akane was getting faster, eventually it would, and she needed to be ready for that. Shoving the thought aside, she spun around, and launched a roundhouse kick that sent Akane sailing across the dojo. She slammed into the wall, and leaped back to her feet, her eyes flashing angrily.

"FOCUS!" Ukyo yelled at her, and Akane suddenly pulled up short, stunned by the intensity in her voice. "It's okay to get angry, angry is good. It makes you stronger, gives you a burst of adrenaline. But you've got to control it. You're letting it control you!"

"I'm trying, okay!" Akane snapped back. "But you said..."

"Never mind what I said! Taunting is part of the fight. If you can't handle that, it'll always be a weak spot. And your opponents WILL take advantage of it."

Akane lowered her eyes, still angry, but knowing she was right. "I am trying to control it." She admitted. "But it's not easy. I'm... I'm not as good at it as you and Ranma." She turned away, clenching her fist as she stared at the wall.

Ukyo sighed, relaxing a bit. "Look, I know you're unsure of yourself, Akane. But trust me, you're doing great. You've got plenty of physical strength, and once we get your speed up to the same level, you'll be fine. There's not really much more either I or Ranma can help you with, offensively. You're already strong enough to take on most people, guys like Kuno, with no problem."

She smiled, and Akane looked back at her, not sure if she wanted to believe in Ukyo's words or not. Ukyo's expression grew more serious, though. "You've got plenty of offensive strength, but Akane, defensively, you're weak. You've never had the chance to train either your ability to take a hit, or your focus and control. Against the Hentai Horde, it's even helped you to lose your temper, because it channeled more strength into your punches. Since they were never any threat to you defensively, it was just a matter of getting them away from you as quickly as possible.

"You're vulnerable, Akane, both physically and mentally. Your conditioning, we can work on that, your muscle tone is already nearly perfect, and it's just a matter of continuing to spar every day. But your temper, Akane... the only one who can control your temper is YOU. And if you don't, all the training in the world isn't going to help you."

"Do you think I like hurting people?" Akane shot back, but there were tears in her eyes now. "I HATE it! I don't want to lose my temper, but I can't help it! I get mad and... I just... I just..." She clenched her fists again, looking down.

Ukyo was silent a moment, thinking. Then she looked up at Akane. "Okay, what were you thinking just now, when you were going to punch me?"

Akane blushed a bit, looking at the dojo floor. "Um... I was mad. What you said... hurt. And I..." She swallowed, still looking down. "I wanted to... hurt you back."

"You were thinking, 'She thinks I'm weak, huh? She thinks I can't take a hit. I'll show her. I'll show her SHE can't take a hit.'" Ukyo smiled at her. "Isn't that what you were thinking?"

"Yeah... I guess so."

Ukyo's smile widened and she stepped forward to lift Akane's chin. "Here's what you should have been thinking. 'She thinks I can't take a hit, huh? Well, I'll show her. I'll take the biggest hit she can dish out, and I won't budge. No matter how hard she hits me, she's not going to knock me down again.'"

Akane's lips thinned as she considered it, and then she nodded. "I... see." She looked up at Ukyo, as the ponytailed girl stepped back into a stance. Akane set her feet as well.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Ukyo said, as she danced around Akane, waiting for an opening. "I'm not going to go easy on you."

Akane began to shift back into more of an offensive posture, following Ukyo's moves and keeping her at arm's length. But her concentration was good, and she would shift back to defense as Ukyo moved in. "I'm ready." She said. There was that look of grim determination on her face, which Ukyo had only seen a few times before.

"Your friends are going to see this bruise for sure," Ukyo said, with a teasing smile.

Akane's eyes flashed, but then she answered with a smile of her own. "As if you could really hurt me with those skinny little arms."

Inwardly, Ukyo smirked. Now, she was getting it. She darted in, and Akane blocked with an arm. She attempted a feint, but then her real blow was countered by an arm sweep from Akane. Seeing an opening, Akane's foot snapped up in a kick that Ukyo only barely managed to dodge.

While Akane was recovering, Ukyo stepped back, and delivered a massive punch to Akane's chest. Impossibly fast, Akane's foot came back down, and she planted it firmly behind her. The blow struck with a loud thunk, which could be clearly heard echoing off the dojo walls. But while Akane was set back slightly by the force of the impact, she shifted her feet slightly, and stayed upright.

Akane backed off another step, and put a hand to her chest, grimacing. "Ow!" She commented, rubbing across the bottom of her rib cage. "Ow! That REALLY hurt!" She said, somewhat stunned that Ukyo had used her full force against her.

Ukyo grinned. "But you didn't budge, did you?"

Akane's eyes widened in astonishment. "No. I didn't." She grinned widely, and grabbed Ukyo in a hug. "I didn't!"

"I told you. You've got plenty of physical strength, Akane. As long as you brace yourself properly, there's no way I should be able to knock you off your feet. Not with my strength, anyway. The only reason I was knocking you across the dojo is you always put yourself so out of balance when you make an attack."

Ukyo laughed as Akane let go of her, grinning excitedly. "Are you okay? I didn't crack a rib or anything, did I?"

Akane paused a moment to look down at herself, running her hand across her ribs again. "No, it seems fine. It hurt like hell, though."

"We'll work on that," Ukyo said. "A few more weeks of conditioning, and it won't hurt so much."

"Yeah, and I took it." Akane's eyes sparkled. "I took it."

They continued their sparring, and Akane found herself enjoying it more than she ever had before.

* * *

Akane snuck P-chan into school in her book bag, and introduced him to her friends in homeroom. The girls all oo'd and ah'd over him, and P-chan seemed to enjoy the attention. He snuggled up to a couple of the girls when they held him, with a big smile on his face.

"Oh, he's so cute!" One of the girls was saying. "I get to hold him next!"

"Where did you find him, Akane?"

"Well, actually, I don't really know. He just showed up."

"Well, he's just adorable..."

The girls' conversation was interrupted by an argument from the other side of the room. The boys had been questioning Ranma, and he had apparently had enough.

"I told ya to quit askin' me about that, okay? I wouldn't do nuthin' like THAT with an uncute tomboy like Akane anyway!"

Silence descended over the room as Ranma realized he had been overheard. He cringed as he looked back at Akane. Akane, for her part, was trying to control her temper. Remembering her talk with Ukyo earlier, she didn't want to lose control. But everyone was staring at her, and Akane found that she was blushing deeply.

"Ranma, you... you... jerk!" She finally settled for walking up to Ranma and slapping him, then turned on her heel and walked back to the other girls. One of them handed her P-chan, and Akane carried him with her as she left the classroom. P-chan glared at Ranma as he passed, but Akane didn't even look at him.

Several minutes later, as she was bringing P-chan into the equipment shed, Akane was still muttering to herself. "That arrogant, egotistical jerk! I'm not good enough for him, am I? I'm uncute, am I? As if I'd let that pervert touch me. If he touches me, I'll clobber him, that's what I'll do. It's not like I like him or anything. Jerk."

P-chan squealed a little, as Akane's grip was getting a little tight. She had been squeezing him reflexively all during the walk to the shed, and Ryoga was worried that she didn't even know he was there. She looked at him, though, and breathed a heavy sigh. "Sorry, P-chan. I didn't mean to take it out on you..."

She stood in the middle of the shed for a moment, her head down, fighting back tears. Finally, she gently set the little pig down.

"I shouldn't get so mad at him, P-chan. After all, at least he didn't say that he WAS doing all those perverted things. But does he have to be such a huge, clueless idiot? Why does he have to say it like that?" She shook her head. "I mean, I don't want him to do anything like that to me, right? Why can't he just say that? We're... were just friends."

P-chan studied her carefully, sensing an odd note in her voice, although Akane didn't seem to notice. She sighed again, slowly regaining her control. "Well, P-chan, I'm just not going to think about that baka. I don't care what he thinks of me. And I'm not going to get mad over that."

She smiled sweetly as she patted the pig's head. "So, are you going to stay here and be a good little P-chan? I'm sorry I can't keep you with me, but I'm sure they won't let me. If you stay here and be very good, I'll come back and get you when classes are done. Okay?"

P-chan nodded vigorously, which made Akane smile even more brightly. "I knew you could understand me. You're such a smart little fellow, aren't you P-chan? Not like that baka, Ranma." She scratched under the pig's snout, which caused him to grunt happily.

"Okay, I'll see you later, P-chan. Be good now," she reminded him, then left.

P-chan settled down on his haunches, resigning himself to wait. After a few moments, however, he heard a sound from behind him. He turned to see Ukyo slip out from between some boxes. She held up a kettle, with a wicked gleam in her eye.

"Hello, P-chan," she said. "I've got plans for you..."

* * *

Hiroshi was walking between classes, when Daisuke ran into him. "Hey, man, what was with Ranma this morning? He just never learns, does he?"

"Yeah, what a doofus." Hiroshi laughed. "I mean, he's engaged to Akane, and she's soooo cute... and he acts like he don't even care."

"Eh, maybe he just figures he can do better. I mean, you should hear all the girls talk about him. They were all talkin' about what a jerk he is and how he treats Akane, but I'm bettin' they all want him for themselves." Daisuke's grin turned lecherous. "I bet he could have any girl he wants."

He paused a moment, then Daisuke looked around. He grabbed Hiroshi's arm, dropping his voice as if to not be overheard. "I heard he's secretly engaged to Ukyo, too. Maybe they're already... you know..."

"Ew, gross! She's his sister!"

"She's not really his sister, you know." Daisuke waggled his eyebrows. "And she's pretty hot, too."

Hiroshi shook his head, grinning. "Don't even go there, man. You know Ranma would kill you for that."

"Hey, I can't help it if she's..." Daisuke's eyes widened, as he looked at something behind Hiroshi. "Oh, sh..." He clapped both hands over his mouth, as Hiroshi turned to see what he was looking at.

Ukyo was coming down the hall towards them, looking fairly determined. She was dragging someone behind her, who Hiroshi didn't, at first, recognize. "Oh, geez!" Daisuke exclaimed, looking scared. "Do you think she heard me?"

"Nah, I don't think so. She doesn't look mad, just..." Hiroshi suddenly recognized the boy behind Ukyo as the one who had cornered him outside the school, looking for Ranma. He still had the bandanna around his head. As they neared, Ukyo, waved at them.

"Hey, you guys got a minute?"

"S-sure," Daisuke stuttered. "What... what do ya want?"

Ukyo indicated the boy with her. "This is Ryoga. He's a friend of Ranma's. I just signed him up for classes here, and I'm trying to help him get to class." She held out a sheet with courses written on it. "Do either of you guys have any of these classes?"

Hiroshi looked the paper over. "Yeah... I think I have this class."

"And I have this one," Daisuke pointed at it, over Hiroshi's shoulder. "And I think we're both in this one."

Ukyo grinned. "Good. Could you guys make sure he makes it to whichever class he has next? And if you see him in the halls, stop him and make sure he gets where he's going. He tends to get lost easily, and he could really use your help, to get from one classroom to another. I'm sure Ranchan would appreciate it if you helped him out."

Ryoga was looking uncomfortable, and the two boys looked him over. "Isn't that the guy who was fighting with Ranma?" Daisuke said. "And I heard you fought with him too. Why would you want to help him out?"

"Hey, that's just boys being boys," Ukyo said, shrugging it off. "You guys know how it is, boys are always challenging each other and trying to outdo each other. That's just how Ranma and Ryoga are. They're really pretty good friends, believe me. Right, Ryoga?"

Ukyo smiled and clapped her hand on his shoulder. Ryoga looked even more uncomfortable. "Yeah, sure. I guess so."

Daisuke was studying her carefully. "Okay, but I mean... I heard you and he got into a big fight. He even..." Daisuke blushed a bit himself. "He ripped your shirt. That's what I heard."

Ukyo gave him a coy look, a little irritated, but flirtatiously teasing the dark haired boy. "Yeah, and I'm sorry you boys missed the show. Believe me, I don't plan on getting my blouse ripped open that often. But look, that was just a misunderstanding, everything's been cleared up now, and we're fine."

She started to give Ryoga a reassuring smile, but the lost boy had begun staring at her chest, and was blushing deeply. Ukyo grabbed his head and tipped it up. "Eyes on my FACE, jackass! And stop thinking about that!"

The lost boy looked even more lost than usual, and pulled his head away. He tried to stutter an apology, finally settling on staring intently at the ground. Daisuke looked between the two of them, and suddenly broke into a grin.

Ukyo shook her head. "Anyway, I want Ryoga to stick around, and not get lost so much. He could use a couple of friends here, as well. You guys okay with that?"

"Sure, sure, Ukyo." Daisuke was still grinning, and Hiroshi nodded as well.

"Great! I gotta get Ryoga to his next class, but just watch out for him, okay?" She grabbed Ryoga by the hand, and led him off down the hall behind her.

"Well, that answers the question of whether she's interested in Ranma." Hiroshi said with a smile.

"I guess so." Daisuke stared off after her, his eyes unfocused. "Man, she's hot."

Hiroshi elbowed his friend in the ribs. "Is that why you were blushing and looking all flustered when she teased you about 'missing the show'? Wuss."

"It's not like you weren't thinking about it, too. Doofus. Besides, she caught me off guard, is all. Why, if I could get her alone for five minutes, I would just..."

"Sure you would..." Hiroshi shook his head. "I've got to get to class. See ya around, okay?"

"Sure," Daisuke agreed. The two boys hurried off in different directions, disappearing into the crowd of students milling around in the halls.

* * *

As Ranma headed outside to eat lunch, his instincts shouted out a warning, and he dodged to one side. Ryoga flew past him, in a flying kick that was aimed at his head. The lost boy smiled as he landed. "You heard me coming after all, eh? I was hoping I'd catch you a little off guard."

"Hey, Ryoga," Ranma answered back, nonchalant as ever. "What's up?"

"We never finished our fight. I still have a score to settle with you." Ryoga flashed a fang as he smiled viciously.

Ranma shook his head. "Do we hafta do this? I was goin' to eat my lunch!"

"Come on, it won't take long. Or are you chicken?" Ranma snorted his disagreement, but Ryoga continued. "Would you rather we attract the attention of the whole school, like before? What if you turn into your sister again?"

Ranma blushed a bit and frowned. Looking Ryoga over, he nodded. "Okay, umbrella boy, I'll fight ya. But you better not be rippin' my shirt to get another look at Sis's chest. Pervert."

Ryoga fumed at the accusation. "That was an accident, Saotome! I didn't know you turned into a girl!"

"Sure, sure. Don't lose your shirt over it." Ranma laughed as he headed for the athletic field. "Again."

Ryoga caught up with him at a volleyball court, and the two of them took sides on either side of it. Ranma's expression turned serious. "So what's with this fight, anyway? I thought Ucchan talked you out of this whole revenge thing."

"This isn't about me anymore, Ranma. I promised your sister I wouldn't try to get revenge for what you did any more." Ryoga's eyes narrowed, and he dropped into a ready stance. "But this isn't about that. This is about Akane."

"What?" Ranma looked startled.

"That's right! I heard what you said to her this morning! I mean... I heard the others talking about what you said this morning! The talk's been going on all over the school. You should hear some of the things the boys are saying..."

"Hey, that's no business of yours!" Ranma snapped back.

Ryoga snarled, clenching his fists. "Akane is a sweet girl, gentle and kind, and you're rude to her! She's your fiancee, and you live under the same roof with her, and yet you treat her like that! I won't stand for it!"

"Gentle? Kind? Did that violent tomboy scramble your brains when she hit you or something?"

"Never mind that!" Ryoga blushed a little at the memory of their last fight. "Akane's a nice girl, and she's kind to me. I finally feel like there's some good out of my... of what happened to me. If it meant I got to meet Akane, maybe you skipping out on our man to man fight wasn't so bad after all."

Ranma looked confused. "Wait? What? When did you get to meet Akane? Other than her pounding the two of us into the pavement at the park, I mean..."

"Um... well, see, I've been watching her in school today." Ryoga started to blush deeply. "I think... I think she really likes me, and..."

"What? Now I know you're crazy." Ranma shook his head, dismissively. "Akane doesn't like you."

"Does too!" Ryoga shot back, then he shook his head. "Look, never mind that! Akane's a wonderful girl, and you're treating her like dirt, calling her ugly, and..."

"WHO SAYS SHE'S UGLY?" Ranma roared, suddenly and unexpectedly angry. "I never said nothin' like that!"

Ryoga was stunned into silence for a moment. "You... you said she was uncute. You said you wouldn't touch her..."

"That don't mean she's ugly!" Ranma stepped forward, raising a fist. Ryoga thought for a moment he was going to attack right then and there. "She's... well, she's... uncute..." As Ranma stumbled over his words, his expression changed from rage to confusion. He started pressing his fingertips together, the fight momentarily forgotten. "She's kinda... you know... tough... and..."

Ryoga studied him for a moment, then a grin spread over his face. "I see what's going on here... you like her, too."

Ranma's eyes widened. "Shut up! I do not!"

"You do." Ryoga leaned closer. "You like her." His frown returned. "You don't deserve a girl like her."

Ranma shook his head, as if dismissing the thought. "Look, we're just... she's my friend, okay? I... I tease her sometimes. But I'm not gonna let someone talk bad about her. I dunno where you go the idea that she likes you, but she just... she doesn't like guys who treat her like that. She'd just as soon kill you as kiss you..."

"You do like her." Ryoga laughed, the sound not at all friendly. "I'm not going to let you have her, Ranma. You're too much of a jerk to deserve someone like her." He clenched his fist, crouching down as if to start his attack. "I'll win her away from you if it's the last thing I do."

Ranma's eyes narrowed, and he looked like he was settling into a more serious stance as well. "Look, I dunno where you get off thinkin' Akane likes you or anything, but if it's a fight you want, then let's fight. I've had enough of all this crazy talk."

As Ranma started to move, though, a baseball bat came flying from around the side of a building, and hit Ranma in the head. He turned to see Akane running up to him. "What are you doing, you baka?" She called out to him.

"Akane? Whatjda do that for?" As Ranma turned to look back at her, she slid to a halt, and looked out over the volleyball field. Her expression turned even angrier.

"What are you doing to P-chan, you jerk?"

"P-chan? What P-chan? I was fighting with Ryoga!"

"Oh, don't give me that. I told you not to pick on him! What are you trying to do?"

Ranma scowled, getting angry himself. "I was fighting with Ryoga! Right there!" He pointed at him, then turned to look, only to find that Ryoga was nowhere to be seen. There was only P-chan, who was sitting right in the middle of a sprinkler.

Akane crossed her arms. "Do you think I'm stupid, Ranma?"

Ranma looked around for the lost boy, but there was no sign of him. "He was... he was right there. I swear it. He... where did he go?"

After a few moments, he shook his head. "I swear, how can that guy get lost in the middle of an empty field, with me staring RIGHT AT HIM?" He looked back at Akane. "I'm sorry. I wasn't tryin' to hurt P-chan, really. I didn't even know he was there. I guess he was behind Ryoga or something."

Akane stared at him for a few moments, but she could tell that he was truly confused about what was going on. She calmed down a bit more as he walked over to pick the piglet up. Carefully, as P-chan was trying to bite him, he lifted the pig by his bandanna and handed him to Akane. "He looks a little wet, maybe you should run get a towel to dry him off."

"Would you go get me one?" Akane was trying to get P-chan to settle down, as he was still growing and struggling.

"Me? Geez, what do I care about the stupid pig, Akane? Do I gotta do everything? I ain't even had lunch yet!"

"Do it, baka, before I decide I'm mad at you again."

"Okay, okay, I'm goin'..." Sticking his hands in his pockets, Ranma started to walk off. He stopped after a few steps, though. "Oh, hey, Akane... about what I said this morning. I'm... really sorry about that. I didn't mean to say that... like... you were, I dunno... ugly or anything."

Akane paused a moment, frowning. "It's okay, Ranma. I'm... sure you didn't mean it."

"Well, it's just..." He glanced at her over his shoulder. "They were sayin' such perverted things about you. It made me mad, and... I wanted 'em to stop. I just... I couldn't think of anything 'cept that I wanted to make 'em stop."

There was a short silence. "I... I didn't mean to make it sound like it was... YOU... or anything."

Akane's mood seemed to brighten. "Thanks. I..." She sighed. "Just next time, Ranma, try to think before you speak."

"Sure, Akane." He hurried off towards the gym. "I'll be right back with that towel."

Akane shook her head. "'Think before you speak'. Right, Akane, as if that's ever going to happen..." But a slight smile still crossed her lips.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Since writing this chapter, I have learned that in Japan, students stay in the same room all day, with the same classmates. This would make Ryoga's problem even easier to deal with, since he wouldn't need to be led from room to room like I implied in the scene above. I'm not going to change the dialog, though, since an American audience would expect this to be a problem. If the discrepancy bothers you, consider this the "American dub", and pretend that in the "original Japanese" Ukyo asks Hiroshi and Diasuke to help Ryoga to the bathroom, and to watch out for him in gym. :)

I already knew that Japanese students eat their lunch in the classroom, this is obvious from watching the Anime. Those scenes that are set in the classroom in the Anime I have kept there. Again, though, I needed Ranma outside to fight Ryoga, so I had him decide to eat lunch outside. I'm assuming that's allowed, but even if it isn't, Ranma isn't one to follow rules anyway.


	10. Shampoo and Roses

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 10

"Oh, wow, this is SO good!" Ranma said, a look of bliss coming over her face. "I wish I'd known about ice cream before this!"

Akane regarded the girl in front of her with a smile. Ranma was in Ukyo's form. Akane had wanted to make a trip to the ice cream shop, and begged and cajoled Ranma into accompanying her. Ranma had finally relented, but only after turning into a girl himself.

"So, you're glad I talked you into this, then?" She asked.

Ranma nodded enthusiastically. "I had no idea ice cream was this good!" She dove into her parfait, finishing it with a speed that make Akane a little shocked, and more than a little annoyed.

"You'll get a headache doing that." She said.

"I wanna try this one next. And this one. And this one too." She gestured at the menu, then called over the server. A few minutes later she had three large bowls sitting in front of her.

Akane brought up her hands to shield her face as Ranma began to dig into the ice cream with even more exuberance than before. "Geez, Ranma, slow down! You're spraying it everywhere, you baka!"

The ponytailed girl slowed down slightly, grinning at her. "Sorry." Then she suddenly paused, giving a moan of pleasure before turning back to her treat. "It's just so good!"

Akane shook her head, only half amused. "If you're going to be a girl, then eat like one."

Ranma looked up at her, with a sudden scowl. "Guys don't eat ice cream!"

"Baka. Of course they do."

"Well *I* don't. It isn't manly."

Akane smiled. "You look like you're eating ice cream to me. And you sure don't look very 'manly'. Not that you're acting much like a girl either."

"Feh. It probably tastes better as a girl anyway." She turned back to the bowl, finishing it off, but Akane noticed she was being a bit more cautious about throwing it around.

"What makes you say that?"

Ranma paused a moment, but then shrugged. "There's lots of things that taste better as a girl. Chocolate for one." She gestured at the topping on the next bowl of ice cream, as she pulled it up in front of her. "Not that I had much time to try it when I was a kid. But it sure tastes better now."

"Really?" Akane was a bit surprised, and leaned forward. "Are you sure that's not just because you're in Ukyo's body, instead of your own?"

The girl suddenly stopped and blinked, thinking about it. Then she shook her head. "Nah. Sis and I have talked about it. She's noticed some difference in how her cursed body senses and tastes things. It's a lot... it's a lot more than that for me, though. Both her bodies are girls, ya know. So there's probably some things that are just me turning inta her, but there's some other stuff that ain't."

"Ukyo's got a lot sharper eyesight than I do, for one. I can see that when I'm in her body. Everythin's like clearer and sharper to me. An' I notice stuff, little stuff I don't usually notice. She says it's the opposite when she's in her cursed form, everything becomes less focused, but she notices stuff more instinctively, like she don't really see it. It's more peripheral vision, she says."

Akane nodded, definitely interested now. Ranma continued, "But there's other stuff, like taste and feelings. There's this type of tea she doesn't like, and I don't really like the taste of it in my male form. But I really like it when I'm a girl. She says she can't tell no difference, but I definitely can. And it ain't 'cause of her body, because she doesn't like the taste. I like the taste, but like it as a girl."

"Hm. I guess that means there are some good things to being a girl, then." Akane's voice was mischievous.

Ranma paused, shocked. Then she bent back to the ice cream. "Well, I still hate it. This curse. But I guess some parts of it ain't so bad." She stopped again, to close her eyes in bliss.

Akane giggled. "I can tell." She leaned forward to wipe off a bit of the ice cream from Ranma's mouth with a napkin. Not that she figured she would make much of a dent, but it was a good opportunity to tease her.

Ranma looked up at her, her eyes wide, and her cheeks starting to turn a little pink. And not from the cold of the ice cream. "You don't... you don't think it's stupid of me ta like ice cream when I'm a guy, do ya?" The question was asked nonchalantly, but Ranma looked away again, and Akane could hear just a hint of doubt in her voice.

She shook her head. "Of course not." She patted Ranma's hand, then picked up her own spoon. "If you enjoy it, then you should enjoy it, and not worry about what people think."

"Hmph," Ranma snorted, finishing off the bowl and reaching for the third. "I'm still not eatin' it as a guy. Guys don't eat ice cream."

"Baka." Akane made a show of mimicking Ranma's expressions as she started eating her own ice cream, and Ranma looked away, turning even redder. She toyed with her spoon for a moment, but was grinning widely. She found herself unable to forget the tingling sensation she had felt when Akane touched her hand.

By the time Ranma had recovered and prepared a retort, she was interrupted by a noise from behind her. She turned to see a section of the wall buckling. With a loud crash, the wall collapsed, leaving a pile of bricks and a large hole. Through the hole stepped a young girl, somewhat stocky, but very voluptuously built. She wore a silk Chinese top and billowing pants, which only seemed to further accentuate her generous curves. Her hair was a surprising shade of bluish-purple, and hung well down her back, although it was drawn up on top of her head, and decorated with ornaments.

Ranma stared in shock, her hands up in a warding gesture, and then backed away hurriedly. "Sh... Shampoo!" She stuttered.

Akane looked the girl over. She frowned slightly. "What about her shampoo? Sure, that's an odd color, but I don't think it's from her shampoo..."

The girl's lavender eyes had quickly scanned the room and settled on Ranma. She brought out two chui, and brandished them threateningly. "Ran-chan!" She shouted. "I kill!"

Akane's frown deepened. "Ran... chan... ?" She echoed.

"What are you doing here in Japan!" Ranma exclaimed. "Why can't you just get over it?"

Ranma had scrambled up the wall to escape from the girl, and now leaped aside to dodge an attack from her chui. She dodged several more attacks, as the purple haired girl pressed her assault, obviously quite angry. "You I kill!" She repeated, while Ranma ducked under a table.

"Ran-chan?" Akane muttered again. She was almost snarling, her eyes narrowed.

Ranma came flying out from under the table, throwing the tablecloth over her opponent. She cried out in outrage, "Ran-chan! I kill! You not escape!" She pulled the tablecloth off just in time to see Ranma trying to duck into a cabinet. She smashed the doors of the cabinet with her chui, at which time Ranma ducked into the kitchen. The other girl followed, and there followed the sounds of screams and crashing from the kitchen.

Ranma darted back out of the kitchen a few moments later. She was then jerked aside as Akane grabbed her by the ponytail, dragging her out of the way of the door. It crashed open as the Chinese girl charged through, glancing about angrily. Behind her back, Akane shoved Ranma through the door to the men's restroom.

The girl looked around, glaring at Akane, who tried her best not to look suspicious. "Where Ran-chan?" she asked, waving her weaponry in Akane's face. "You no hide Ran-chan!"

Akane pointed out through the hole in the wall. "He ran out that way."

The girl turned and looked out through the opening, then leaped through it. In a moment, she was gone, still calling out, "Ran-chan! You no run away! I kill!"

After a few moments, Ranma stuck his head out of the restroom, once again male. "Is she gone?" he asked.

"Ran-chan?" Akane said, studying the boy carefully. She was scowling, but Ranma didn't seem to notice.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Akane. Man, I can't believe she chased me all the way here. I thought we ditched her in China."

"Ran-chan?" Akane said again. Her scowl was growing darker, and she was starting to clench her teeth.

"What?" Ranma looked up at her, then drew back, although he was starting to blush. "Shouldn't ya not call me that? Folks might get the wrong idea!"

Akane hit him on the head. "I'm not calling YOU that, baka, I'm asking why SHE called you that! Who is this girl, and who is she to you? What did you do to her that she's trying to kill you? As if I didn't know..."

"Wh-Wha.. what?" Ranma looked startled. "She's just this crazy Amazon I ran into in China! She's been chasin' after me ever since! I didn't do nothin' to her! Not really anyway..."

"Not really?" Akane huffed, her eyes flashing. "Is that all it is to you, you two timing womanizer? It's just 'nothing'? You just had your way with her and then dumped her off in China then! Is that it?"

Ranma put his hands up, to ward off Akane's anger now. "Whoa! Hey, I didn't do nothin' like that! Shampoo don't mean nothin' ta me, she's just a crazy Amazon!"

Akane hit him again. "Shampoo? Who cares about her shampoo! I don't care what shampoo she uses, baka. Or how good you think it smells, you pervert..."

"No, Shampoo's her NAME! I swear it! And I ain't no pervert!"

"Then why is she calling you Ran-chan?"

"Because that's what Ucchan was calling me!" He stuck his face into Akane's, starting to get angry himself. "She thinks it's my name, Ranchan! It don't mean nuthin'!"

"Oh, come on!" Akane yelled back. "Don't try to tell me that you don't think she's cute! With that long hair, and those huge..."

"She's tying ta KILL ME, Akane!" Ranma cut in, interrupting her. "SHE THINKS I'M A GIRL!"

"Oh." Akane lowered her eyes, suddenly embarrassed. "So you... you didn't... um... she isn't... an old girlfriend?"

"Of course not! I'd never do nothin' like that!" Ranma started to look embarrassed as well. "Look, I... I accidentally ate her tournament prize, and then challenged her to a fight for it. I beat her, but she took it kinda bad. She's been chasin' us ever since. I was hoping I lost her in China, but I guess she managed to follow us here."

"I thought ya knew me better than that, Akane," Ranma said, really blushing now. "I wouldn't never abandon a girl like that. Pops tried to leave Sis behind plenty of times and I always went back for her. I wouldn't do nuthin' like that to someone I cared about, I swear."

Akane frowned, but reluctantly nodded. She couldn't meet Ranma's eyes. "Okay. I guess I believe you... So this girl's name is Shampoo? What kind of a name is that?"

Ranma shrugged. "You got me. But we gotta find Sis, and fast. She only ever saw me in her form, and Sis in her cursed form. If she sees Ucchan in her own body, Shampoo's gonna try ta kill her!"

* * *

Ukyo wandered along the street towards the Tendo home, trying not to shiver from the water that had soaked her clothes. She had noticed that the old lady with the ladle tended to hit Ranma more often than would be considered natural, but wasn't sure if it was just the curse, or if the old lady secretly got some sort of perverse pleasure out of it. Either way, she had no hot water available, but there would be plenty once she got home. So, she just walked along in her cursed form, not minding it too much.

As she came near an enclosed lot she heard a commotion, and jumped up on the fence to investigate. Three ragged-looking figures stood there in the lot, surrounding a girl in a grey school uniform, who was eyeing them coolly.

Anyone else observing the scene might have concluded that it was the girl in the center that was being attacked, but to Ukyo's practiced eye it was another story. For one thing, the three figures were also girls, and they were heavily bandaged, as if they had already been in a fight. For another, their 'victim' was tall and haughty, with long black hair which was painstakingly styled and cared for. She had the air of someone who was used to buying whatever and whomever she wanted, and looked down her nose disdainfully at the shorter girls.

She laughed, and the sound was like nails on a chalkboard. Ukyo shuddered. Putting a hand to her mouth, the girl smiled sweetly at her foes. "Are you in such a hurry to face me? Our match isn't until next week."

Ukyo studied the three girls carefully. A couple of them seemed nervous, trembling and looking as if they might bolt and run, but their leader was angry. Her wounds were the worst of all of them, though, and Ukyo felt it likely she couldn't handle a serious fight. She jumped down off of the fence.

"You don't scare us, Kodachi," the leader of the girls said. "You may have ruined our chance to be in the competition, but we'll make you pay."

The girl, Kodachi apparently, laughed her high-pitched, irritating laugh again. Without another word, she pulled out a ribbon and snapped it like a whip, striking out at the girls.

Before any of them could move to defend themselves, Ukyo shoved aside the leader, then snagged the ribbon with her hand. With a flick of her wrist, she pulled the weapon away from Kodachi, and caught it in her own hand.

The dark haired girl regarded her carefully. "You disarmed me. That's never happened before." She stared at Ukyo for a moment longer. "You are no ordinary girl. You dress like a..." She paused long enough to imply the word 'boy'. "... commoner."

"No, not ordinary, no," Ukyo agreed. "I also can't stand to see a martial artist using her skills to abuse the weak. It's obvious these girls are no challenge to you."

"Ho ho ho ho!" Kodachi put a hand to her mouth, laughing in that way that make the hair stand up on the back of Ukyo's neck. "What a novel concept! How droll you are!"

"I am called the Black Rose of St. Hebereke's school for girls!" The girl cried, and bounded off across the rooftops. "Kodachi, the Black Rose! Remember that name, for we shall meet again!" Her maniacal laugher faded away into the distance.

* * *

"Thanks for doing this, Ranko," the leader of the three girls said. "We really appreciate it."

"No problem," Ukyo answered. "Hopefully my... um... cousin and her friend Ukyo can help you out. I want to see that Kodachi get what she deserves."

The girl looked ashamed. "We were ambushed. Even her teammates can't stand up to her. We tried, but you saw what happened. We just... we're not good enough."

"But Akane's good enough," one of the other girls put in. "Everyone knows she's the best martial artist at the school."

Ukyo nodded. "Ukyo's pretty good too. I'd say between the two of them you won't have to worry about Kodachi any more."

As she started to open up the door to the Tendo home, it suddenly burst open on its own. Ranma, still in his male form, rushed outside.

"Ucchan! There you are! You're in your cursed form, good. Come on, you gotta get inside!"

He grabbed Ukyo by the arm and started to pull her through the door, but she pulled her arm back. "Ran... ma, we have guests! And I'm not Ukyo, I'm Ranko, remember?" She gestured at the three girls next to her, raising an eyebrow at her brother.

"But..." Ranma looked around and noticed the other girls for the first time. He stammered for a few moments, then put a hand behind his head. Meanwhile, Akane had stepped out of the door, and welcomed the girls.

"What's going on?" She asked Ukyo.

"These girls were attacked by a rival from another school. They want us to take their place in a gymnastics tournament. What's going on here?"

She looked at Ranma as she said this, and he seemed to recover his voice. "Shampoo's here! So... um... Ukyo's gotta go away for a while. You'll... um... haveta stay... um... as you are..."

"Shampoo!" The red haired girl shook her head. "And I thought we lost her. Is she still trying to..."

"Kill me, yeah. I mean, Ukyo. But she's never met me before, so I'm all right as long as I... stay like this."

"What's the story about this Shampoo?" Akane asked. "Ranma told me about her..." she shot a glance at him, "... but I'm not sure he's telling me the whole story."

"Well, let's get these girls inside first," Ukyo countered, taking their leader's arm. "I'm sure they'd like to get off their feet, and they could probably use some first aid, too."

Ranma followed as the girls all headed up to Akane's room. Akane and Ukyo sat on the bed, while the girls told their story. P-chan, who had been napping on the bed while Akane and Ranma were out, sat up and listened as well.

"... So you see, Kodachi always takes out her opponents before the tournament, so they have to forfeit. We've seen you do some gymnastics in gym, Akane, and we all know what a good martial artist you are, and we were hoping you could take our place. You're our only hope!"

"I dunno..." Akane looked uncertainly at Ukyo. "I can do some flips and tumbles, but I've never done anything like that competitively before. Are you sure... are you sure you want me to do this?"

"But it's Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics!" One of the other girls put in. "You should be a natural."

"Martial Arts Gymnastics?" Ukyo echoed. "That's a pretty weird idea."

"Yeah, it uses the tools of Rhythmic Gymnastics, but uses them as weapons. It's actually a martial arts tournament."

A smile spread across Ukyo's face. "Weapons, you say? I might be a natural at that myself. Maybe it would be better if I took your place, instead of Akane."

Akane looked hurt, but the girl spoke before she could say anything. "You can't compete, Ranko, you don't go to our school."

Ukyo blushed deeply. "Oh... uh... I forgot." She looked around at Ranma and Akane. Ranma shrugged, but Akane studied her for a moment.

"You'll have to transfer to our school for the next week or so, anyway. Ukyo isn't going to be around for a while, and you... can't go back where you came from. You'll have to go to school."

"That's true. And maybe we should both sign up. That'll give us twice the chance to face Kodachi, and we can train together."

Akane's expression brightened. "That'll be great!" She turned back to the girls. "Can you get us some of these weapons? So we can practice?"

The leader of the girls fished around in her school bag and pulled out a couple of clubs, a ribbon, and a hoop. "Here, you can use these. We won't need them and I've got some spares anyway." The other girls produced some items as well, which they handed to Ukyo and Akane.

Akane eyed the clubs warily. "I don't really do that good with the equipment. I usually stick to the floor exercises and stuff."

"Don't worry about it, Akane, I'm sure I can teach you." Ukyo put an arm around her friend, and she smiled.

Kasumi came in with a first aid kit, and in a few moments the girls were patched up and on their way. Ukyo and Akane headed out to the dojo, Ukyo staying in her redheaded form. Ranma, still male, tagged along. As the girls took up positions on the opposite ends of the dojo, Ranma plopped down on the floor, looking bored. P-chan also wandered in, and also trying not to make it look like he was watching, settled down next to Ranma.

"So, Akane, since you've done this before why don't you show me what you do know." Ukyo shrugged. "I never had much chance to go to school while growing up with the Old Man, so I'm afraid I've never had the chance to do any gymnastics at all."

Akane bit her lip, but drew herself up confidently. "Okay. I guess I'll try a simple routine or something." She posed for a moment with the clubs. "Watch this..."

She took a few steps, moving gracefully as she stepped on her toes, twirling the clubs. Then she threw them into the air and reached out to catch them. The clubs arced high into the air, plummeted to the ground, and landed well outside of her reach. Like, several yards outside of her reach.

"Are you supposed to drop 'em like that?" Ranma commented.

Akane turned an interesting shade of red. "Ha, ha, Ranma. I'm just not good at that. Let's try the hoop instead."

The hoop fared no better than the clubs. Akane began a somewhat fluid routine, but then got caught up in the hoop. She struggled with it for a few moments, until Ranma muttered "Are you supposed to get tangled up like that?" at which time she pulled so hard she snapped the hoop in two.

Ukyo put a hand over her mouth, trying hard not to giggle. "All right, all right, you're getting flustered. Take a break for a minute. And Ranchan, shut up."

She walked over and picked up the clubs. "Okay, I think I've got it. Watch my form. And remember, keep your focus."

Ukyo stepped into a pirouette, threw the clubs into the air, then leaped and caught them at the end of their arc. She brought one around behind her back, flipped it over her shoulder, and then caught it again. She looked somewhat unsure of her steps, and her spinning of the clubs looked jerky and awkward, but otherwise she looked like she was born to do gymnastics.

Akane put a hand to her forehead. She seemed to be counting to herself, or maybe holding back tears. "I was never any good with the clubs," she said finally. "I can't seem to hold on to them. Either that or I hold on too tight."

Ukyo walked over and handed her the clubs. "Why don't you try it again, and don't worry about throwing them. You're throwing them too hard, for one thing. Just work on form and balance."

With a sigh, Akane nodded. She quickly took a stance at the start of her routine again, and repeated it without throwing the clubs. This time it went well, even though Akane stumbled a few times.

Ukyo was studying her carefully, though. "Hold on, Akane. Try handling the clubs a little more loosely."

"I'm trying, okay!" She began again, and dropped them. She stamped her foot petulantly.

"Akane, you've got a shinai. I've seen it in your room. Don't you ever practice with it?"

"Um..." Akane's face was really red now, and she looked away. "I used to use it all the time. But... I kept breaking it. Father finally told me if I broke this one, he wouldn't buy me another one. I haven't used it since." She paused a moment as Ranma burst out laughing, but then she shook her head. "It's probably all for the better anyway. I can get more power out of just my fists."

Ranma was still laughing, but Ukyo had to struggle to keep from getting angry herself. The panda's comments about "weapons are useless" kept echoing in her ears. When she finally managed to get her expression under control, she walked over and hugged the currently taller girl.

"You've never learned to properly handle a weapon, have you? A weapon is an advantage because it is stronger and tougher than your body, but that also makes it fragile. Your hand gives when you strike a target, a weapon doesn't. That's why you have to learn to give WITH the weapon, to sense when you're putting too much stress on it."

"You're supposed to beat your opponent up with your weapons, Akane, not beat up your weapons!" Ranma added, his voice teasing. He had sat up, and slapped his knee as he started laughing again. P-chan glared at him.

Akane scowled, but Ukyo was smiling. "He's right... even though he's being a jerk about it." She picked up the clubs and handed them to Akane. "You need to think of a weapon as an extension of your body. It's not just a tool to deliver energy from your hand to your target. It's a part of you. Just as you don't want to hit so hard you shatter your hand, or hold your hand wrong so you hurt it, you don't want to hold your weapon the wrong way either."

She guided Akane's fingers to grip the clubs, then stepped back. "Okay, start again, but this time be gentle. Let yourself feel the clubs. They're not your opponent here, they're your partners."

Akane sighed and closed her eyes. Then she slowly started to move. Although she kept her steps slow and cautious, they were smooth. Ukyo encouraged her, and after a moment she was becoming more comfortable.

"So," Akane finally said, with a glance at Ranma. "what's going on with this Shampoo? Ranma said something about a tournament, and how she was mad that she beat him. Not that I can't understand, with the way this jerk gloats." Ranma snorted, but Akane ignored him.

"Well, it was right after Jusenkyo," Ukyo told her. "We had no food, so the guide offered to take us to this village of warrior women nearby."

"Amazons, Ranma said," Akane put in.

"Yeah, that's right. Anyway, they don't have a lot of respect for men, so I suggested Ranma stay in my form, and the Old Man be a panda. It went pretty good for a while. I met one of the Elders of the tribe, this old hag named Cologne. She and I were really hitting it off. Meanwhile, as Ranma said, they were having a tournament. Shampoo was competing, and Cologne said she happened to be her great-granddaughter. She was pretty good, too, took out an opponent twice her size without breaking a sweat."

"Anyway, all of a sudden there was this commotion, and Shampoo jumped up and ran off into the audience. There was this huge feast set up at a table there, and of course Ranchan and the panda had spotted and started devouring the whole thing. Shampoo started yelling at them, and Cologne explained that was the prize. They'd eaten Shampoo's prize."

"Wasn't my fault," Ranma muttered. "It was dumb Pops' idea..."

"I didn't hear you complaining," Ukyo said with a grin. "Anyway, once I explained, Ranma figured that since it was the prize for the tournament, he'd just challenge Shampoo, and he'd be off the hook. He couldn't be blamed for eating the prize if he won it fair and square. Problem is, Cologne pointed out that to an Amazon, being beaten by an outsider was about the worst insult there could be. Once I realized the danger, I tried to warn Ranchan, but it was already too late."

Ukyo shot her brother a frown, and he laughed uncomfortably. "He nailed her with one kick. Didn't even make it look hard. Sent her flying out of the ring like she was nothing. And she'd just taken out that other opponent, easily. You could tell everyone else was just shocked."

"Cologne was shaking her head, but apparently Shampoo was really ticked. She didn't look like it, though, and Ranma was kind of stunned. She kind of got up, dusted herself off, and smiled at him. It wasn't a good smile, kind of a mean smile, but I didn't know what to make of it. She walked over to Ranchan, and he didn't know what to do either, so he just stood there."

"That's when Cologne muttered something. I couldn't make it out, it was probably in her language, but I could tell she wasn't happy. But then Shampoo just walked up, grabbed Ranma, and kissed him."

"KISSED HIM!" Akane shouted. She looked at Ranma, brandishing her clubs in almost the same way Shampoo had earlier. He put his hands up, leaning away.

"On the cheek," Ukyo finished. "And remember, he was in my body at the time. So I was a bit shocked, too."

"He was a girl... he was you at the time?" She glared at Ranma again. "So she wasn't... coming on to him or anything?"

"It wasn't nuthin' like that!" Ranma protested. "She's just a crazy Amazon!"

Ukyo sighed. "It's true. I was trying to figure out what was going on, too, when Cologne put a hand on my shoulder. 'You'd better go,' she said. 'Great-granddaughter has given your sister the Kiss of Death. She will pursue her to the ends of the earth to get her revenge. She must do this, or be labelled a disgrace in the eyes of the tribe. You had better take your sister and your pet panda and run while you still can.'"

"The Kiss of Death?" Akane looked worried now.

Ukyo nodded. "If an Amazon female is beaten by an outsider, she must give her the Kiss of Death, and not return home until the outsider is dead. If I'd had time to warn him, Ranma could have thrown the fight, or at least given Shampoo enough time to keep her dignity when she was defeated. But Ranchan, being the jerk he is, couldn't resist showing off..."

"I said I was sorry..." Ranma muttered, although his voice was only barely audible.

Akane glanced at him. "But he's a guy, not a girl," she said. "Why didn't you tell Cologne that?"

"It likely would have been worse. I'm sure being beaten by a male would be a bigger insult than a female, to them. They consider men weak and inferior. Since Ranma was in my form at the time, and because I was the girl of the group, they might have held me responsible for his actions."

Ranma was clenching his fist now. "I couldn't let that happen to ya, Sis. I'd rather Shampoo keep runnin' after me than have her comin' after you."

Akane looked at Ranma again, then back at Ukyo. At the question in her eyes, Ukyo nodded. "A few weeks after that, when we thought we had lost her, she caught up with us again. Only, I was in my normal form and so was Ranma. She came after me."

"You coulda been killed..."

"I told you, I can take care of myself," Ukyo said, cutting him off. "But it was okay. Ranchan was able to distract her by changing into me, and led her away. We kept that up pretty much all the way across China. I was hoping we had lost her when we got back to Japan, she didn't seem to be following us any more. But I guess it must have taken her this long to track us down."

"So what are you going to do now?" Akane asked.

"I don't know what we can do, other than try and keep Shampoo from seeing either my normal form, or Ranchan's cursed form. If we stay as we are, maybe we can buy some time. Hopefully eventually Shampoo will give up and go home."

Ukyo fell silent as her story ended. "Anyway, I need to think about how we're going to use these things as weapons." She began to experiment with the ribbon, trying to make it snap like a whip, as Kodachi had, but it only fluttered around. She shook her head.

"I think that's enough for me. But Akane, keep working on it. Ranchan, work with her." Ranma snorted, but Ukyo shot him a look. "I mean it! Don't make me force YOU to learn these things!"

Ranma put up his hands. "I ain't learnin' that! That's too girly!"

"You remember that. And help out Akane. Or else. I'm going to go take a bath."

Ranma growled as Ukyo walked out, but he stood up to help Akane. P-chan watched the two of them for a few moments, then got up and walked out of the dojo.

* * *

A few minutes later, P-chan walked into the furoba, just as Ukyo was about to dump the bucket of wash water over herself. She noticed the pig, and let out a shriek, wrapping her arms around herself as she sat on the stool.

"Ryoga! You pervert, get outta here!"

P-chan stared at her for a moment, his eyes getting wide, with just a bit of redness starting around his snout. Then he suddenly turned away from her, looking up with a sniffle. Prancing across the floor with as much dignity as he could muster, he continued over to the furo and jumped in.

Ukyo yelled even louder as Ryoga's naked body surfaced. "I said, get out! What, are you crazy?" She was beet red, and looked away as Ryoga stood and got out of the water.

"I'm not at all interested in looking at you," Ryoga said, although he was also looking away. "Don't flatter yourself."

"What? Wha... you... you... jackass!" Ukyo grew even redder, even as she glared in Ryoga's direction, and then looked away.

"I just came in here to change, since you already know my secret. And don't forget... you did this to me. It's your fault I'm this way."

Ukyo looked down, her eyes darting around the floor. "Just get outta here."

As Ryoga walked on to the door, she turned her back to him, and lifted the bucket over her head. It splashed down over her, and she returned to her natural form. Ryoga suddenly stopped, startled, and looked back at her.

"You're... using hot water?"

Ukyo looked up, surprised that Ryoga was still there, and blushed again. "Yeah, I don't like changing back and forth while I'm bathing! So I use warm water! NOW GET OUT OF HERE!"

She threw the bucket, and it bounced off of Ryoga's head. He turned to leave, but paused at the door, unable to resist a parting shot.

"I told you, I'm not interested in whatever you've got. You're not nearly as cute as Akane. Or as nice as her. SHE cares about me. She's not just taking care of me out of PITY."

He turned to look at her, as Ukyo turned an even deeper shade of crimson. "So when I... you know, it's as a pet. That's all it is to you... and that's all it is to me."

He turned and left, as Ukyo silently fumed.


	11. Kiss Of the Black Rose

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 11

Akane continued to practice with the ribbon, but had no more luck with it than Ukyo. She got hopelessly entangled in it, and Ranma helped to get it unwrapped from around her, although he wouldn't stop laughing. Akane turned redder and redder as she tried to direct it, but only ended up making it whip around wildly. Finally she got entangled in it again.

"I'm such a klutz!" She shouted, stamping her feet. "I'll never get it!"

"What do ya expect me to do about it?" Ranma asked her.

"I expect me to help me, like your sister said!"

Ranma gave her that infuriating smirk. "You want me to help you be a klutz? You don't need my help with that, you're fine at it all by yourself."

"Ranma!" Akane stamped her foot again, her eyes flashing. "I want you to help me figure this out! There's got to be a technique to it."

"You'll never figure it out anyway," Ranma said, looking away from her. "You're just a clumsy tomboy."

Akane looked pained, but then she took a deep breath. "No. I just have to keep trying. So come on, Ranma. Ukyo told you to help me." Her eyes suddenly turned teasing. "Or are you saying that there's something a girl can do that you can't do?"

"Hey! I could do it... if I wanted to." Ranma frowned at her, but then turned away again. "It's just stupid girly stuff. I'm not doing that."

"You're just saying that, because you know you can't..."

"Oh, yeah?" Ranma picked up one of the clubs and began twirling it. Unlike Ukyo, he handled it easily, his fingers showing none of the jerkiness of Ukyo's attempt.

"So you do know how to do it. You're just afraid to try."

"Am not."

Akane smiled wickedly at him. "Are too. You're afraid you'll make a mistake." Her teasing expression faded as her eyes widened, a thought occurring to her. "You're... you're afraid you'll look like a fool... in front of me."

Ranma looked away. "Why should I care what a clumsy tomboy like you thinks... ?"

Akane studied him. "Yes, Ranma. Why would you be worried about messing up in front of a clumsy tomboy like me?" Her voice was tinged with hurt again. "I'm letting myself look like a fool in front of you. So why can't you at least try? Why can't you at least try to help me?"

Ranma was silent for a long moment. Then he turned back to her, the smirk returning to his face. "If I don't know nothin' about how to do it, then what makes ya think I'd be any help?"

Akane was about to answer him, when a noise made her turn back to the entrance to the dojo. Ryoga was standing there in the doorway.

"I can help." He said.

"Umbrella boy?" Ranma asked him. "How'd you manage to get all the way here from school without getting lost? Or are you lost?"

Ryoga just ignored him, and walked over to Akane to take the ribbon from her. "Watch," he said.

He began to twirl the ribbon, and it extended out away from him. He snapped it as Kodachi had, and its momentum kept it rigid and under control, as he caused it to lash about. Ranma leaped aside as the ribbon struck out at him, only barely dodging the blow.

"Hey!" He said.

Akane clapped her hands excitedly. "That was wonderful, Ryoga! Where did you learn to do that?"

"Yeah, Ryoga," Ranma muttered. "Where'd ya learn to use a girly weapon like that?"

"You shut up, Ranma!" Ryoga yelled at him. "I'm trying to help Akane! Unlike you!"

"Hey, don't tell me how to train Akane!" Ranma yelled back.

"It doesn't look to me like you were training her at all!" Ryoga answered, getting up in Ranma's face. "Ukyo's the one that's training her! You're just sitting around doing nothing!"

"That's none of your business!" Ranma pounded Ryoga on the head with his fist.

In response, Akane pounded Ranma on the head with one of the clubs. "Leave him alone, Ranma! He's trying to help!"

Ranma shot her a startled look, then scowled at Ryoga. Akane then took the ribbon back from Ryoga. "Please continue, Ryoga. How did you make the ribbon do that?"

He smiled down at her. "It's really easy, Akane. You just have to keep it in motion is all. I actually use that technique with my belt." He scowled at Ranma. "But it works with the ribbon as well. I'll be happy to show you..."

"You'll show us BOTH!" Ranma interrupted. "That way when you get lost, I can keep helping Akane. And I can show Sis how to do it, too."

Ryoga grinned at him, showing a fang. "You really wanna learn how to use a 'girly weapon' like that, Ranma?"

Ranma turned beet red, but snarled back. "Yeah, I'll learn it. There ain't nothin' I can't learn. An'... maybe it ain't so girly."

Akane giggled, and Ranma scowled at her. "Anyway..." He said. "I don't care. If Akane's learnin' it, then I'm learnin' it, and that's final!"

* * *

Ukyo grumbled to herself as she got out of the furo. She hesitated a moment, but then splashed herself with cold water to reactivate her curse. Better safe than sorry. She stepped out into the changing room, and put on her nightgown, then headed out into the hall to head upstairs.

The nerve of that Ryoga, walking in on her while she was taking a bath. And then to say she was only helping him out of pity! Of course she felt responsible for his curse, of course she felt guilty, but that didn't mean she was just helping him to ease her own conscience. It was obvious Ryoga needed a friend, and a stable home, and she was just trying to help him find that.

And then, to take advantage of his curse to get to see her in the nude! Not to mention trying to sleep in Akane's bed. Not that she believed Ryoga to be a pervert, he got pretty flustered around the opposite sex. Ukyo was fairly sure he wouldn't dare attempt such a thing in human form. But still, it was a bit too easy for him in pig form, and that worried her.

What really worried Ukyo was how angry Ryoga had made her. Not that she was immodest about being seen in the bath, but usually it didn't bother her that much. Most of the time, she was able to joke about it, like when the two guys at school had mentioned Ranma giving them a show. Although maybe it was just that that wasn't Ranma that Ryoga had seen that time, it was herself.

As she started up the stairs to the bedrooms, something tickled at Ukyo's danger sense. It was an awareness of the house, something that was off. It wasn't Ryoga, she expected that he had gone to the dojo to help with the training. Had Shampoo managed to track them to the Tendo home after all? Warily, Ukyo continued on, pausing a moment as she reached the landing.

Cautiously, she crept to the door of the bedroom she shared with Akane. She strained to hear any noise, and heard nothing. Slowly, she turned the doorknob, easing the door open. Her eyes instantly went to the other side of the room, where a bell sat, next to the wall and under the window. It had tipped over.

Ukyo's awareness sense jumped up a level. Instinctively, she looked up, and saw Kodachi hanging over the bed. She was wearing a green leotard, and clinging to the ceiling, with a wooden mallet behind her back.

Kodachi dropped onto Akane's bed, laughing shrilly. "An alarm? My, but you are a suspicious minded girl. I take it you are the Akane Tendo I have heard so much about?"

"The name is Ranko, actually, Ranko Tendo. I'm Akane's cousin."

"Forgive me, I just assumed... you are, after all, the girl from before."

"Yes. And you are Kodachi, the... 'Black Rose', I think you said, from St. Hebereke. I suppose you were right about us meeting again. Not very sporting of you to ambush your opponent... before she's even had a chance to sign up, in fact."

"I believe in fighting in all fairness... but now or at the match, what's the difference?" She let loose with that screeching laugh again, and Ukyo shook her head to clear it. "Why wait?"

She leaped at Ukyo with her mallet, and the red haired girl leapt aside. "Why wait indeed? That's quite a strategy you've got there. Although I'm not sure I'd call lying in wait above someone's bed a fair challenge."

"You did not seem to have a problem meeting the challenge," Kodachi countered. "You must be extremely paranoid for such a common peasant."

"Just something you pick up on the road. I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand."

"Oh, but I do understand. I know quite well the value of protecting one's home and knowing when there are intruders present. I was surprised we thought so alike, is all."

Ukyo dodged another blow. "You may end up more surprised, sugar." As Kodachi brought her mallet down, leaping to put more force behind it, Ukyo rolled across the floor, and grabbed Akane's shinai. She brought the bamboo practice sword up, blocking Kodachi's mallet.

"So I see. You are quite skilled with weapons, aren't you?"

"And you seem to have Akane's attitude towards them. Do be careful, I'm sure you don't care about that mallet of yours, but if I break Akane's shinai she's going to be really angry with me."

Kodachi laughed again. "That is not the only weapon I have." She pulled something out of her leotard and Ukyo dodged it. It struck the wall behind her, and exploded into a green smoke. Ukyo felt her throat being irritated by the smoke, but held her breath until she could roll out of it.

"Paralysis gas," Ukyo guessed. "You do have a lot of tricks up your sleeve."

Kodachi swung her mallet at her again. "Sometimes the direct approach is not as effective as the indirect one."

"Yeah. Who uses a mallet, anyway?" Ukyo commented.

Kodachi just laughed maniacally. Ukyo sighed inwardly, and focused her attention on dodging the crazed gymnast's attacks.

* * *

Akane snapped her ribbon, sending it out at Ranma, who flipped as he dodged it. Akane's movements were smooth, but her control over the ribbon was still rather clumsy. It had a tendency to move in odd directions, although Akane was at least managing to keep it in motion.

As Ranma rolled back to his feet, he was forced to leap to the other side as Ryoga slammed the clubs down where he had been a second before. "Whoa!" He griped. "Don't team up on me!"

"You're still not helping at all!" Ryoga said. "Akane needs to learn to defend with the weapons as well as attack with them."

"So? If you're so keen on it, then YOU do it. I don't want her poundin' on me!"

Akane snapped the ribbon again. "I'm trying to do that anyway, but you won't hold still! At least TRY to fight back!"

Ranma grumbled, but then Akane lost control of the ribbon, and it wrapped around her legs. She managed to roll with the fall as it tripped her, but wound up tangled up in it again. Ryoga stepped over to help her get untangled from it.

"You're making great progress, Akane." Ryoga told her, his words gentle, but Akane could tell he wasn't being completely honest.

"I am not!" Akane yelled at him. She got to her feet in a huff, stomping on the dojo floor. "This is the fourth time I've gotten tangled up in it, and..."

Akane jumped as Ranma put his hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Akane. You're gettin' flustered again. Why don't you go take a bath. I'm sure Sis is done by now."

"I can't quit now!" Akane said, rounding on him. "Everyone's counting on me!" She was gritting her teeth, but there was the slightest hint of moisture in her eyes.

Ranma grinned at her impishly. "Don't worry about it, Akane. We'll pick up tomorrow, and I'll get right back to telling you what a klutz and a clumsy tomboy you are. You've done enough for tonight."

He released her shoulder, the hand falling back to his side. Akane fell silent, staring at him with her mouth slightly open. After a moment, she reluctantly sighed. "Well... okay. You're right, we have school in the morning. There's plenty of time to work on this."

Not looking at him, she walked out of the dojo, sliding the door closed behind her. Ranma turned back to Ryoga. "So, umbrella boy, looks like it's just you and me... unless you're gettin' tired too."

Ryoga took a stance. "I'm no more tired than you are."

"Okay." Ranma walked over to pick up the ribbon, but then scowled at it. "Naw, that's still too girly." He picked up the hoop instead, and held it up as a shield. "So... how did ya find your way here, after all?"

"Never you mind, Ranma. I have my ways..."

"Probably just got lost, like I said." Ranma shrugged. "You an' Sis obviously had some sorta talk about me makin' your life 'hell', but she never told me what it was about. So what exactly do ya think I did to ya, anyway?"

Ryoga frowned for a moment, but then shook his head. "That's not important any more. You ran out on our man to man fight, but that's not important now. Now it's about the way you treat Akane."

"Oh, yeah?" Ranma asked, his eyes narrowing. "And what about you? Flattering her like that. You've got no shame..."

"At least I'm helping her! You're the one who should be ashamed. You wouldn't even help until I showed you up."

"Hey! I woulda gotten to it! I just... I didn't wanna use no girly weapons, that's all!"

"You just don't want to help at all. What's the matter, Ranma, are you jealous? That I can teach Akane when you can't?"

Ryoga struck out at Ranma, who blocked with the hoop, leaping over it as he dodged. Ranma was fighting defensively, but began to strike out as well as he started to get angry. "I can too! It's just... It's better if Ucchan trains her, that's all." Ranma turned a little red. "They're both... girls."

"Oh, you don't like to hit girls, huh?" Ryoga grinned, figuring he'd hit a nerve. "Or are you afraid you'll lose. Like with your sister, maybe? How many times did she beat you growing up?"

Ranma turned even redder. "That's different. Sis and I..." He paused a moment, collecting his focus. "Sis is good, but she could never really beat me. She got the upper hand a few times, when we were little. But nowadays she only beats me if I hold back too much."

"You mean like how you hold back with Akane? You're so arrogant. You think the only way someone can beat you is if you hold back..."

"That's not what I meant! I mean, Sis knows exactly how to beat me if I don't keep pushing her. If I don't challenge her, she lets me know it."

"So is that why you won't fight Akane, when you'll fight with Ukyo? Akane's not enough of a challenge for you?"

"Hey, how I spar with Sis is none of your business either!" Ranma started to lose his temper again.

Ryoga grinned wider at his reaction. "Or maybe you won't fight Ukyo either. I don't think I've seen you spar with her. Do you avoid fighting her so you won't have to hit her?"

"That's enough! I don't have ta tell you nuthin'!" Ranma kicked Ryoga so hard he sailed out of the dojo, breaking through one of the walls. He landed out in the yard. Ryoga had only moments to get to his feet before Ranma was coming at him again. Ryoga smiled as he leaped back towards the pigtailed martial artist.

* * *

Akane walked down the hall to her room, to gather her things for her bath. As she approached the door, she hear a horrifying noise, a screech like some evil spirit or demon. Suddenly on alert, she threw open the door, feeling it slam into something as she opened it.

Ukyo stood in the middle of the room, holding her shinai in a defensive pose. She seemed to be looking at something behind the door, then noticed Akane. She grinned. "Nice timing."

"What's going on?" As Ukyo looked back behind the door, Akane stepped into the room. She followed her gaze to Kodachi, who was rubbing her nose. "Who are you?"

"Kodachi...", she and Ukyo both said at the same time. The black haired girl looked at her, a little miffed at being interrupted and continued. "... the Black Rose. The Gymnastics Star of St. Hebereke. And I suppose you would be Akane Tendo?"

"I am." Akane fell into a stance. "What are you doing here?"

"Merely sizing up my opponents before the match next week. I see that you are both as good as I have heard. Ho ho ho ho ho!" Kodachi broke out into the laughter Akane had heard earlier, setting her teeth on edge.

"She was hiding in here trying to ambush you," Ukyo added. "Like she did with the other girls."

Akane balled her fists. "That was fast. We only agreed to help a couple of hours ago."

Kodachi put a hand to her mouth as she laughed again. "Word does get around. And I have my sources. Now, I must bid you farewell. I shall return!" She leaped to the window, and a swirl of black rose petals blocked Ukyo and Akane from stopping her as she disappeared from sight.

"What a nut job," Ukyo commented.

"Does she think she can scare us?" Akane muttered, her fists still clenched. "And just look at this mess!" There were rose petals scattered around the room, not to mention the damage she and Ukyo had done while fighting.

Ukyo glanced up, as the sound of Kodachi's footsteps could be heard as she landed on their roof, and took off running across it. "Maybe we'd better go after her, and make sure she gets the message..."

As Kodachi darted across the rooftops, she was startled to see two figures coming at her across the roof going the other way. One of them shoved her aside, snarling out a challenge to the other, and then the other ran past her as well. He intercepted the first figure, then kicked him back the way he had come, sending him back towards Kodachi. She barely managed to avoid him, but blundered right into the second fighter, as he tried to charge after his opponent.

Ranma landed on his feet in the Tendo garden, looking back towards the roof to see Ryoga coming at him. At that moment, he noticed the black haired girl in the leotard, as she stumbled, obviously caught off guard. He cursed under his breath as Ryoga slammed into the girl, and then the two of them tumbled off of the Tendo roof. Ranma quickly realized that both were headed straight for the koi pond.

Ryoga, Ranma figured, would be all right even from that far a fall. The woman, though, was likely to be hurt, especially if she hit her head on any of the rocks around the pond. Cursing Ryoga's clumsiness again, Ranma darted forward and leaped up into the girl's path, grabbing her as he passed. His momentum carried him up to the roof, where he landed, with the girl cradled in his arms.

Kodachi, for her part, was startled by this unexpected rescue. She felt the strong arms around her, and almost swooned as she looked into Ranma's blue-grey eyes. "You okay, lady?" He was asking.

In response, she wrapped her arms tightly around him. After a moment, she timidly asked, "Please, sir? May I ask your name?"

"Um..." The look the girl was giving him made Ranma start to feel really nervous. "Ranma Saotome."

"Ranma..." She muttered dreamily. "Let me show you my gratitude..." She reached into her leotard and pulled out a number of black roses.

Ranma was still nervous, but the roses, not to mention where Kodachi had pulled them from, so disarmed Ranma that he didn't notice the danger until it was too late. The roses shot a greenish gas into his face. He found his muscles going stiff, and toppled over onto the roof, Kodachi falling on top of him.

"Now," she said, "Ranma darling... take these lips of mine." She bent down to kiss him, and Ranma's eyes got wide.

So caught up was she in anticipation of kissing Ranma that Kodachi didn't see the foot until it contacted her face. She rolled with the blow, though, and came up to find Ukyo glaring at her. "Geez, Ranchan!" Ukyo grumbled. "What are ya thinking? This is the girl who's trying to fight us. And you're up here kissing her?"

She expected a protest, but only marginally noted it when Ranma didn't respond. Kodachi, however, met her stare with challenge. "And who is my darling Ranma to you, you tramp?"

"He's my brother," Ukyo snarled back. "As if it's any business of yours." Akane had come up beside her, but said nothing. "An' where do ya get off calling Ranchan your 'darling'?"

Kodachi blushed deeply, and clasped her hands together in a completely overblown expression of innocent infatuation. "Oh, how improper of me. To be caught in a shameless tryst in public. Adieu, Ranma darling! We shall meet again!" She leaped off into the distance, her mad laughter following.

"Honestly!" Ukyo looked back at Ranma. "If I didn't know you better, I'd clobber you, Bro." As he remained silent, she shook her head. "What's up? Did gettin' kissed by that nutcase fry your brain?"

"Yeah," Akane cut in. "And right over my bedroom, yet! You could have at least tried to fight her off. She is our opponent in the Gymnastics Tournament, you know."

When Ranma still said nothing, Ukyo frowned darkly at him. "Oh, giving me the silent treatment, eh? Well, two can play that game." She started off across the roof back towards Akane's room.

"Baka," Akane said teasingly. "Now you've gone and made your sister mad. Why do you have to be such a jerk to everyone, Ranma?" She nudged him with her foot, not really intending to hurt him, but figuring he would dodge, she jabbed him a bit hard. She was surprised when he didn't move.

"Ranma?" Akane knelt down beside him, suddenly worried. She noticed Ranma was looking up at her fearfully, but wasn't doing anything else to try and stop her from hitting him. "Ukyo, hold on. Something's wrong with Ranma."

"What?" Ukyo turned around.

"He's not moving or talking. I think he can move his eyes, but not anything else."

Ukyo's eyes widened as she remembered the smoke bomb Kodachi had thrown in her room. "Paralysis gas!"

"Paralysis gas?" Akane tried to help Ranma up. He might have been trying to nod his head. "She got you with paralysis gas?" She asked him.

Ukyo stood over him, her hands on her hips. "You idiot. You let her paralyze you, and then kiss you, huh? What a moron."

Ranma might have been trying to snarl, now. Akane giggled at his discomfort, helping him up with an arm under his shoulder. "Come on, baka. Let's get you back in the house. Maybe it'll wear off soon."

Ukyo put her arm around Ranma on the other side, and together the two women leaped down to the ground with Ranma. As they passed by the pond, Akane noticed P-chan crawling onto the shore, shaking to get the water out of his fur. "P-chan, baby, come here. Did you fall in the pond? You poor baby."

P-chan followed the two girls as they dragged Ranma into the house.


	12. Ranko's First Day

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 12

As a new day dawned at Furinkan High, the students all waited for the inevitable confrontation of Kuno, and Ranma and Akane. To their surprise, a new girl walked into the yard, on the heels of the famous couple. Some of Akane's friends walked up to ask about her, and Akane introduced her as her cousin. She then handed off P-chan to the redheaded girl, who separated from the others to head for the equipment shed.

Suddenly, she leaped backwards, as Kuno struck at her with his bokken. "Saotome! You foul sorcerer, what horrid purpose have you in coming to school in this deceitful form! You know that I am not fooled by your illusions!"

"Whoa!" Ukyo said, as she dodged the attacks. She glanced around for someplace to put P-chan down. "Kuno, you don't get it. I'm Ukyo!"

"I shall defeat you, deceiver, and free my goddess Ukyo and the fiery Akane from your foul enchantments! I shall..."

Kuno's words were cut short as Ranma leaped in front of him, kicking him in the head. He sailed a short distance back.

"Leave my Sis alone, Kuno!" Ranma shouted. "She's not me!"

Kuno looked between the redhead and her black haired brother. "What? Two of you..." he shook his head. "Nay, I have seen this trickery before. You seek to confound me, but I remember this feeble attempt at misdirection."

Kuno sheathed his bokken, and stepped forward to Ukyo, bowing deeply. "Forgive me, lovely Ukyo. The foul fiend sought to make me harm you by forcing you into his form, but I will not be fooled so easily."

"You sure seem easily fooled to me," Ukyo grumbled under her breath. But she then smiled graciously. "It is all right, Kuno, as long as you don't do it again. Just, before you attack, make sure my brother isn't around as well. Okay?"

Kuno stepped forward to take her hand, which Ukyo quickly jerked away. "Of course, my goddess. Would you allow me to show you my heartfelt apologies... by going on a date with me?"

Ukyo was about to consider the satisfaction of punching Kuno into orbit, when a sound from behind her made her turn. Akane had turned as well, and brought her hands up just in time to block a shinai strike by Kodachi.

"Akane Tendo! It seems you are as hard to surprise as your cousin."

Kodachi attempted to force her shinai out of Akane's hands, but Akane kept her grip on it. Finally, Akane lifted Kodachi off of her feet, and flipped her over her head. She flew through the air towards Kuno and Ukyo, and landed on her feet next to them.

Kodachi regarded Ukyo cooly. "Ranko Tendo as well. Neither of you will escape me. I am Kodachi, the Black Rose, and..."

"Ah, but you are wrong," Kuno interrupted.

Kodachi cocked an eyebrow at him. "Oh?"

"Yes. This is not Ranko Tendo, but the beauteous Ukyo Kuonji, who has captured my heart as..."

Ukyo suddenly grabbed him, and dragged him aside. "Kuno..." She glanced at the students watching them. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course, my goddess..."

Ukyo led him some distance away from the others, then lowered her voice. "Kuno... I... I must confess something to you."

"Your love for me?" Kuno asked hopefully.

Ukyo forced down the impulse to clobber him. "My brother is... as you guessed... a sorcerer. A practitioner of magic. He is not a... um... 'master of the Dark Arts', as you put it, but he does... well... dabble. A little bit." She put up her thumb and finger, to indicate a small amount.

"Of course." Kuno scowled at Ranma, who looked a little startled.

"Well, you see..." Ukyo took a deep breath. "My brother tends to... experiment with spells sometimes. He'll try them out on me. Just to see if they work..."

"Oh, you poor thing. To have to endure such uncertainty and hardship..."

"Yes, well." Ukyo cleared her throat. "Anyway, Ranchan's latest spell went a little... awry. I... I'm kind of stuck like this. In this form." She raised her arms, gesturing at herself. "Ranchan's working on lifting the spell, but until he does, I'm having to pose as 'Ranko Tendo'. You get it?"

Kuno took her in his arms, and Ukyo managed to hold herself back with difficulty. "Oh, my fair Ukyo! Your fate is indeed unkind! Don't worry, I shall defeat this scoundrel..."

Ukyo pushed him away. "No, no. You can't defeat him, he still has to reverse the spell. And I don't want anyone to know I'm... well, 'cursed', you see. So for now, I'm posing as Ranko Tendo. I've transferred here from another school, and Ukyo has transferred there for a while. Get it?"

Kuno paused a moment, and Ukyo could see her words were sinking in, albeit with agonizing slowness. Finally, he nodded. "I see. Your secret is safe with me... 'Ranko'."

He leaned in conspiratorially. "Just between us, I too know what it is like to have a sibling who conducts... experiments." He glanced at Kodachi. "I too have been the subject of many such experiments. So I know exactly how you feel. Though I feel for you, trapped in this horrible mockery of femininity, having lost the radiant beauty of your true form, so beloved to me..."

"I don't really think I'm all that ugly like this..." Ukyo muttered, looking uncomfortable.

"... still, I shall endeavor to support your dissemblance in order to preserve your reputation at this school."

"Um... thank you, I think." Ukyo watched him as Kuno walked back to Kodachi.

"Yes, as I was saying, this is the flame haired beauty, the tree borne kettle girl, Ranko Tendo. Just as you say."

"Riiiight..." said Kodachi, looking at him warily. She then noticed Ranma, and her eyes lit up. "Ranma darling!" she exclaimed, running to him and wrapping her arms around him.

Ranma looked panicked, and tried to extricate himself from Kodachi's grasp, but then Kuno walked over as well. "Hum," he said. He studied Kodachi carefully, as she pressed her head against Ranma's chest. Ranma looked up at Kuno worriedly, completely unsure of what to do. He didn't miss the fact that both Akane and Ukyo were scowling at him.

Kuno slapped him on the back. "I approve. I allow you to date my sister." He then leaned over to speak into Kodachi's ear. "After all, from what I hear, the two of you have a lot in common." A sly smile crept across his face.

"What?" Ranma asked, his voice choked.

Ukyo looked between Kodachi and Kuno. "The sibling you were talking about?"

"The same."

"Why am I not surprised?"

At that moment, there was a commotion from the gates. "Hey," one of the students nearby shouted. "What's that big cloud of dust?"

There was suddenly a crash from the wall near the gate. The stone shattered, falling into a pile on the ground, and Shampoo stepped through. "Where Ran-chan?" She yelled. "I kill!"

She brandished her chui, cornering a student. "Where Ran-chan?" Naturally, he pointed at Ranma.

"What is with today?" Ranma asked. He pushed Kodachi away as Shampoo came at him. She struck, but then stopped as the dust of her approach cleared, and she got a good look at him.

Shampoo studied Ranma carefully, looking him up and down. Finally, she pressed a hand against his chest. "Man." She said.

"uh... yeah." Ranma swallowed. "Man. Not a girl."

"Mmm... yes," Kodachi said, stepping back to wrap her arms around Ranma from behind. He stiffened, and his eyes went wild. Kodachi stared menacingly at Shampoo. "Who is my darling Ranma to you?"

"Ranma?" Shampoo asked. She looked confused. "No Ranma. Ran-chan. Where Ran-chan?"

Ukyo stepped forward to tap on Shampoo's shoulder. As she did, the purple haired Amazon turned to look at her, and smiled broadly. "Shield Sister!" She glomped Ukyo, and the redhead stiffened almost as Ranma had.

"Can't... breathe..." Ukyo was starting to turn blue, but fortunately Shampoo let go. She then stepped back raised her chui, and fell into a combat stance. "Give me Ran-chan! No hide!"

"What is she going on about?" Kodachi asked. "Why is she calling my darling Ranma Ran-chan?"

Ukyo glanced at her and sighed. This just got more and more crazy by the second. "Look... Shampoo, Ran-chan is not here. See, this is Ranma. He's my... um, I mean, he's Ran-chan's brother. I kind of think of him as a brother too. My name's Ranko. See... Ranko, Ranma, Ran-chan?"

Shampoo looked between them. "Ranko? Ranma?"

Although she knew full well Shampoo didn't speak Japanese, Ukyo hoped some of this was sinking in. "Ran-chan went far away. Far away from here." She gestured with her hand. "She didn't want to endanger Ranma or me. Knew you would try to get us to tell you where she went. We don't know where she is. She wouldn't tell us. She's gone, far, far away."

"Far... away?"

"Yes. So she's not here. We don't know where she is."

"Shampoo no believe," the Amazon said, falling back into her stance. "Give me Ran-chan!"

Ukyo held up her hands. "I tell you, it's the truth."

Shampoo lowered her chui. She looked around and spotted Akane. "Who she? See with Ran-chan! No hide Ran-chan!" She shook her weapon in Akane's direction.

"That's Akane. She's Ranma's fiancée."

Ranma gave a startled gasp, as Kodachi's grip on him tightened. Ukyo put a hand over her mouth. "Oops," she said.

"What did you say?" Kodachi said, letting go of Ranma to turn to look at Akane. "This common girl is my Ranma's fiancée?"

Akane swallowed as the crowd began to murmur around her, but drew herself up. "What business is that of yours?" She asked.

Kodachi started to laugh, and Shampoo looked at her, startled. She dropped into a combat stance, while most of the rest of the spectators simply covered their ears.

"How wonderful! When I win the Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics competition from you, I will win my darling Ranma as well. In fact, let's make it a wager! We shall vie for Ranma's affection, and whoever loses, shall give up Ranma forever!"

"Hey... uh..." Ranma tried to interrupt.

"I don't need to fight for that idiot to beat you, Kodachi!" Akane said. "Besides, BOTH Ukyo and I will be fighting in the competition!"

Kodachi looked from her back to Ukyo. "Yes, yes, his fiancée and his 'sister'. But I shall still be the one to win him. Thus shall my victory be all the sweeter!" Laughing madly, she leaped over the wall and bounded away, a flurry of rose petals trailing behind her.

There was a moment of silence, then Shampoo spoke up, as she realized that the danger had passed. "Shampoo stay. Find Ran-chan." She looked around at Ranma, then back at Ukyo. "Shampoo be back." She ran out through the hole she had left in the wall.

"Looks like it's going to be one of those days," Ukyo commented.

* * *

Shampoo returned twice during the day, crashing through the wall of the school both times. She seemed to be trying to catch "Ran-chan" with the others, but became frustrated with her inability to communicate. Finally, lunch time came around, and Ranma, Ukyo and Akane headed for their homeroom, with Ukyo dragging a complaining Ryoga behind her. No one was really surprised to see Shampoo burst through the wall.

She looked the four of them over carefully. "No Ran-chan?"

"No Ran-chan, Shampoo. Why don't you go on home?" Ukyo gave her a friendly smile, and Shampoo eyed her warily. Finally she sighed and looked away. They continued on past her to a row of desks, where they sat down to eat.

Shampoo looked around at the other students eating, then at Ukyo and her friends. "What you do?"

"It's lunch time, Shampoo," Ukyo said, holding up her bento. "Would you like some?"

Shampoo hesitated a moment, then sat down between the redhead and Ranma. "Shampoo thank Shield Sister."

"Why does she call you Shield Sister?" Akane asked.

Ukyo shrugged. "I think it's some sort of honorary title. Cologne gave it to me after I made friends with her. I wish it had helped me with Ranma... I mean, Ran-chan."

Shampoo looked at her at the name "Ran-chan," but turned back to sharing Ukyo's bento. "Cologne seemed to be impressed by my knowledge of the Art. I was thinking of asking if I could compete in the tournament, but in retrospect I guess that was a bad idea."

She looked down at the purple haired girl. "I think Shampoo does trust me, some. You do trust me, don't you Shampoo?"

Shampoo looked back at her. It was clear she was only picking out the occasional word, but her brow furrowed as she concentrated. "Shield Sister. Shampoo Shield Sister. But no hide Ran-chan. You hide Ran-chan, I kill. You no hide Ran-chan, I no kill."

Ryoga gave a toothy grin. "She seems pretty set on finding 'Ran-chan'."

"Yeah, looks that way. Ranma, give her some of your bento."

Ranma looked up, his mouth full. "Huh?"

"Give her some of your bento, Ranma. I don't want to give her all of mine, and you've got more than enough anyway."

Ranma swallowed. "Aw, do I gotta?"

Ukyo scowled at him. "Look, this all started because you ate her food. Maybe if you give her some of yours maybe that'll mean she'll go easy on you."

Ranma frowned, but he was forced to admit, it made a lot of sense. "You're right, Sis." He offered the bento to Shampoo. "Here. Just so ya know there weren't no hard feelin's. I wasn't trying ta eat your prize or nuthin'."

Shampoo looked at him, her expression blank as he spoke, but then she smiled as she looked down at the bento. She muttered something in Chinese, then took the bento.

"Aw, now I'm gonna be hungry..." Ranma griped.

"She's not going to eat all that, you can have it back when she's finished."

Shampoo looked back up at Ranma again, noting that he seemed unhappy, and offered it back to him. Ranma just shook his head. "Nah, that's all right. You keep it. Fair's fair, and I already finished about half of it anyway."

He gave her a confident smirk, and Shampoo studied him for a moment. Then a huge grin spread over her face, and she nudged him with her elbow. Still grinning, she turned back to the bento. Akane seemed surprised by the reaction and looked away.

They ate in silence for a while. Ranma kept stealing from Ryoga's meal, until finally Ukyo offered to share hers with him to make him stop. The two boys still looked like they might come to blows over it, when Akane suddenly gave a loud sigh. The others looked up to see Kuno at the door.

"Saotome!" Kuno cried as he strode purposefully towards them. "What is it I hear about this Amazonian warrioress stalking the lovely Ukyo? Have you gone mad, you fiend, to invite her to eat with you, when your precious sister is right there in your midst?"

Ukyo leaped to her feet, Ranma right behind her. "Um... Kuno... not so loud, okay? Remember, she doesn't... um... you know... ?"

Kuno waved a hand at her dismissively. "Never fear, my fiery haired goddess. I will not reveal your secret, certainly not with the watchful eyes of your assassin right there by your side. But I, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, cannot stand idly by while there is a threat to your person."

He drew his bokken, and took up a stance. "Though it pains me to take up arms against the fairer sex, I must ask that you leave these premises at once, violet haired one."

"WAIT! NO!" Ukyo quickly rushed to Kuno's side, attempting to grab his bokken. Kuno side-stepped her. Behind them, Shampoo's eyes had narrowed, and she got to her feet.

"Kuno, you moron, you do NOT wanna fight her," Ranma said, standing to put himself between Kuno and his quarry.

Akane stood as well. "He's right. You don't understand, she is..."

"Yes, she is a fair flower, and quite beautiful as well." Kuno kept his eyes on Shampoo, his bokken still drawn. She brought out her chui. "But I have been informed of her skill in combat. I know that it is Ukyo that she pursues, though she knows her by the name 'Ran-chan'. You have managed to divert her thus far, Saotome, clever trickster that you are, but eventually she will see through your deceptions. Surely even you can see this."

"Nabiki..." Akane muttered. Then, a little louder, "Kuno, look, if you fight her you'll be considered an enemy of her tribe."

Ryoga nodded his agreement. "It's true. She's already huntin' down Ranma and Ukyo because..."

"Enough talk! If she will not take my advice and leave, then I shall have to throw her bodily out, loathe as I am to strike such a delicate blossom..."

Kuno charged, and Shampoo met his strike with her chui. He was obviously outclassed, but was able to evade her return blow, more through luck than anything else. When he moved in closer, Shampoo caught him across the head with one of the massive maces, but his head proved to be even harder, and he seemed unaffected. Shampoo backed away, to reconsider her approach. Kuno slashed out with his bokken, and severed the mace's head, sending it flying into the air.

Shampoo scowled and spat something in Chinese. Realizing that she meant business, Ranma darted into the fray. He kicked Kuno's sword out of his hand, and then spun in a leg sweep that knocked Kuno's feet out from under him. The kendoist hit the ground with a thud.

Ranma turned back to Shampoo as she skidded to a halt. He put up a hand to block her chui, more to stop its momentum than anything else, and she glanced at him. As she realized that the fight was over, she relaxed, and Ranma breathed a sigh of relief, grinning at her.

The head of the chui, which Kuno had knocked into the air, finally came back down, clobbering Shampoo in the head. She dropped like a stone.

Ranma stared at her for a moment. "Oh, sh..."

"Oh, geez, you defeated her again, Ranma," Ukyo stared at him, wide-eyed.

"It... it wasn't me!" Ranma put his hands up, stammering. "I-it was Kuno!"

"It was Kuno, wasn't it?" Akane glanced at the kendoist. He was starting to sit up, shaking his head groggily. "Now Shampoo will be out to kill him."

"We've gotta get him out of here." Ukyo said. She helped Kuno to his feet. He stared at her, his eyes a little unfocused. Ryoga took up a position on his other side.

Ranma looked down at Shampoo. "Get him out of sight. I'll stay here."

"Ranma..." Akane was staring at him. There was a strange look in her eyes. "What are you thinking, you baka?"

He waved at Ukyo and Ryoga. "All of you, get him out of here. We can't let Shampoo see him. Get him back to his own homeroom."

"Are you planning to let her think you defeated her?" Akane asked, her voice strained.

Ranma shook his head. "She's already trying to kill me. It won't make any difference anyway."

"Ranchan! She's only trying to kill your female form! If she's after your male form too..."

"Get him out of here!" Ranma turned to snap at his sister, waving her away. "You don't have much time, she could wake up any second."

Ukyo took a deep breath. "Okay. But I'll be right back. Come on, Akane."

"I'm staying here."

"But..."

"I'll stay here with Ranma. You go on."

Ranma turned to her. "No, Akane, you go too. I..."

"Ranma, I'm staying right here!" Akane dropped into a stance, her eyes almost glowing with anger. "You may need me to help hold her off!"

"I don't need any help from you!" Ranma snapped back.

"Too bad. I'm staying anyway. Like you said, there's no time to argue." She gestured at Ukyo. "Just go!"

Ryoga spoke up now. "Akane, I'm not going to let you stay here and..."

"I know, I know! I don't want her declaring some Kiss of Death on me, either!" She looked down at the Amazon, still lying on the floor. "But if she goes after Ranma, maybe I can buy him some time until the two of you get back."

"GO!" She insisted. Ryoga didn't seem to want to leave, but Ukyo grabbed his arm and pulled at it. They hurried away, with Kuno draped between them.

"Akane..."

"Maybe we can talk to her," Akane said, although she didn't sound too confident.

Ranma's eyes looked pained. "I sure hope so." He looked down as well, as Shampoo began to stir. She made a moaning noise, her eyes fluttering open. "Oh, boy, she's waking up. Well, we're about ta find out..."

Shampoo sat up. She looked around, and saw Ranma and Akane standing over her. Ranma, the closest to her, was smiling at her uncertainly, sweat starting to form on his forehead. "Um... so... uh... you okay, Shampoo? That was... um... an accident, ya know?" He laughed nervously.

A soft smile spread across Shampoo's face. She tossed down her remaining chui and the handle of the broken one, and glanced around to where the half-finished bento still sat on the desk. Her smile widened, and she turned back to Ranma with a look of adoration in her eyes.

With a squeal of joy, Shampoo threw her arms around Ranma, and kissed him firmly on the lips. Akane's reaction was immediate.

"WHAT?"

A low murmur began to spread around the room, and Akane turned, to see all the students in the classroom watching them. Her face turned the deepest shade of red it had ever been.

Ranma, meanwhile, had frozen, unable to move or think. Shampoo continued to kiss him for what seemed like a terrifying eternity. When she finally released him, Ranma was in no shape to form thoughts, much less ask what was going on.

Akane was under no such restriction. Shampoo felt herself being pulled away from Ranma, and Akane turned her around.

"What... exactly... did you just do? That didn't look like a 'Kiss of Death' to me..."

Shampoo frowned. She fell into a stance, and Akane matched her. A chorus of "Ooooo..." rose from the crowd watching.

Despite the eyes on her, despite the stiffness in her stance, Akane still kept her voice level. She was definately glowing now, though, a flickering red around her body, a glow that was matched by Shampoo. "I repeat." Akane said, speaking slowly and clearly to make sure the Amazon could understand her. "That did NOT look like a 'Kiss of Death'."

"Kiss... Death?" Shampoo asked. She did not lower her guard.

Akane's voice was rigidly controlled, but it was clear that it was a struggle to keep it that way. "Yes. You gave Ran-chan the Kiss of Death. Follow Ran-chan. Kill Ran-chan. You give Ranma... what? Kiss of Death?"

Shampoo's eyes narrowed as she smiled wickedly. "Kiss... Not Death. Man. Kiss... um..." She paused a moment, trying to find the word. "Kiss... Love."

"Kiss of Love?" Akane's teeth ground together. "Yeah, I thought that's what it looked like."

With incredible, monumental control, Akane managed to step back, and lower her arms to her sides. "I suppose it's a waste to ask what that's about. You can't tell us anyway."

Noticing Akane backing away, Shampoo warily lowered her hands as well. The two women locked eyes with each other, neither blinking. Ranma had slowly come back to consciousness, and found himself even more frightened, as he became aware of the tension in the air. And even worse, he was caught in the middle of it.

Ranma put up his hands. "Um..."

Both girls turned to fix him with their gaze. Ranma jerked backwards. "Uh..."

Shampoo's expression suddenly turned joyous. She ran to Ranma again, and glomped him.

"Airen..." she muttered softly, pressing her face against his chest. "Wo ai ni..."


	13. Three Engagements

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 13

Akane marched down the road, her anger radiating from her like a blast furnace. She was not quite glowing, not like before, but the energy could definitely be felt, wafting up from her body like wisps of smoke. Ranma trailed behind, watching her with terror in his eyes. Shampoo wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him tightly as they walked along in silence, a silence broken only occasionally by Shampoo's whispers of "Airen" and "Wo ai ni".

Nothing he had ever done could be worse than this, Akane decided. Ranma Saotome, her fiance', had been kissed by another girl, right in front of the whole school. She clung to him like some sort of infatuated pet, looking up at him with love in those lavender eyes, pressing her over-endowed body against him. And he did nothing but stand there, sweating and stammering and acting like... like... a jerk!

Ukyo and Ryoga were several feet behind them, and neither said anything. And what was there to say? She had to walk all the way home, past whoever might be there on the street that day, with Ranma and that enamored Amazon wrapped tightly around him. Her fiance' in the arms of another woman, and all she could do was just walk along in front of them.

It's not like he was really her fiance', right? She had said that all along. But of course that Kodachi maniac had to bring that up, where everyone could hear. And two girls fighting over the same man, yeah, of course, the whole school would have to look to see that. Did that baka WANT to humiliate her?

After all, it wasn't like they were... anything more than good friends. Right?

They finally reached the Tendo home, and Akane stepped inside, almost snarling as she said, "I'm home!" Then she stomped up the stairs and out of sight.

Kasumi wandered in to see what was going on. Her only response was, "Oh, I see I will have to set another place for dinner." She headed into the family room, while Ranma followed, blushing deeply.

They found Genma in the family room, sitting at the table in cursed form, reading the newspaper. Shampoo scowled as she spotted him. "Panda." she said. "Stupid."

Ukyo chuckled, and Shampoo looked back at her. As she turned away, the panda held up a sign. "Are you mad, boy, bringing her here?"

Shampoo looked back, and he flipped the sign around. It now read, "I'm just a harmless panda."

"Shut up, Pop," Ranma hissed, and bonked Genma over the head. He then froze as Shampoo wrapped her arms around him again.

"Ranma, what's going on?" Ukyo finally asked. "I should kick myself for saying this, but why isn't she trying to kill you?"

"I dunno!" Ranma answered. He might have been a little short of breath, from the way his voice squeaked at the end. "She just woke up and kissed me!"

"It must have been some kiss," Ryoga commented with a sneer. "You sly dog, you. That's one way to get out of a death sentence."

"It wasn't nuthin' like that! She just woke up and kissed me! I didn't do nothin'!"

Just then, Soun burst into the room. "What is happening here? Ranma, you dare to betray my little girl?"

Kasumi looked around. "Um... I don't quite understand it all, but it sounds like Ranma just made up with his little girlfriend from China. Which... I guess... would mean that she saw him first," she said innocently.

"SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Ranma shouted, on the verge of panic. "She ain't never seen me as a boy before!"

"It sure doesn't look like that to me." Soun narrowed his eyes. "Saotome, how could you let your son shame my daughter like this?"

The panda flipped his sign around. It now read, "Oh, what a disgraceful son. You break your father's heart..."

"I didn't do it, I said!" Ranma protested. "I wouldn't! I told Akane, and I'm tellin' you, she's not my girlfriend. Tell him, Sis!"

Ukyo opened her mouth, but Soun interrupted her. "I'd like to believe you Ranma, but that's hard when I can see you, in another woman's arms. How could you have a tryst with this girl in China, when my daughter was here waiting for you, her fiance'?" He began to weep copiously. "My poor baby, to be so betrayed..."

"In all fairness," said the panda's sign, "I hadn't yet told him about the engagement."

"I DIDN'T DO IT!" Ranma exclaimed.

"Stop it Daddy. Ranma's telling the truth." Akane walked into the family room, with a book in her hand. "Ranma and I sat with Shampoo for a while at lunch. She didn't know him or recognize him."

She flipped through some pages of the book. "Wo ai ni, wo ai ni. I love you. Right." She scowled. "Airen. Husband. HUSBAND!"

She glared at Shampoo again, who glared back at her. Akane shook her head. She scanned a few more pages, then read a few words from the book. She then echoed the question in Japanese. "Why did you kiss Ranma?"

Shampoo began to spit rapid fire Chinese at her. "Slow down! Slow down, I have to look it up!"

Ukyo came up to look over her shoulder. "A Chinese to Japanese dictionary?"

Akane nodded. "I got it from Nabiki's room. Let's see... tradition... defeat... outsider... honor... good of the... tribe. Yeah, yeah, we got that, Shampoo, the Kiss of Death..."

Shampoo uttered some more Chinese. Akane turned back to her book. "Kiss of... Marriage. Marriage. Why not Kiss of Death?" She repeated that in Chinese.

Shampoo laughed. She poked at Ranma's chest. Then she wrapped her arms around him. "Man."

"Man. He's a man." Ukyo pursed her lips. "Kiss of Death for women, Kiss of Marriage for men."

"Makes sense," Ryoga said. "A woman wouldn't be anything but a rival to an Amazon, but a man is... breeding stock." He slapped Ranma on the back. "Way to go Ranma old pal. The girl wants to drag you back to her tribe and put ya out to stud."

Ranma turned white. His mind might have shut down. Of course, that might have been from the way Shampoo was rubbing against him.

"So..." Ukyo sighed. "If she'd known Ranch... Ranma was a man from the start, she would have wanted to marry him back then. Wish we'd known that." She pointed at a page in Akane's book. "Tell her we want Ranma to stay here with us. We don't want him to go back to China."

"I doubt that will stop her." Akane said. But she relayed the message.

The response was immediate. Shampoo let go of Ranma, and leaped at Akane. She spun out of the way of the kick. "No hide Airen!" Shampoo said. "I kill!"

Ukyo stepped in, and Shampoo swung at her, too. She caught Ukyo across the head, but the redhead managed to avoid the worst of it. She countered with a kick, which sent Shampoo jumping back to give herself room.

"Shield Sister! Airen is Shampoo Airen! Shampoo fight!"

"Hold on! We don't want to fight you, Shampoo, we just don't want Ranma to leave."

Shampoo studied her for a moment, and then looked at Akane. Akane tried to assemble enough words to get the point across.

"Airen is Shampoo Airen. No hide Airen." She lowered her fists. "No hide, no fight."

"No hide," Ukyo agreed. "No take, no fight."

Shampoo looked at Ranma. "No take." She then smirked. "Now."

Ukyo breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good enough for now. So what do we do? Do we tell her about the curse? Let her know the girl she was trying to kill is a guy, so she won't kill him?"

"No way. She's still likely to think I'm you." Ranma was starting to sound like himself, but then gulped as Shampoo pressed herself against him again, muttering "Wo ai ni." Akane hid her face in her hand, and looked like she was counting.

"Or even worse, she decides your female form is your real one, and that she should kill you."

"She might still be hoping we'll lead her to 'Ran-chan'," Ryoga said. "That may be why she's willing to hang around for now..." He suddenly looked thoughtful, and shot Ranma a scheming look.

Ranma turned around, and tried to extricate himself from Shampoo's arms by taking her hands. "Look... this whole 'Kiss of Death to women who defeat me and Kiss of Marriage to men who defeat me' thing is crazy, Shampoo."

"That's right," Soun put in. "Ranma already has a prior commitment, to my daughter."

"I ain't marryin' Akane!" Ranma snapped at him, then turned back to Shampoo. "And I ain't marryin' you either!" His angry expression faded as she gazed lovingly back at him. "Um... I mean..."

Shampoo began to caress his cheek, and Ranma started squirming. "Well, she is cute..." Ryoga commented with a smirk.

"That ain't it!" Ranma countered. He again tried to squirm out of Shampoo's grip. "See... I'm just... that's not a good reason ta get married, ya know? Because someone beat you? Um..."

"Wo ai ni..." Shampoo muttered, her eyes glittering.

Ranma swallowed. "So... um... I'd... um... just like to get to know ya better."

Ukyo hit him across the back of the head. "RANMA! You do NOT tell a girl you'd 'like to get to know her better'."

"I MEAN SOME OTHER TIME!" Ranma yelled back, his eyes wild. "Not right now!"

Akane let out a heavy sigh. "You guys just don't get it, do you?"

Everyone turned to look at her. Akane looked up, her eyes sad. "Ranma's got another fiancee. He's engaged to yet another woman. That's three now. Ranma's engaged to three fiancees."

"Hey, I don't wanna be engaged to her!"

"That's right," Ukyo said. "Ranma didn't mean to defeat her. It was an accident, and Shampoo's just following her tribal laws." She glanced at Ranma. "Heck, it was really Kuno who defeated her, it's Kuno she's engaged to."

Akane shook her head. "Ranma defeated her. It might have been in female form, but he defeated her fairly. And she travelled all the way here because of him. She's been disgraced in front of her tribe, and can't return until she ends her quest. And she obviously believes that she loves him, and was happy that he... well, 'proposed'. He has as much a responsibility to her as he has to my family, or your father."

Ukyo blinked. "But that doesn't mean he has to marry her..."

"I didn't ASK ta be engaged to ANY of you!" Ranma yelled. Both Ukyo and Akane winced, but he didn't seem to notice. "Do you think I WANT to be forced to marry any of you? Nobody asked me what I wanted!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Akane asked, and she turned toward him, her voice rising. "Do you think I'm stupid? Of COURSE you don't want that! What man would want to be engaged to three women at the same time?"

Her voice broke, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Ranma jerked back, startled. "Sure, any guy would love to have women chasing him. Lots of women. Guys are perverts, after all. But to be ENGAGED to three of them? Obligated to be with them? To have to choose between them? Of course you don't want that." She wiped at her eyes.

Ukyo hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder, concerned at her reaction. "Look... this is just a crazy misunderstanding, that's all. Nobody's obligated to anybody. Ranma's Old Man is an idiot, and I don't even know what my father wanted. I just have the panda's word on that."

Akane shook her head, dropping her eyes to the floor. "It doesn't matter. Your engagement, my engagement, the Kiss of Marriage, it's all the same. Ranma's just one person. He can't be expected to satisfy three different arrangements..."

"Look... uh..." Ranma swallowed, obviously uncomfortable over how upset Akane had become. "That's just stupid Pops. He gets me in that kinda trouble all the time. I just haveta..."

Akane looked up at him. "What are you going to do, Ranma? Run away? Challenge someone to a duel? There's nothing you can do." She stared off into the distance. "We can only stall for time for so long. Eventually we have to make a decision..."

Even Shampoo seemed to have sensed the change in mood, and was staring at Akane. The black haired girl sighed deeply again. "I can't do anything about the other engagements Ranma. I can't do anything about anyone else. But I can at least do something about my engagement. I can at least make things easier on you."

She looked up at Soun. "Father... I respectfully request that you release Ranma from the engagement to our family. It is obvious that his family has... other commitments. Though ours may be the first... I... uh..."

Akane stood, her head bowed. She walked to the door of the family room. "I... I just can't take it any more."

"Akane..." Ranma muttered, as Akane left the room. He stood up, but Ukyo put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let her go, Bro," she said. "She... needs to be alone for a while. I'll... I'll talk to her about it, later."

* * *

Ranma crawled up onto the roof, trying to settle his mind. After Akane had left, it had just gone downhill from there. Soun had started yelling at him, his Pops would have been yelling, if he hadn't been stuck with just using signs, and Ukyo had started yelling trying to calm the two of them down. Ryoga had made a few snide remarks to stir things back up again, and of course Shampoo just kept hugging on him and muttering about how she loved him.

Ryoga's comment that Shampoo was cute came drifting back to him. He had to admit, with her trying to kill him all the time, he hadn't really noticed it. But it was somewhat nicer to have her holding him and being affectionate with him instead of trying to kill him. It was no less terrifying, but at least it was less painful. And now that he thought about it, her body was awfully soft and warm...

Ranma shook his head, violently. What was he thinking? Sure, she was cute, but she wanted to take him away to China, away from his sister and away from the Tendos. He would never see Ucchan and Akane again, never see this nice home that he'd been able to live in for the last few months. He would never get to eat any more of Kasumi's nice cooking or Ucchan's okinomiyaki. He wouldn't have to deal with the Old Man any more, and that would be a plus, but hardly worth it overall.

He had spent most of his life alone and on the road, huddled up in tents and sleeping in the rain. The Amazon village wasn't much better than that. The houses were probably warm and dry, but they wouldn't be HOME. Not like... not like the Tendo home was, he realized. And Shampoo wouldn't be Sis. She wouldn't cook for him one minute, and beat him over the head the next. She wouldn't force him to keep pushing her constantly to make them both get better. She wouldn't understand what he meant, when he called her a gangly tomboy, and then come back with insults of her own.

Nothing in the world could make him give that up.

The thought flitted across his mind that it sure would be nice if Akane was that affectionate with him. Now, there was a tomboy who wasn't afraid to beat him over the head. But he had made her upset. Hadn't she said she didn't want to be engaged to him? Why did she look so unhappy over it? He thought about the way Shampoo pressed her body against his, thought about the times Ukyo had hugged him or playfully punched his shoulder or grabbed his arm, and thought about what it would be like if Akane hugged him. It seemed like she was always just an arm length away, what would it be like to feel her arms around him?

Ranma jumped, startled, as a splash of cold water struck him, shocking him out of his pleasant thoughts. Now a ponytailed girl, she turned around to see Ryoga on the peak of the roof, smirking at her. He had a bucket in his hands.

"What's the big idea?" She asked.

"It just breaks my heart to see Akane acting so jealous of a jerk like you."

"Yeah? Well, what business is it of yours if Akane is jealous. As if I care if that uncute tomboy is..."

Ranma drew up short at a prickling feeling at the back of her neck. She turned slowly to see Akane on the ground below them, looking up at the conversation. Ranma blushed deeply. "Um... uh... I mean..." She stammered.

"Ranma." Akane said. "I think there's something very important you need to know."

"Uh... uh..." Ranma felt an enormous lump in her throat, and swallowed. "Um, what?" She asked shakily.

"You need to run. Now."

Shampoo came leaping over the edge of the roof, shouting, "Ran-chan! You I kill!" Ranma took off running away from her, and the two soon disappeared out of sight.

There was a short pause, then Akane cast her eyes back up at the roof. "That wasn't very nice, Ryoga."

"No... but it was funny as hell."

"It still wasn't very nice. At least hopefully he will lose her and we won't see her around for a while." Akane continued walking on towards the house as if she hadn't been interrupted.

* * *

That evening, as Akane was heading into her bedroom, she found Ukyo checking over her alarm bells. She paused for a moment, and then gave the redhead a sad smile. "Hey, Ucchan."

Ukyo looked up at her, startled. She stared for a moment, as Akane got into bed, then smiled. "Hey... Akane-chan."

There was a moment of silence while Ukyo finished her preparations, then she got into her own futon. "You okay?" Ukyo finally asked.

"I guess so." Akane's voice was quiet.

"What's all this about? You and Ranma never accepted the engagement. You aren't going to let your father force you into anything. What's changed?"

Akane said nothing for a long while. "Maybe this is all for the best. Ranma and I... it's like this engagement has come between us. We've never been able to just... open up to each other. Like friends should. Maybe that's... what we're meant to be. Friends."

"That's no reason to stop fighting. I don't care what Ranma means to me, whether we're engaged to be married or not, I'm not letting that Amazon bimbo take him away from me. I'm going to fight her, and if you were his friend, you'd fight, too..."

Ukyo hoped that would get her angry, but Akane just sighed. "I know. I don't want her to take him either, but..."

She fell silent again. "It's not this. It's Kodachi, and the school, and all of it. I keep... I keep fighting it, but it doesn't make any difference. Maybe it's time to let go. The fathers will still keep trying to force us, but just ignore it. Ranma and I will know, and we can just... start trying to get along."

Ukyo studied her for a moment. "Don't tell me... you've actually been considering it, have you? Marrying him... ?"

Now Akane's eyes flashed, but then she just looked pained. "I don't know. Maybe. I would think... what it would be like if I meant something to him. If he really cared... like he does about you. If we could be REALLY close. But what does it matter, if we can't even..."

She paused a moment, then looked up at Ukyo, with a hint of a smile. "You're just mad because now that I've dropped out, you're stuck with the baka."

Ukyo snickered. "Yeah, right."

Akane continued to stare at her, until Ukyo's expression turned serious. "Okay. Maybe I've considered it, too." Akane's eyes widened, and Ukyo smiled at her. "We used to play house, ya know, Ranchan and me, when I was a little girl. We'd just play at it, and I'd think about what it would be like, to cook for him, and take care of the house for him. To take care of him."

She looked away. "I thought it was just kid's stuff. The playacting of a little girl. Somewhere along the line I forgot that at one time I might have meant it. That I might have known Ranma and I were meant to be..." Her voice trailed off.

"I haven't seen my father in ten years, you know." She looked up at Akane. "I don't even remember him very well. Mainly what he taught me, how to cook. I was looking forward to one day returning to him, to showing him what a great martial artist I've become. Now, to find out that he intended for me to be more than just a martial artist, but Ranchan's wife, as well... ?"

She put a hand to her forehead. "What am I supposed to say to him? Sorry, Pop, but I grew up with Ranchan. He feels like a brother to me now. So sorry that I can't marry him. What do I tell him?"

The room fell silent again. "Look, nothing has changed. You still don't want to get married, and I know Ranchan doesn't. Sooner or later, Shampoo's going to have to give up and go back home. And you and I are both gonna kick Kodachi's butt at the tournament. So it'll be okay."

"You know, my Bro really does like you. The teasing is just his way of showing it. I know it's hard, with the fathers harassing you all the time, and dealing with the kids at school. Just... don't take it out on Ranma."

"I try not to," Akane said. "I don't want to."

* * *

Several hours passed. Ukyo and Akane were laying in the darkness, fast asleep, when Akane was suddenly awakened by a noise. It was a bell ringing. She sat up, but the ringing had stopped.

She looked over at Ukyo, to find her sitting up as well. She glanced over at her alarms, and noticed the bell that had tipped over. "Someone's in the house," she said.

Quietly, Akane got out of bed, and grabbed her shinai. Ukyo tailed her as they headed downstairs, and checked out the genkan, kitchen, and family room. They snuck a glance out to the koi pond, but there was no sign of intruders there.

"Well, whoever it was wasn't headed for our room," Ukyo said. "Let's go back and check upstairs."

Akane nodded. "Quietly. We don't want to wake anyone up."

They checked the guest room first, and quickly located their quarry. Shampoo had curled up in Ranma's futon, and was sound asleep next to him.

Akane looked hurt for only a moment, and then turned red with rage, for the first time in many hours reacting like her old self. "I can't BELIEVE him!" she hissed.

"Akane, you don't really think he slept with her, do you? You know as well as I do, that she wasn't here when we all went to bed. We just heard her trip the alarm when she slipped in. She wasn't there when he fell asleep."

"I know that!" She growled. "But he doesn't have to look so... HAPPY!"

"Akane, he's asleep. He has no idea she's there." Ukyo grinned.

Akane clenched her fists. There was a long silence, as she stared down at the Amazon, and the look of satisfaction on her face at being cuddled up with her Airen. "He's probably dreaming about her, the pervert..."

Ukyo smirked at her. "Or maybe the reason you're so jealous is you wish it was YOU curled up next to him, hmm?"

Akane snapped her head around to look at Ukyo, her face growing redder. She huffed for a moment, then, still keeping her voice down but only just barely, turned to stomp out of the room. "Well! If you're not going to DO anything about it, then I'm going back to bed!"

"Oh, I didn't say I wasn't going to do anything." Ukyo's grin turned mischievous, and she looked down at the blissfully unaware couple. "Oh. Oh, yeah, that'll be perfect..."

Ukyo slipped out of the room, then returned a few minutes later, with P-chan curled up in her arms. She gently pulled Shampoo away from Ranma, then tucked the snoring pig into her arms. P-chan grunted a little and nestled closer to the Amazon's impressive breasts.

Akane chuckled evilly. "She's still sleeping with a pig, either way," she commented.

Ukyo laughed as well. "That should make for an interesting awakening for all three of them in the morning."

Giggling quietly, the two girls made their way back to their room and went to bed.


	14. Xi Fa Xiang Gao

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 14

The Tendo household was awakened by a screech from the guest room. "Aiyaa!" Shampoo's scream was then interrupted by Ranma shouting "Shampoo! What are you doing here?" followed by grunting and squealing from P-chan. The pig came shooting out of the room, as Ranma's footsteps could be heard running this way and that, trying to avoid the infatuated Amazon.

Ukyo and Akane sat up in their beds, looked at each other, and started giggling all over again.

As they came down to breakfast, Nabiki and Soun were already at the table. Kasumi served Akane and Ukyo, and then greeted Shampoo as she chased Ranma into the room. "Shampoo, it's nice to see you again. Would you like some breakfast?"

She chased Ranma around the table a few times, but then noticed the food Kasumi was offering her. Bowing graciously, she took a seat and began eating. Ranma circled around to the other side of the table, and sat down next to Akane. She glanced at him, but said nothing.

Shampoo edged over closer to him. "Airen have some Shampoo food?" She asked, offering it to him. Ranma began to sweat and try to wave her off.

Kasumi spoke up, in a gentle voice. "Shampoo, it really isn't polite to come to the breakfast table without being fully dressed." Shampoo was not wearing any pants, just the silk top she had slept in the night before. Ranma turned red as he noticed, and that Shampoo was bending over as she tried to feed him, revealing a bit more than just her bare legs.

He began to scurry away from her, bumping into Akane, who was beginning to seethe. When he made her knock over her rice, she shoved him away from her. "Watch where you're going, baka."

Ranma scrambled over the table, which only made things worse. He and Shampoo began to circle the table, and Ukyo and Akane lifted their bowls off of it to keep them from being tipped over. Nabiki, who had already finished her breakfast, just sat back and watched.

Finally, Akane decided she had had enough. Slamming her chopsticks down on the table, she shouted, "Will you two just go out in the yard, or the dojo if you want to do that?"

Shampoo turned to look at her. She looked back at Ranma, who put up his hands, looking anxious. "Why she mad?" Shampoo asked. "Shampoo have fun with Airen."

"Oh, Ranma is her Airen too," Nabiki said nonchalantly.

Most of the room turned to stare at Nabiki. Shampoo locked gazes with Akane. "Is true?"

Akane's anger seemed to drain out of her. She sighed, and shook her head. "Not any more, Shampoo. Go on ahead. Do whatever you want." She sat back down.

Soun cleared his throat. "Akane... don't you think it was time you were honest with yourself..."

Akane looked at him, not saying a word. Her expression was so intense he still burst into tears. "My baby girl glared at me!" He sobbed.

"Honestly," Akane muttered. She got up and walked out of the room.

Shampoo watched her go. She turned and looked at Ranma, and then at Ukyo. "Girl with..." Shampoo made a screeching laugh. "She say... 'fiancee'. Is fiancee?"

Ukyo nodded. "Yeah. Fiance' means Airen."

Shampoo looked back in the direction Akane had gone. A smile, not at all nice, spread over her face.

* * *

P-chan wandered the streets of Nerima, trying to find a landmark he recognized. He had panicked when he awoke, finding himself in the arms of Shampoo, and then tossed aside as she ran after Ranma. He was then in danger of being trampled as Shampoo chased her 'Airen' around the room. He had gotten out of the room as quickly as possible, but unfortunately had just charged along blindly. By the time he had calmed down enough to realize the danger, he was already lost.

This had to be Ukyo's fault. It was her way of getting back at him for what happened in the furoba. He regretted what he had said to her, but obviously she wasn't going to forgive him. That was a pretty mean trick for her to play on him, and of course she was keeping him away from Akane, as well.

He hoped at least he had not wandered too far away from the house. Hopefully he could find his way back soon. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice the shadow fall over him, and then he looked up. It was Shampoo, and she was looking down at him. So he hadn't gone far after all. It was a good thing she found him.

Shampoo knelt down and began to call to him, holding out her hand. P-chan hesitantly walked towards her, trying not to look too eager. But he remembered the feel of her chest against him as he awoke, and found himself beginning to blush. She wasn't Akane, but she was cute, and pretty nice to wake up to.

As P-chan walked towards her, she smiled. "You that girl's pet, yes?" It was that same smile as before, not a nice smile.

* * *

"I'm tellin' ya!" Ranma protested. "I dunno how Shampoo got in my bed! Honest!"

Ukyo elbowed him in the stomach. "We know that, Ranma. Now why don't you tell everyone in school about it?"

Ranma turned red, eyeing the students in the hall. They were all staring at him with shocked expressions. He quickly fell silent, as he followed Ukyo and Akane into the classroom. It was lunchtime, and they quickly headed for their usual spot in the room.

"So where is Ryoga, anyway?" Akane asked. "I haven't seen him all day."

"I haven't either." Ukyo looked worried. Of course, she knew P-chan hadn't been seen after he ran out of Ranma's room that morning, but she couldn't tell the others that. She hoped he could make it back to the Tendo home on his own.

"He's been lucky to make it to school so far," Ranma put in. "He used to only show up every couple of days or so."

"Maybe someone's been helping him get to school." Akane said. "I hope P-chan's okay, too. I wasn't able to find him this morning."

Ranma shook his head. It had been a bit crazy to wake up with the pig and Shampoo in his bed, but in retrospect he could see the humor in it. "Why do ya take that pig with ya to school anyway?"

"It was Ukyo's idea," Akane said. "He tried to follow us to school a couple of times, after that first day, and she worried that he might get lost. So she suggested I just bring him every day."

"He's very attached to her," Ukyo said. "He's probably happier being near her, even in that equipment shed, instead of just sitting around in the house."

Ranma laughed. "Maybe P-chan and Ryoga got lost together. Maybe they're both wanderin' around lost."

Akane giggled. "Don't be silly, Ranma. P-chan doesn't get lost all the time. He's not like Ryoga..."

That set off a peal of laughter from Ukyo, but she didn't say anything. A commotion from out in the hall interrupted their conversation, and they looked up to see students flying away from something that was charging towards their classroom.

The source of the noise was revealed to be Shampoo. Surprisingly, she stepped through the door, instead of bursting through a wall. The relative calm of her entrance did not last, however, as she enthusiastically bounded over to Ranma, knocking over some desks as she passed. She was holding a huge platter with a lid on it, and brought it over to Ranma, setting it down on his desk.

"Shampoo bring lunch!" She said. "Airen share lunch, now Shampoo share!"

"Um..." Ranma looked at the huge platter, and the domed lid over it. It looked like there could be enough to feed an army under there. "That's nice of ya, but you didn't need to..."

"Shampoo make just for Airen." She glanced at Ukyo, then spared a sly smile for Akane as well. "All share, though. Shampoo think you like..." Her smile had turned nasty again.

She lifted the lid with a flourish. Underneath were three bowls.

"Ramen?" Ranma asked, a bit startled. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to see, but this seemed somehow... ordinary.

Shampoo nodded enthusiastically, and Ranma, Akane and Ukyo each took one of the bowls. Ranma's expression brightened as he started eating. "Hey, this is pretty good."

"Not bad," Ukyo agreed. "It's not the greatest I've ever tasted, but this might be good enough for a restaurant or something."

There was a long pause as they continued eating, and then Shampoo nonchalantly reached into her blouse. "Also, Shampoo find. You look for, yes?"

She pulled out the yellow bandanna that P-chan wore around his neck. There was a moment of silence as the others slowly recognized it, and then Ranma looked down at the ramen. "That... was... pork... wasn't it?"

Akane's eyes widened. She looked down at the ramen, her mouth falling open. "My little P-chan... ?"

There was a crash, and everyone turned to look at Ukyo. She had fallen out of the chair, onto her bottom, and had turned white as a sheet. She had begun trembling violently, and was muttering to herself. Her eyes stared off into the distance, horrified. "It can't be... it can't be... she couldn't... she... she couldn't have put him in hot water... Oh, God, it can't be..."

Ranma turned back to Shampoo. He had no idea why Ukyo was reacting so intensely, but he was getting angry himself. "What is this? Is this a joke? This better be a joke!"

Shampoo giggled brightly. She produced P-chan from the folds of her tunic and held him up. "You play joke, yes? Make Shampoo sleep with pig? Shampoo play joke, too!"

"P-chan!" Akane reached for him, but Shampoo pulled him aside.

"You hide Ran-chan! Shampoo hide P-chan! You give Ran-chan, I give P-chan!"

Akane stepped back, wondering what to do next, when there was suddenly an explosion of fury from Ukyo. She got to her feet, her battle aura so intense Ranma hurriedly backed away from her. Tears were running down her cheeks, but Ukyo's face was twisted with so much anger it was almost black from it. Ranma had never seen her like this before.

"YOU THINK THAT WAS A JOKE? YOU THINK THAT WAS FUNNY?" Ukyo balled up her fists, and leaped at Shampoo. "You're a MONSTER! I'm going to KILL YOU!"

The students in the room scattered, as Shampoo backed off, to try and put some distance between herself and Ukyo. The red haired girl pressed the attack, moving impossibly fast. She slammed Shampoo with twenty or thirty blows in the space of a second, Shampoo only barely keeping ahead of her. As the Amazon got over her shock at the attack, though, her expression hardened, and fewer and fewer of Ukyo's blows got through.

And Shampoo was holding off Ukyo one handed. She still held P-chan in the other arm.

"Shield Sister! Shampoo not want to fight, but give Shampoo Ran-chan! Shampoo not give P-chan until give Ran-chan!"

If Ukyo heard, though, she gave no sign. She seemed intent on her assault, and nothing else. It had all happened to fast neither Ranma nor Akane could do anything to stop it. Finally, Shampoo pushed forward, and despite her speed, it was Ukyo that was on the defense. Shampoo punched her in the gut, then, as Ukyo overextended herself to try a counterattack, Shampoo hit her solidly across the head. Ukyo crumpled and fell to the floor.

"SIS!" Ranma shouted. He fell into a stance, eyeing Shampoo dangerously.

She turned to look at him, on guard for his attack. "Give me Ran-chan."

Suddenly, a strike from Akane caught Shampoo across the forearm. She was spun towards her by the force of the blow, and then Akane grabbed her arm, pulling it away from P-chan. She scooped up the pig, following with a kick which drove the wind out of Shampoo's lungs. The Amazon sailed back, then landed on her feet.

Akane cradled P-chan in her arms, in tears herself. "It's okay, P-chan. It's okay. I won't let the mean girl hurt you any more. It's okay."

Ranma started to cry out as Shampoo's eyes narrowed, and she darted forward. He didn't have enough time, though, as the Amazon brought her hand up to turn Akane's chin towards her. Akane scowled, and twisted in her arms, as Shampoo leaned over to kiss her.

At the last second, Akane brought up P-chan between them. Shampoo's kiss landed right on the pig's snout. He turned white.

Shampoo stepped back, wiping her mouth, her eyes flashing. "You make Shampoo give Kiss of Death to pig?"

Akane pointed at her. "You just listen here, sister! First of all, this is NOT China, this is Japan! The laws of your tribe don't apply here. YOU'RE the outsider here, not me! Second of all, if you want to challenge me, all you have to do is ask! You don't need to give me some Kiss of Death! So let's go! Right now, if you want it!"

Ranma tried to grab her. "Akane! You can't fight Shampoo! You saw what she just did to Sis!"

Akane cut him a glare. "And you don't want to do anything about it?"

"Uh... yeah, but..." Ranma drew up short.

"But what?" Akane snarled at him, but was still keeping one eye on Shampoo.

"You ain't good enough to take her on! Look, let's just calm down, the pig's okay, and I'm sure Ucchan will be okay too..."

"I'm not good enough, am I?" Her fist flashed out, and knocked Ranma out the window. "We'll just see about that!"

Ranma spotted a tree branch near him as he flew through the air. He tried to land on it, but missed, the force of Akane's blow taking him on a trajectory over it. He was forced to make a landing on the ground, and then scramble up the side of the building to the window of the classroom. By the time he got there, Akane and Shampoo were gone.

Ranma rushed over to Ukyo, who was still lying on the floor. "Sis!" He cried, shaking her. "Are you all right? Please, wake up!"

Ukyo stirred and sat up, holding her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just... I dunno what came over me. I feel like a fool. And here I was telling Akane about keeping her focus and controlling her anger..."

"Sis... She's tryin' to fight Shampoo! I gotta stop her! Are you..."

Ukyo nodded. "I'm fine." She waved him off.

Ranma glanced around, and one of the girls pointed towards a shattered wall of the classroom. "They went that way." Ranma charged after them.

* * *

Ranma ran across the school yard. Despite what he had said to Akane, when he saw Ucchan lying on the floor as he jumped back into the classroom, Ranma had been more frightened than he had ever been in his life. Was he about to find Akane the same way? Would he find that she wouldn't sit up?

He finally found Akane sitting out in the athletic field. At first she was sitting so still that he feared the worst had happened. But as he got closer, he could see that she didn't seem to be injured. There was some sort of white foam in her hair, though. Ranma couldn't figure out what it was.

"Akane!" He called. "Akane, are you okay?"

She turned to look at him, and for just a half second there was a blank expression on her face. Then she looked confused and looked down at herself. "Am I okay?"

Ranma quickly ran up to her. The first thing that he noticed was that Akane's hair was wet, and the white foam was some sort of suds. It was dripping from her hair, onto her shoulders. She stroked at her hair, trying to wipe the soap off.

"I... I think I'm okay, Ranma." Akane's voice was still distant. "Shampoo tried to... well, she tried to shampoo my hair. I'm not sure what she was doing..."

Ranma looked her over. She seemed fine, but her eyes were unfocused. She kept looking at him, and blinking as if confused. "I feel... wierd. I'm... kinda scared. Shampoo was tough, tougher than I thought she was going to be. She was trying to do something to my head."

"What... what did she do?" Ranma pulled Akane to her feet, and began to try and wipe the shampoo out of her hair himself. Her expression seemed to clear a bit.

"She caught me off guard. Jumped me from behind. I only barely sensed her in time. She jumped on my back and started washing my hair. She had some water that she poured over my head, then starting working some sort of shampoo into my scalp."

She suddenly slapped at Ranma's hand. "Stop that. You're spilling my brain on the ground, you baka."

"What?"

"I..." Akane paused, confused. She ran a hand through her hair again. "I feel... my thoughts are dripping out of my head. I... you were right, Ranma. She was stronger than me. I feel really... I didn't want to believe it. But I only barely held her off. I was able to keep her from doing what she was doing. Finally, she seemed to get really frustrated. She kept fighting me as I tried to pull her hands away. And then she ran off."

"Are you sure... do you think she was... I dunno, trying brainwash you or something?"

Akane giggled. "That's funny. Brain washing. My brain is washed, Ranma. It's wet and dripping onto the ground." She started to tremble. "I'm scared..."

"It's okay... I..." Ranma bit his lip, unsure of what to say. "I'm here. It looks like she didn't hurt you. You must have stopped her before she finished... whatever it was."

"I..." She looked up into Ranma's eyes. "I can't keep my thoughts from leaking out. I... I want you to hold me. But I can't ask you to do that, you'll laugh at me." She looked away. "I don't want to seem weak and helpless. But I feel vulnerable. I fought Shampoo, when you told me not to, and I couldn't beat her. I wasn't good enough..."

She shook her head, then hid her face in her hands. "I didn't mean to say that. I can't stop myself from talking, Ranma." She was beginning to sound panicked.

Ranma forced himself to put an arm around Akane's shoulder. "It's okay. I... I guess it's.. You gotta feel pretty wierd. Havin' your brain messed with. I guess that would scare anybody."

"I... I should hit you." Slowly, Akane's arms went around him. "But I don't want to... It feels wierd. Like I can't stop myself from thinking. Like my... memories are all falling out. It feels better when you're holding me. It's not so... like there's no one there to catch the thoughts when they fall out."

Ranma tried to keep himself calm. "Maybe we'd better go see Dr. Tofu. Maybe he can figure out how to... stop this. Maybe all we really need to do is dry your hair."

"Maybe. I hope so. You're not going to make fun of me because of the things I say, are you? I don't want you to hate me. I hate it when you insult me. I don't like getting mad."

"I know that, Akane. Look, just... just calm down and try to keep from talking so much. I'll... I won't listen to anything you say, I promise."

Akane giggled again. "You never listen to anything I say anyway, baka. Or am I the one that doesn't listen? I'm not sure. I never understand what you're saying. You're such a boy. Baka. Boy baka."

Even Ranma laughed, at that. "Same thing, really."

"I should have said that." Akane's grip tightened. "You're not reading my mind, are you baka? You're not picking up my thoughts as they fall out? I don't want to you know what I'm thinking. That it feels so nice to hold you. That I'm scared and I feel safe..."

"Uh..." Ranma was not ready to hear this. He noticed Akane's friends running up, with Ukyo behind them. He was still a little worried about Ukyo, but she looked all right. "Um, Akane, your friends are coming."

She quickly let go of him. "I can't let them see you holding me. But I don't want you to let go. I'm scared..."

"It's okay... tomboy." He patted her shoulder, then let go of her completely. "I'll... be right here."

"That's part of what's frightening me..." She commented.

"Akane, all you all right?" her friend Sayuri called out as she neared.

Akane took a deep breath. Only Ranma noticed her trembling. "Yeah. Shampoo was a lot tougher than I thought. But I did okay. I guess Ukyo's training really paid off." She grinned at the red haired girl as she joined them.

"I can't believe I lost it like that," Ukyo said. "I totally lost my focus, and let her get the drop on me. It's a good thing you were able to handle her."

"She was a lot tougher than me," Akane said, her voice becoming a little strained. Unconsciously, she brought a hand up to her mouth. "I did keep my focus, though. She was way faster than me, but I was able to keep blocking her. Once I realized I had no chance of attacking, I just concentrated on keeping her from doing whatever she was doing."

"What was she doing?" Yuka asked. She put a hand to Akane's hair. "It's looks like she was washing your hair..."

"I dunno," Ranma put in. "It musta been some kinda special Amazon technique. Akane seems a little... um... dazed right now. I think she was trying to use some kinda mind control thing."

Ukyo gazed closely at Akane's face. "Your eyes seem a little unfocused. Do you think you might have a concussion?"

Akane shook her head. "I feel... really calm right now. And scared. And refreshed. But not really confused."

"At least Ranma was here to rescue you."

"Don't ask about Ranma being my fiance' again," Akane said. "I hate when you guys do that. I broke up with him."

Akane's eyes widened, and she clapped her hands over her mouth. "What?" asked all of the girls. "You broke up!"

"Um... uh... it's nothing." Ranma swallowed. "I don't think she meant to say that."

"Yeah, Akane and Ranma are just working through some things. I'll tell you guys about it later." Ukyo smiled back at the other girls, to reassure them, but then glanced worriedly back at Akane. "Hey, are you okay?"

Akane shook her head, her hands still over her mouth. Her eyes had become very wide.

"I think we need to get her to Dr. Tofu," Ranma said. He hesitated a moment, but then took Akane in his arms, picking her up. She gasped a little, and her trembling got a little harder. "Like I said, um, she's kinda dazed right now."

He glanced over at Ukyo. "You okay, S... Uh, I mean Ranko? You need to come with us?"

"Nah, I'll stay here and... do some damage control." She glanced back at Sayuri and Yuka, who had certainly noticed Akane calling her Ukyo. "What's going on?"

Ranma shook his head. "Whatever Shampoo did, it's making Akane blurt out weird things. I think I need ta get Dr. Tofu to finish up whatever she was tryin' to do or something."

Ukyo nodded. "Okay, go on." She clasped Akane's shoulder reassuringly, and Akane reached out her hand to grasp Ukyo's.

"You're a great friend, Ucchan," Akane said. Then she wrapped her arms around Ranma as he leaped off across the rooftops with her.

Akane's arms tightened around Ranma as he jumped. Idly, he remembered his thought the night before, about what it would be like to have Akane's arms around him. He was surprised to note that she was kind of soft, after all. Not like Shampoo, and her grip on him was anything but soft, but it was still quite nice...

"This is really scary," Akane commented, "Travelling like this. But nice, too. I'm... glad you're holding me again. It's okay. Because... you know. You're getting me to Dr. Tofu's." She fell silent a moment, her cheeks turning pink, but then she muttered, "It feels good."

"Um... hey, it'll only be a little while more. Then we'll be at the Doc's."

"I was really starting to feel like I was losing myself. Like I was falling away. But now it's better. It's 'cause you're holding me, I guess."

"Maybe it's some sorta pressure point technique. I guess my... um... holding you is hittin' the right pressure points. I wish I knew how to stop it."

"I didn't mean to break off the engagement."

Akane let out a strangled squeal, and turned beet red. She buried her face against his chest, squeezing him so tightly Ranma almost found it hard to breathe. She was muttering against him, and he could feel her mouth moving, but he couldn't make out the words.

"Um... what didja say, Akane? I didn't hear that..." Ranma's voice had that strained note to it that meant he was lying through his teeth.

There was a long, long pause, and then Akane relaxed against him. She lifted her head. "I didn't mean to break off the engagement. I was just upset. At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do. But now..."

Ranma swallowed nervously. "Oh, well, hey, you know... it probably all was for the best. I mean, our Pops and all that. It was probably comin' between us, you know? So it was probably a good idea."

She sighed, and pressed her face against him. "No, it wasn't. I was mad, and I took it out on you. That wasn't right, and I'm sorry, Ranma." She turned her head to muffle her words against his chest. The rest of whatever she was saying was lost.

She doesn't want me to hear part of what she's thinking, Ranma told himself. He tried very hard not to think about what that might be. "It's okay, tomboy. I say lots a things I don't mean, too."

"Don't I know it, baka," Akane said, giggling.

There was a moment of silence, and then she spoke again. "Why don't we just forget I said anything. Let the fathers believe what they want, but you and me... let's just forget I said anything. I don't... I don't necessarily WANT to be engaged to you..." She looked up into his eyes, obviously frightened. "...but I don't want NOT to be engaged to you. If you know what I mean..."

"Okay, Akane. If that's what you want."

"We never even really gave it a chance did we..." Akane muttered. But if she had anything else to say, she managed to stay silent.


	15. Don't Let Me Forget!

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 15

"Doc, come quick!" Ranma exclaimed, as he ran into Dr. Tofu's clinic. "Somethin's wrong with Akane!"

The doctor hurried into the room, as Ranma set Akane down. She brushed off her dress, looking a little embarrassed at having been carried into the building, as well as the suds still dripping from her hair.

"What seems to be the problem?" Dr. Tofu asked. He obviously noted the condition of Akane's hair, but didn't take the situation lightly, no matter how funny it might have looked. He could tell from Ranma's expression that he was concerned.

Akane blushed at little as she spoke. Her voice was somewhat distant, as if her thoughts were somewhere else. "I got into a fight with Shampoo... this Amazon girl from China that's been chasing down Ranma. She did something to my hair."

Dr. Tofu examined her closely, noting as Ukyo had that her gaze was unfocused. "And how are you feeling?"

"Dazed. I don't think I have a concussion or anything but... it's hard to focus my thoughts. And I have the oddest... I have this weird feeling that... my thoughts are falling out." Her cheeks turned a bit pinker. "I know that sounds crazy..."

"Do ya know what's wrong with her, Doc?" Ranma looked antsy, standing first on one foot, then the other.

The doctor continued his examination. "So what did this... Shampoo did you say? ... do to you?"

"I was trying to fight her, and..." she glanced up at Ranma. "She had challenged me. We went out to the yard to fight and she jumped onto my back. She began to shampoo my hair, while massaging my scalp. She was so fast that I couldn't escape." She cut her eyes away from the doctor. "I'm... I'm sure you're disappointed in me... that I... picked a fight... and then failed to..."

Suddenly, she pulled away, and Dr. Tofu looked at her, startled. "I didn't mean to say that!" She said. Then her face reddened dramatically. "Oh, no! I'm going to tell Dr. Tofu that I had a cr... !"

Ranma suddenly clapped both hands over her mouth. Akane began to struggle, kicking at him, but at the same time bringing her hands up to cover Ranma's own. She was shouting something, that was muffled by Ranma's hands.

"Um... see, uh... Akane's blurtin' out this crazy stuff," Ranma said with a grimace. "I think Shampoo did somethin' to her head. Akane says that she was able to hold Shampoo off, but couldn't pull her hands away. She was able to hold her off, though, at least until I showed up, and then she ran off."

Akane had managed to work free of one of Ranma's hands. "She ran off before you showed up, Ranma," she muttered, irritated, but then her expression became more pensive. "But she probably ran away because she figured you weren't far behind..."

She then put her hands over her mouth again. Her face was still a deep crimson, but she seemed to have calmed down. "So, you can't keep from speaking your thoughts, Akane?" The doctor asked. "Is that it?" She nodded her agreement.

Ranma considered whether or not Akane would clobber him for saying it, then finally decided that Tofu probably needed to know. "She also says it feels like... she's, um, losin' her mind or somethin'. But it's not as bad when... um... I'm nearby." Akane tensed up at Ranma's choice of words, but said nothing.

"Oh? That's interesting." The doctor stood up. "Let's go back into my office. I need to check some of my books."

They followed him into the back office, Akane still with her hands over her mouth. Finally, Tofu selected a book, and thumbed through it. "This is it. Just as I thought. Xi Fa Xiang Gao."

"Xi... what?" Ranma asked dumbly.

"Xi Fa Xiang Gao. It's a Chinese technique using a special herbal shampoo and shiatsu pressure points. It can be used to manipulate and erase memory."

"A memory erasure technique?" Akane asked. "Shampoo was trying to erase my memory?"

"It seems like it. It fits what you say Shampoo was trying to do, and your symptoms as well." He leaned over to look Akane in the eye. "Would you say that you are experiencing memories coming back to you?"

Akane nodded, excitedly. "Yes, that's it, exactly! Memories, feelings, thoughts. They're all... bubbling up to the surface of my mind and... flowing over." She shivered. "I'm scared..."

"It's okay." Tofu put a hand on her shoulder. "Just relax and try to clear your mind. Don't try to hold the thoughts back, just let them flow."

Akane closed her eyes, and her expression seemed to calm, as she relaxed. "You might want to keep your hands over your mouth, though," Tofu said, "just for the sake of your privacy." Akane blushed deeply, but did as he suggested.

"So can ya fix it?" Ranma asked.

Tofu looked momentarily worried, but then his expression cleared as if nothing was wrong. "I think so, but... this is very unusual. I've never heard of the Xi Fa Xiang Gao technique being interrupted before. The book says nothing about this, although it makes sense if you consider how the technique works..."

He paused a moment, then looked up at Ranma. Akane was watching him intently as well. "The Xi Fa Xiang Gao actually requires a certain amount of cooperation from the victim. The performer of the technique needs to be able to sort through the victim's memories, choosing those that should be... removed... and those that should be left intact. A connection is formed, and the performer of the technique serves as a sort of... 'anchor' for the memories. The memories are extracted, the anchor selects those that are to be kept or erased, and then closes off the connection when the technique is completed."

"The problem is, Shampoo was interrupted before she could close off the technique. Akane's memories are coming to the surface, and without someone to... 'pick them up', they are being lost. It's a good thing you came along when you did, Ranma, because if you did not... if Akane had been left alone for a couple of hours without the technique being properly sealed..."

Dr. Tofu paused a moment, but then sighed. "Akane could have eventually lost every memory and every thought she has ever had. She would have been reduced to the mind of a baby. I find it surprising that someone skilled enough to master the technique would have been careless enough to just run off like that." He shook his head.

Both Ranma and Akane had gone white. "But... she's gonna be okay, right?" Ranma asked. Unconsciously, he put a hand on her shoulder, and she reached up to put her hand on his.

The doctor smiled. "Absolutely. I'll show you how to finish up the technique, Ranma, and you can finish washing and drying her hair. Then she'll be good as new."

Ranma uncharacteristically looked frightened. He was quiet for a long moment, but then forced himself to speak. "Um... maybe you better do it, Doc. You know a lot more about this shiatsu stuff than me, an'..."

Dr. Tofu shook his head. "I can't, Ranma. It has to be you. In the absence of Shampoo, Akane needed a replacement for the 'anchor' of her memories. She has obviously latched on to you as that anchor. In a sense, you have already... stored away, so to speak, a large number of her memories that she has released to you. If you don't put them back, she will lose those memories forever. So you have to be the one to complete the technique."

Ranma swallowed. Akane looked up at him, her eyes wide, then suddenly noticed her hand on his. She drew it away, quite quickly, and Ranma pulled his hand back as well. In the next moment, Akane looked pained, and then glanced down at the floor. She muttered, "Sorry," behind her other hand.

"Aw, it can't be that hard!" Ranma said, summoning his most confident smirk. In the back of his mind, though, Ranma couldn't help thinking of Akane, stuck with the mind of a baby, because he failed. "I can't fail her!" He told himself. "I won't!"

"That's the spirit!" Tofu said with a smile. "Come with me, and I'll show you exactly what you need to do to finish up the technique, and the pressure points you need to hit to close off Akane's memories. There should still be enough shampoo in her hair to finish washing it, and I'll get you a comb and a hair dryer. You can use the sink in one of my examination rooms. Akane, why don't you go on in there now?"

He waited until Akane got up and left the room, and then Tofu's expression turned serious. "Ranma... I didn't want to say this in front of Akane, but this is very, very serious. I want you to understand that you will have Akane's very thoughts... her very soul in your hands. You will have a great power to hurt her, if that's what you want. You could take away her memories of you, the good ones or the bad ones... you could change her feelings about you, erase all of the bad things that have ever come between you."

Tofu studied him carefully. "I'm sure that I can trust you in this... to not abuse this power."

"Of course not!" Ranma protested, very frightened now. "I'd never... I'd never hurt Akane! I swear it!"

"Good. I'm only telling you this because I want you to understand how serious this is. You can't make a single mistake or hit one pressure point wrong. You're going to have to focus on this as intently as any martial arts battle, and not lose your control for an instant. Don't try to rush it or take any shortcuts, and I want make sure you memorize every step completely before I show you the next. Do you think you can do that?"

Ranma found that his throat had tightened up so much he couldn't answer. He just nodded, his eyes wide.

"Very well." Tofu began showing him several diagrams of the pressure points on the head. "Here's what you need to do..."

* * *

Ranma walked into the room, to find Akane sitting in a chair turned away from him. She had a towel wrapped around her shoulders, and had her eyes closed. Ranma could hear her muttering, and before he could even realize he was eavesdropping and stop himself, leaned a little closer to hear.

"I am a martial artist", she was saying to herself. "Keep your focus. Keep control. This is just a temporary setback. Keep trying until you succeed. This is just another challenge. Any challenge can be overcome."

Anything Goes, Ranma noted. Lessons that had been drummed into his head for as long as he could remember. "Hey, Akane," he said, stepping back a bit so she would think he had just come in. "You doin' okay?"

She nodded. Her hand went up closer to her face, but she didn't cover her mouth. "So far. I'll be glad when you get done, this is getting annoying."

"I bet." He smiled at her, although she wasn't looking at him. "It... uh, didn't get too bad with me bein' away, did it? I tried to hurry as fast as I could."

She smiled then, and Ranma wished he could have seen it more clearly. "It was a little tough, but I think I held it in. It's better now that you're here." She started to look back at him, but then blushed. "Oh, my. I don't like the way I said that."

Ranma chuckled. She sounded almost exactly like Kasumi. "It's okay, I know what ya mean. Like the doc said, it's ta help keep your thoughts in your head." He put his hands on her shoulders as he said this.

"Yeah, and that's why I'm not punching your lights out," Akane said. Then she admitted, "No matter how good it feels..."

"Well..." Ranma considered the consequences, then came out and said it. "Hopefully me shampooin' your hair will feel good too."

He walked over to the sink, and thus got to see the sunny smile Akane gave him. "I hope so too."

Suddenly, Ranma stopped and looked down at the sink. "Oh, darn. The water's cold. What if I change?"

Akane frowned. "Does it really bother you that much? Geez, Ranma, you'd think you'd have more important things to worry about, like doing this Xi Fang thing right."

Ranma started to scowl back, but managed to keep his focus, reminding himself how important it was. "Nah, but when I change, my hands will be a different size. Doc Tofu showed me as a guy."

"Oh. Do you think maybe you should use warm water?"

"I dunno." Ranma shook his head. "Nah, Shampoo was using cold water, and I don't know what effect the temperature of the water has on the technique. So I guess I'll just have to adapt. It should be okay, Shampoo's hands are smaller than mine anyway."

"Yeah," Akane muttered quietly, "little tiny, cute, feminine hands..." She shook her head. "Don't think about that, that's not important." She looked up at Ranma, and couldn't keep the tremor of fear out of her voice. "You're really going to do this right, Ranma, aren't you?"

He turned and grinned at her, his confident grin. "Don't worry, Akane. Ain't no technique I can't master." He let his smirk widen a bit. "I'll take it slow, though, instead of real fast like Shampoo."

"Show off." Akane regarded him with a smile of her own. "I bet you'd love to show off, even at a time like this."

"I would, but I won't." He stuck his head under the sink, and transformed into Ukyo's body. Then she walked back to Akane and pushed her chair closer to the sink. She gently directed Akane to lean over the sink, and got her hair good and wet. Akane then leaned back, as Ranma started to lather up her hair again.

"Oh, that does feel good," Akane moaned to herself, closing her eyes. Then she blushed again. "But not as good as ice cream."

Ice cream? Ranma wondered why that had popped up. "Yeah, ice cream's really good."

"I should cover up my mouth, I think, or I'm just going to babble," Akane said. She paused, though, after bringing her hands about halfway up. "No, wait, I think it's getting better."

Ranma continued massaging her scalp, pressing the shiatsu points in the order the doctor had shown her. A dollop of foam fell on the floor, and Akane suddenly looked down at it. "Don't let that one drop! That was a good memory!"

Not sure what else to do, Ranma picked it up and put it back on her head. That seemed like a dumb thing to do, though. Surely it didn't work like that, right? That was just silly. They were both silent for a while as Ranma continued, blushing a little. Then Akane muttered, "It was about you, you know."

"What?"

"The memory."

"Oh." Ranma swallowed. "Um... what was it? If you don't mind, that is..."

"I don't think I can help it," she said. "Anyway, it was that time you held me. You know..." Ranma felt her growing warmer, her face turning pink. "When you were fighting Ryoga."

"I woulda thought that was a bad memory." Ranma frowned, remembering how she had accused him of showing off Ukyo's breasts.

"Not that part. The first part, before I noticed your shirt was open." There was a pause, and Akane's hand twitched, but she kept speaking. "I felt very safe then. Before I got mad."

"It wasn't my fault," Ranma said, a bit defensively. "Ryoga wouldn't let me cover myself!"

"But you were showing everyone Ukyo's body, you idiot! Don't you know how embarrassing that is?"

Akane was getting mad, and as she did, Ranma started to get angry, too. But she felt her hands about to tense up, and forced herself to regain control. She couldn't alter the pressure she was applying to Akane's scalp in any way, or it might all go wrong. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and noticed Akane had fallen silent as well, noticing her reaction.

"Of course I do," she finally said. "I've lived with Sis my whole life."

She fell silent, and Akane muttered something. Ranma thought it might have been, "Maybe he does." She then took a breath, and said, "Sorry, Ranma. It's just... I can't imagine that. If someone showed the whole school... me..."

She fell silent, her face becoming very red. "I know you can't do anything about it. But I can only imagine that if it were me, I would be... humiliated."

Grudgingly, Ranma nodded her agreement. "I don't like ta think about it. But yeah, I guess it's tough for Sis. I mean, she turns inta me, but a girl-me, so she doesn't... I mean she can't see..." She blushed as well.

"Don't you dare say it!" Akane snapped, putting her hands over her face.

"I wasn't gonna. Anyway, sometimes I do feel pretty awful about it."

Akane was quiet for a moment, then said, "Thanks for telling me that, Ranma."

"Heh. I guess it's only fair..."

She blushed at that, but smiled. Ranma finished the shampooing, and then bent Akane over the sink again to rinse out her hair. She combed it carefully, again pressing the exact spots that Tofu had shown her.

"Oh. That is definitely better," Akane said, as Ranma leaned her back in the chair, and began blow drying her hair. She sighed happily as Ranma finished up the last of the pressure points of the technique.

"All done!" Ranma said proudly, as she pulled the towel from around her shoulders. "See, I told ya, I'm as good at this as I am at everything else!"

"Baka," Akane commented. But she was grinning widely.

They started to leave the examination room, when Akane suddenly stopped. "You'd better change back. You never know when Shampoo might show up again."

"True. Can't be too careful." Ranma walked back over to the sink, ran the hot water, and changed back to his male form. He then followed Akane as they walked back to Tofu's office. The doctor looked Akane over, and pronounced her just fine, complementing Ranma on his job at doing the Xi Fa Xiang Gao.

"So, you two run along," He said with a smile. "And Ranma... I know it's just training to you, but you might watch the insults for about an hour or so. I think the technique should be sealed, but just in case..."

Akane bit her lip, looking embarrassed. "Hey... I'm not fragile, you know!"

Ranma grinned at her. "Yeah, but like I said, can't be too careful."

They walked out of the clinic into the sunlight. For a moment, they just walked along in silence, but then Akane hesitantly turned to look at her pigtailed fiance'. "Um... Ranma... you know how I said that Ukyo was a really good friend?"

"Yeah?"

"Well..." She looked down at the ground. "You're a really good friend, too. You didn't have to do any of that for me, but you did."

Ranma somehow managed to look just as uncomfortable as Akane looked. "Ah, it weren't nuthin'."

"I just wanted you to know that. That I really, really appreciate what you did. Because... well..."

Akane took a deep breath, and then glared at him. "If you EVER tell anyone anything about what I said... about being scared or vulnerable, or how I felt like I couldn't beat Shampoo... I will beat you to within an inch of your life! And if you tease me about it, or make fun of me..." she was snarling now, "I'll make sure you regret it!"

She stepped forward and poked him in the chest. "And if you EVER put your pervert hands on me, just because I MIGHT have said that it MIGHT feel good..." She poked him again. "Well, let me tell you, I'm going to..."

Ranma put up both his hands, backing away from her. "I won't, I won't! I get the point, Akane, I won't!"

She stared up at him for a moment, her face red. But as the fire in her eyes cleared, it became obvious that the redness was not due to anger. She glanced away. She was silent for a long moment, staring at the ground, fidgeting nervously.

"But Ranma... well... sometimes I get upset. Really upset, and... I need a friend. To... hold me. To lean on, and maybe cry on." She wrapped her arms around herself. "Or just to... you know... just be there."

Ranma gulped. "Ya mean like Ucchan... that one time?"

Akane looked up at him, her brown eyes searching his. "Yeah, like Ucchan. I-if Ukyo's not around, say, and I'm really, really upset, I just wanted you to know..."

She reached out and put a hand on his forearm, drawing her fingers down his bicep. "If I really, really need to... or it's for a good reason, like you're taking me to Dr. Tofu's, well... it'll be okay. If you want to..." She looked away again. "Hold me. I won't... I won't hit you. I won't mind."

"Uh, okay." Ranma couldn't look at her, either. He found himself remembering that moment that she mentioned, when he held her, leaping up into the tree. How her body felt against his... well, hers at the time. He had thought it was a bad memory, but Akane thought it was a good one now?

He shrugged. "I just... I just thought you bein' such an unc... I mean... you're so tough I thought you didn't like folks huggin' on ya like that..."

Akane glanced at him, startled. Then she smiled, softly. "I guess it does seem that way, doesn't it?"

She was silent for a moment. "I'm a girl, Ranma." She stopped and pouted, as if expecting him to deny it. "And girls like that... as long as it isn't just some perverted guy being... perverted. So as long as it's really, really what I want... then I promise, I won't hit you. I promise."

Ranma nodded, still uncomfortable, and they turned away from each other, to continue on in silence. Then Ranma stopped and looked over at her.

"Um... Akane... I mean... how will I know if you really, really... I mean... how can I tell?"

Akane studied him for a moment, and then a coy smile spread over her face. "You won't, baka. So I guess you'll just have to take that chance..."

Ranma swallowed, hard. Then he grinned sheepishly at her. Smiling, they both continued down the road towards home.

* * *

That night, as she and Ukyo were getting ready for bed, Akane spent a few moments staring at her roommate. Ukyo finally noticed. "What?" She asked.

"It's kind of odd having you around in your cursed form so much," Akane said, gesturing at the redhead. "I guess deep down I kind of think of both of your forms as 'you', but sometimes it just catches my attention, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess I know what you mean. I don't even notice it most of the time, but then every now and then I'll grab for something and notice I didn't quite reach far enough. Or I'll glance up and something's just a little higher than I'm used to." She looked down at her chest. "... or I misjudge the distance and bump into these things."

Akane snickered. "You'll forgive me for not feeling too sorry for you when it comes to that."

Ukyo laughed as well. "So. You seem to be feeling better."

The black haired girl just nodded, her smile bright, but said nothing. Ukyo studied her for a moment, then grinned as well. "It must have been tough to be spillin' all of your innermost thoughts like that. I'm glad you got it all worked out."

"Yeah..." Akane said, her voice a bit gentle. "Ranma and I worked it out." She cut a quick smile to Ukyo, then looked away, getting into her bed.

Ukyo got into her futon as well. "Good," she said.

There was a short pause, and then Akane asked, "Hey, Ukyo, why don't you let P-chan sleep with me for tonight?"

Ukyo looked up, startled. She glanced down at the foot of her futon, where P-chan had turned to look at Akane. He had taken to sleeping there, and seemed comfortable with it, but she couldn't miss the look of hope and anticipation in the pig's eyes.

"Um... why?"

"Well, my little P-chan had a bit of a scare today, didn't he?" She smiled at him, affectionately. "I think he deserves a reward. He hasn't made a mess in your bed, so we know he's housebroken, and you said you would let him sleep with me a few times..."

She looked over at Ukyo. "Unless there's some reason you don't want him sleeping with me..."

Ukyo struggled to control her shuddering. She glanced away, not wanting Akane to see her expression. No, there was no reason to say no, was there? No reason that she could think of. So what could she do?

She glanced down at P-chan, and found him snarling at her. He thinks I'm going to tell, she thought. Maybe I should. But he'll definitely take it out on Ranchan then. She saw the way he was acting in the family room with Shampoo, he was doing everything he could to stir up trouble. He could do a lot worse if he wanted.

"P-chan, quit it," Akane said. She had noticed his growling. P-chan looked up at her, and blushed. She then looked back at Ukyo. "What's wrong? Does this upset you for some reason?"

"No, no," Ukyo waved her arm, trying to dismiss her fears. He's just a pig, right? He can't do anything. "I guess I just got used to him being there, that's all. It's okay."

Trying to keep her voice even, she reached out and picked up P-chan. He actually seemed surprised. "He can sleep with you for tonight, but then tomorrow night I get him again. I don't want him to get too stressed out from sleeping so high up or anything."

Akane giggled. "I'm sure he'll be fine. But don't worry, Ukyo, I'm happy to share. I know you really like him, even though he seems to snap at you a lot."

Ukyo again had to work to suppress the shiver that went up her spine. Patting Ryoga's head, a little hard, and saying "Now you be good, P-chan," just a little TOO firmly, she walked over and set him down on the bed. Akane drew the little pig into a hug, excitedly.

As Ukyo headed back for her futon, she kept her face turned away. She crawled under the covers, and wrapped them tightly around herself. Akane turned off her nightstand light, and settled down to go to sleep.

Ukyo lay in the darkness, trying to reassure herself. He can't do anything. He's just a pig. He wouldn't do anything. He could have done something in the bath, and he didn't. Both times. He gets a little nervous and skittish around women, but he wouldn't do anything to take advantage of them.

Not more than this, anyway. Scowling, Ukyo wrapped her arms tightly around her body. She continued to lay there, listening to Akane's quiet breathing, until she felt she couldn't wait another second. Then, she slowly turned, and whispered, "Akane? You awake?"

There was no answer. She turned over, and sat up, to look over at the bed. Akane lay fast asleep, with P-chan tucked up against her chest, held tightly in her arms. P-chan was asleep as well, a happy grin on his face.

"Oh, Ryoga..." Ukyo muttered, not daring to speak any louder than a whisper. "What am I going to do with you?"

She shuffled back in the bed, leaning back against the wall. She turned to look over at Akane again, still fast asleep. She took a moment to wipe tears from her eyes, then wrapped her arms around her knees.

"What else can I do?" She asked herself. "What else can I do?"

She curled up against the wall, and settled herself to sit and watch. She dozed off a few times, but for the most part she stayed up all night, watching over Akane, listening to her breathing, and P-chan's quiet snores.

* * *

Author's Notes:

These last chapters came very quickly, but just as before, it's probably going to be a couple of weeks or even months between updates again. I still need to finish the Kodachi/Shampoo arc, but I definitely seem to be slowing down my pace, and will need some time to work on the next couple of chapters. I just wanted to give advance warning.

I've gotten some pretty positive reactions from my take on the Xi Fa Xiang Gao, but for those that might not think it could work like that, I will admit I am taking liberties with the concept. Still, one thing to consider is that Dr. Tofu might have been exaggerating the danger to Akane in order to make Ranma more concerned about her. Dr. Tofu certainly seems to be trying to get Ranma and Akane together, and this is the kind of thing he would do to try and build trust between them. Ranma is concerned about Akane and what could happen if he makes a mistake, while Akane is reassured that she can let slip some of her secrets and feelings and Ranma won't laugh at her. And it works. :)

Still, I think the idea I came up with here makes sense. Shampoo is able to remove Akane's memories of Ranma and only Ranma, and yet she remembers Shampoo, and that she should be careful of her, and she remembers Genma. So in some way Akane had to remove Ranma from memories that involved other people. And Akane forgets Ranma's girl form, even though Shampoo does NOT know Ranma's girl form is the same person. So this tells me that Shampoo had Akane's involuntary cooperation in the process, somehow she forced Akane to go through her memories and discard (or rather, block) the memories Shampoo "told" her to. There was no vocal communication between them, but it could have been on a subconscious level.


	16. Ryoga's Plan

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 16

Ukyo puttered around in the kitchen, helping out Kasumi while the family was getting ready for school. Akane had not yet returned from her morning jog, and thus they couldn't spar yet. And Ranma and the Old Man had already finished their sparring session. Kasumi had just stepped out for a moment, and Ukyo had thought that she would be right back. So she was surprised to hear the older girl's voice coming through the open window.

"Hanachiyo! Hanachiyo! Oh, where are you, Hanachiyo? Come here!"

Curious, Ukyo headed out into the yard, where she found Nabiki outside as well. She and Kasumi were looking around, while Kasumi continued to call out, "Hanachiyo! Come here, Hanachiyo!"

"Is something wrong?" Ukyo asked.

Kasumi smiled, as always, although her look was a little worried. "A friend asked me to look after her cat Hanachiyo. I just turned my back for a moment, and she was gone. I hope she hasn't gone far..."

Ukyo's eyes went wide. She looked around herself frantically, as if afraid a cat was going to jump out and startle her. "A cat? Where's Ranma?"

Kasumi blinked at the question. "Ranma? Why, I think he was taking a bath after sparring with his father. Why do you ask?"

"Nabiki, could you go inside and make sure?"

Nabiki studied the pigtailed girl with a smirk. "Do you want me to look in on him, just to make sure? Maybe I could wash his back for him..."

Ukyo's worried expression turned irritated. "Ha, ha, very funny. Just make sure Ranma is in the bath, and if he's not, or if he comes out, let me know. Tell him to stay inside the house, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Nabiki waved a hand dismissively, although in her mind she was considering whether this could be worth something. She would have to find out more. "I'll make sure that Wonder Boy doesn't leave the house."

As Nabiki walked back into the house, Ukyo turned back to Kasumi. "Okay, I'll help you find the cat. This shouldn't take long."

Kasumi started off across the yard, to continue her search. Ukyo simply relaxed and closed her eyes, finding her focus. She cast her awareness out, across the Tendo household, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Sure enough, it wasn't hard to find, there was a section of the yard that her mind kept trying to shy away from. Opening her eyes, and looking towards the area that made shivers start to run up her spine, she walked towards the wall.

There, in a bush by the wall, she saw movement. The bush's branches swayed slightly, and Ukyo approached slowly, keeping her calm. She quietly and gently pulled a branch aside, and saw a fairly overweight cat, with black spots, hiding in the bush. It looked up and meowed at her, looking cautious, but not overly suspicious.

"Well, there you are Hanachiyo." Ukyo said to the cat, with a big smile. She knelt down next to it, and coaxed it to her with her hand. It came up to her and rubbed up against her, and she gently picked it up. She stroked the cat's head, still smiling. "That's a good kitty. Let's take you back to Kasumi, okay?"

She stood up with the cat and walked over to Kasumi, who looked relieved that she had found her. "Oh, there you are!" she said to the cat.

Ukyo smiled and patted the cat again. "You're a naughty little kitty, aren't you? Worrying Kasumi like that." She then looked up. "What do you want to do with this cat? Do you have to keep it here?"

Kasumi couldn't help notice that even though she was holding the cat gently and seemed to be very friendly towards it, she spoke of it as if she were talking about some sort of cockroach. "Well, my friend asked me to take care of Hanachiyo while she was away. I have a carrier for her, but I was going to keep her in the house so she could get out and play."

Ukyo took a deep breath. "Do you HAVE to keep it around here?"

"Well... no..." Kasumi started to become really confused, now. "I could take her back over to my friends' house. As long as she doesn't get out or anything, she should be okay..."

Ukyo seemed to think for a moment, then nodded. "If you want bring her back over here for a while after we've all gone to school, I guess that's okay. But... you can't have any cats around here as long as Ranma lives here. He... uh... gets kind of nervous around them..." she looked down at the cat. "And to be honest, so do I."

"Oh my, I'm so sorry..." Kasumi took the cat from Ukyo, and she seemed to relax.

"Yeah, it really would be best if you didn't have any cats around here. I hate to put out your friend, but things could really get bad with a cat around here."

"Is it really so bad?" Kasumi studied the young girl carefully. It was obvious that she didn't like having to tell Kasumi not to take care of the cat, and didn't seem too nervous herself. But she could see a tension in her eyes every time she looked at the cat, and she kept wringing her hands.

Ukyo looked around the yard. She had started to blush a bit, and hesitated for a long moment. "I... I really can't talk about it. This is Ranchan's business and... I shouldn't talk about it. It embarrasses him, it embarrasses him a lot." She met Kasumi's eyes. "All I can tell you is, if you ever see a cat around, and Ranma is around, make sure he doesn't see the cat. Try and get the cat away if you can, without Ranma seeing it. And if he does see a cat... well, just let me know."

"Okay." Kasumi smiled reassuringly. "I will. Are you all right?"

Ukyo nodded. "I will be. I just... I get really tense and excited whenever cats are around, but I don't really hate them. I kind of like them, actually..."

There was a long moment of silence, and then she looked back towards the house. She seemed to consider her words carefully, then looked back into Kasumi's eyes. "And Kasumi... if there's a cat around... and it seems like Ranma is acting... strange..."

She fell silent again, and Kasumi smiled to encourage her. "Go on..."

Ukyo blew out a breath. "Come get me. Don't go near Ranma, don't try to touch him, just get me. I'm the only one who can bring him out of it."

"Bring him out of what?" Kasumi asked.

"Nothing. I can't say. Just... If Ranchan's acting weird, you'll know he's acting weird, just... just come get me. I'll take care of him. I'll make sure he's okay... I'll make sure he's safe..."

Her blush now growing very deep, Ukyo walked off back towards the house to check on Ranma. Concerned, but shrugging her shoulders in confusion, Kasumi set about tucking the cat into her carrier until Ranma could leave for school.

* * *

Ukyo got in her early sparring session with Akane once she returned. They concentrated on working with the Rhythmic Gymnastics equipment, since this was Friday, and the match would be coming up the next day, Saturday. Ukyo, Ranma and Akane all then set off for school, with Akane bringing along P-chan. As soon as they got to school, Ryoga joined them.

As they were headed for their first class, there was noise from up ahead. Shampoo charged through the crowd. Spotting Ranma, she smiled widely, shouting, "Airen!" Ranma stepped in front of Ukyo and Akane, gesturing protectively for them to get behind him. Shampoo was drawn up short by the serious expression on his face, and the tension in his stance.

"What do you want, Shampoo?" Ranma growled. Shampoo's expression fell further at the distrust in his voice, and she looked at the floor.

"Airen... mad at Shampoo..." She said, petulantly. "Shampoo know why. Shampoo hurt Shield Sister... not want to, Shampoo not know pig was Shield Sister pet!"

She turned to look at Ukyo as she said this, her lavender eyes worried. Then she bowed, deeply. "Shampoo very sorry. Shampoo just trying to play joke, not know Shield Sister be mad. Thought pig was Angry Girl's pet, just use... find Ranchan. Shampoo no want hurt pig..."

Ukyo took a deep breath. "It's all right, Shampoo. You couldn't have known... and I guess I overreacted, too." She seemed to shudder a bit, and put a hand to her face. But when she looked up, she was smiling a bit.

"I guess if you knew why it was I was so upset, you'd be more upset about the joke I pulled on you. So I guess we're even."

Shampoo grinned widely. "Shampoo thank Shield Sister!" She gave the taller girl a tight hug, which caused Ukyo to gasp from lack of air. Then she looked back at Ranma hopefully. "Airen no mad now, too?"

Ranma frowned, but then gulped at the look in Shampoo's eyes. "Um... yeah, sure, Shampoo. I guess I forgive ya if Sis does..."

Shampoo cried out happily, and wrapped her arms around Ranma, who only looked more nervous. Akane scowled darkly. As Shampoo continued to rub herself against Ranma, muttering, "Shampoo so happy," Akane began to make a noise which sounded like growling.

Ukyo had noticed Akane's mood, and started looking a bit nervous herself. "Look, uh... Shampoo, do, uh, where do you go during the day? You're not going here to the school. So... do you have a place to live or something?"

Shampoo looked at her for a moment, confused, but then pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Shampoo... find work. Job. Do things, here, there. Not much..."

"But... where do you stay?" Ukyo studied her carefully. "Do you have a house or apartment somewhere? Are you maybe staying at a community center or something?"

Shampoo again looked confused, then shrugged. "Shampoo no stay in house. Camp in woods. Stay near, watch for Ran-chan..."

Ukyo shook her head. "I thought so. Here, Shampoo, let me give you this..." She pulled out a piece of paper and started to scribble on it, which caused Akane to frown even further.

"You are NOT inviting her to stay at MY house!" She snapped.

"No, of course not..." She handed the note to Shampoo. "This is the address of Dr. Tofu's office. Dr. Tofu." She repeated the name so Shampoo would remember it. "Show people this note and ask where this is." She pointed at the note as Shampoo took it, and the violet haired girl looked back and forth from the note to Ukyo.

"Dr. Tofu can give you a job, and probably a place to stay, too. Ranma's Old Man... I mean, that panda is working there, too. I'm sure Tofu can take on another pair of hands, and you won't have to be staying out in the street."

Akane had finally reached her limit. "Have you lost your mind? Have you forgotten that she's trying to kill you? Or 'Ran-chan', anyway." Shampoo turned to look at her at the name. "She tried to erase my memory! SHE ALMOST KILLED YOU!"

Ranma put up both his hands. "Hey, hold on, Akane! Ucc... I mean, Sis is fine and so are you. I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt anybody..."

"Didn't mean to hurt anybody?" Akane huffed. "She gave the Kiss of Death to Ran-chan! She's hunting her to the ends of the Earth to kill her!"

"Kill Ran-chan!" Shampoo agreed, not really following the conversation. "No hide Ran-chan!" She said this last while shaking a fist somewhat threateningly in Akane's direction.

Ukyo cut in. "Look, Akane, Shampoo didn't really mean to hurt me. I'm the one who attacked HER, remember? I overreacted... and she was just trying to defend herself."

Akane snorted. "Get some hot water, and YOU'LL be the one defending yourself."

Ranma put up his hands again. "Akane! Don't mention water around the..."

Akane shook her head. "She doesn't know about the curse, Ranma, don't worry about it. I'm not going to tell her." She looked back at Shampoo, and the Amazon scowled back at her. "But sooner or later 'Ran-chan' is going to appear around here. And either you... 'Ranko', or Shampoo are going to get hurt..."

"No hide Ran-chan!" Shampoo repeated.

"I'm not hiding Ran-chan!" Akane shouted, frustrated. Then she put a hand to her head. "Well, I am, but I'm not. She's right here..."

"Akane!" Ranma hissed, even though Akane had barely muttered the last part.

Fortunately, Shampoo still seemed confused. Ukyo finally broke the silence. "Look, that's why I'm trying to help her out. Maybe if we make friends with her, she'll decide she doesn't want to hurt us, and go home."

"And what if she doesn't?" Akane sighed. "I can't take this any more..."

She turned to walk away, but Ranma winced at her words. "Um..."

She glanced back at him. "I've just got to get to class, that's all. I'll see you at home." She paused a moment, then looked at Ukyo. "We've still got to practice tonight. The match is tomorrow..."

She walked off, leaving Ranma and Ukyo staring at each other uncomfortably. Finally, Shampoo smirked and threw her hair back. "She Angry Girl. Much better without her." She stepped forward to wrap her arms around Ranma again, and he ducked away from her.

"Yeah, but she's right." Ukyo put a hand on Shampoo's shoulder, stopping her pursuit of Ranma. Shampoo glanced down at the hand on her shoulder, then back up at Ukyo. "You realize that Ran-chan is our friend, right? She's Ranma's sister, and... she's like a sister to me, too. We don't want to hurt you, but... we're not going to help you kill her.

"You realize that if you hurt Ran-chan, that's going to hurt us, right? We might... we might not be able to be your friends any more. We might hurt you."

Shampoo stared into Ukyo's eyes. For a moment, there seemed to be hesitation. But then, her jaw set firmly, and she drew herself up.

"Shampoo Amazon warrior. Not want hurt Shield Sister. But must kill Ran-chan. Shampoo... honor. Must kill Ran-chan."

"We don't want to hurt you either, Shampoo. But eventually, one of us IS going to get hurt."

There was a long silence. Shampoo's eyes seemed to glisten, as if with tears. But then her scowl returned. "Shampoo kill Ran-chan. Then Shampoo go back to China, take Airen, have many child. Not get in Shampoo way."

Ranma had turned white at Shampoo's plans for the future, but she turned and walked down the hall out of the school. Her steps were slow and measured, and showed none of her usual enthusiasm. Ukyo only sighed and shook her head sadly.

* * *

That evening, Ranma and Akane practiced in the dojo. Akane was using the ribbon to strike at him, while Ranma just dodged about, leaping off the walls to avoid the lashing ribbon. "You're doin' pretty good!" Ranma said only half jokingly. "Ya haven't tangled yourself all up in it yet!"

"Ranma!" Akane snapped. "Quit jumping around and strike back! You're not taking this seriously!"

Ranma grumbled under his breath. "Those are dumb weapons. I ain't gonna use 'em. You'll only get fouled up and hurt yourself."

"I will not! The last time I got the ribbon tangled was three days ago." She snapped the ribbon at him again, as if to make the point. "And it's the only thing I'm still having trouble with! Quit treating me like a baby!"

There was a short silence while Ranma danced around, but then there was a lull in the fight, and he shook his head. "I don't like it, Akane. These weapons are clumsy and... well, I'm not sure I've had enough time ta get used to 'em." He looked up at her. "I don't wanna hurt you..."

"Kodachi is going to hurt me if you don't. I need experience being attacked, not just attacking. Ukyo said so."

Ranma looked down, then shook his head again. "All right. But I ain't goin' all out."

Akane seemed angry at this, but nodded anyway. "I guess it'll have to do, at least until Ukyo gets back. If it worries you so much, though, I'll use another weapon."

Ranma and Akane both picked up a set of clubs, and headed to opposite ends of the dojo. Akane readied herself and started to charge, but then Ranma noticed a stray ball, one of the gymnastics tools, had been left right in her path. He started to shout out a warning, but it was already too late. Too intent on watching Ranma, Akane had not noticed the ball, and her foot slipped on it.

"Akane!" Ranma tried to leap towards her, but he was moving too slowly. He could do nothing as she pitched forward, a look of panic in her eyes. Suddenly, her expression cleared, and she tucked into a roll. She hit the floor, but flipped over, and came up clutching her foot.

"Akane! You okay?" Finally, Ranma reached her, and knelt down next to her. Seeing her holding her ankle, he grabbed at it, and started twisting it, trying to see if he could feel any damage.

"I might have twisted my ankle," Akane said sheepishly. "I wasn't watching what I was... Ow!"

Ranma yelled at her. "You stupid, clumsy, macho tomboy! Why didn't ya watch were you were goin', you idiot? Now yer not gonna be able to fight tomorrow!" He pulled even harder at her ankle and Akane cried out again.

"I said I MIGHT have twisted it, you baka!" Akane countered. She pushed against him, and he flew back from her, landing on his bottom on the dojo floor. "But now YOU'RE hurting me!"

Ranma got back to his feet, torn between embarrassment and concern. He settled for walking back over to her and sitting down. Akane cradled her ankle with one hand, while she rotated her foot with the other.

"It doesn't seem twisted. It doesn't hurt, it's just tender. It'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" Ranma checked her ankle again, more gently this time, and noticed that she wasn't wincing. "It could still be sprained."

"I don't think so." Akane studied it for another moment as well, and then cautiously got to her feet. She tested her weight on it, and seemed to be able to stand on it all right. "It seems fine. I should be okay for tomorrow. That was close, though..."

"Maybe we better get Dr. Tofu to look at it anyway," Ranma suggested. "It might still be weak. You could twist it again tomorrow..."

Akane's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "It's not that bad, Ranma. It's fine, really. I'll be fine."

He grabbed her arm. "Still, we should see Dr. Tofu. You're always trippin' all the time, you clumsy..."

To Ranma's surprise, Akane suddenly burst out laughing. As he stared at her, scowling, she looked up at him with a smile. "Ranma, if you had injured yourself, you'd be standing here pretending nothing was wrong. And if I suggested we go see Dr. Tofu, you'd say, 'I don't need no weak girl tellin' me I'm hurt!'".

"That's different!" Ranma turned red, although it was as much because Akane was mimicing his voice when she imitated him as much as anything else. "I'm serious, Akane, you could be hurt!"

"And I'm serious too, Ranma." She put a hand on his arm, then took his hand and squeezed it. "I'm fine. I'm sure I don't need to see Dr. Tofu, but if you're worried about it, we'll go by in the morning and see him, before the meet. It'll have to be early in the morning, since we've got to be at St. Hebereke's really early anyway. But he can check on me and make sure I'm okay to compete. Ukyo too."

Ranma seemed to be okay with that, but he still studied Akane carefully. "Are you sure?"

Akane nodded. "We can't go see him now anyway, his office will be closed this time of night, and I don't want to wake him up and ask him to come over here over something as silly as this. It'll wait until tomorrow."

"What will wait until tomorrow?" came Ukyo's voice from the doorway. She walked into the dojo with Ryoga behind her.

"Clumsy, here, twisted her ankle," Ranma teased, hooking his thumb at Akane.

"I ALMOST twisted it," Akane huffed. "I'm fine. But Ranma talked me into going and seeing Dr. Tofu about it tomorrow." She elbowed him.

Ranma stuck his tongue out at her, but then noticed Ryoga. "So ya found Umbrella Boy, then."

Ukyo nodded, as Ryoga fumed at Ranma's name calling. "He was wandering around a couple of streets over. Hey, he almost got here..." Actually, Ryoga had been wandering around in pig form, and he had gotten lost LEAVING the Tendo home, as he had been looking for the furo. But Ukyo wasn't going to say that.

"Well, at least Sis found ya," Ranma said. "I thought we were gonna have to train without you today."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here..." Ryoga growled.

"I'm not sure we need a lot more training," Ukyo put in, "but I'm more concerned about Akane's ankle. What happened?"

"She wasn't lookin' where she was goin' and tripped," Ranma said, and Akane looked at the floor, blushing. Ranma glanced at her, and although he smirked at her for a moment, his teasing look quickly faded. "She's just too clumsy. If she does that tomorrow, she's gonna get hurt."

"Hey! I didn't get hurt, okay? I'm fine!" Akane's tone was not very confident, however. She started to grind her teeth, still staring at the floor.

Ukyo looked around and spotted the ball. "You tripped on that?"

Akane nodded. "But I was able to roll and catch myself. I'm fine." She glanced up at Ranma and pouted.

"Probably, and it's a good thing we've been practicing falls. But you practice falls for those times when you can't avoid falling. It's better not to fall in the first place.

"What we need to work on is your balance, Akane, but we don't have time for that now. The match is tomorrow." Ukyo turned to Ranma. "Ranchan, I want you to take Akane roof hopping."

"What, now?" Ranma protested.

At the same moment, Akane spoke up as well, surprised. "Are you sure? Do you... think I'm ready for that?"

"You won't ever be unless you start building up your leg strength, will you?" Akane turned beet red, at that. "And Ranchan, you're just going to have to help her, like you helped me when we were kids."

Now it was Ranma's turn to blush deeply. "No way! I ain't doing that!"

"You will, and you'll do it right now."

"But it's already dark!" Akane said. "I won't be able to... see where I'm going!"

"That's the whole point," Ukyo said with a smile. "You'll have to keep a close eye on your feet if you're going to roof hop in the dark without tripping. And Ranma, if you let her fall, and she can't compete tomorrow, I'll hold you responsible..."

Ranma's eyes widened, as if that hadn't occured to him, but then he frowned. "I ain't gonna let Akane fall! I'd never do that."

"Then go. You've got about two hours before you have to get to bed."

"Aw, man..." Ranma looked at Akane. "I don't wanna... she's gonna..." But then a thought seemed to occur to him, and a smile spread over his face. "You're makin' me do this, Sis?"

Ukyo grinned back at me, widely. "Yep. I'm making you do it. If Akane has a problem with it, she can take it up with me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Akane said, looking at Ukyo wide eyed, but then looked back at Ranma. He was regarding her with a smirk that made her nervous.

"It's not that I want to, Akane," Ranma said, grabbing her hand. "But Sis says I have to. So come on." He dragged her out into the yard, and Akane followed along, wanting to protest, but unsure about what was going on.

Akane became more inclined to protest, though, as he wrapped his arms around her, right under her arms. As she reacted to this, she suddenly felt him leap, and they were carried up onto the dojo roof.

"Ranma! What are you doing, you baka!" Ranma grinned at her impishly as he let her go. Then he placed both his hands under her arms. Akane turned even redder than before, and for some reason, her heart started racing.

"If you don't run, tomboy, you won't be able to keep up. So come on, start running."

"Ranma? Ranma! Stop, what..." Akane was forced forward as Ranma started running across the roof, pushing her ahead of him. Her panic increased as they neared the edge of the roof. She leaped, blindly, knowing she couldn't possibly make it, but Ranma was there guiding her, his hands just barely supporting her, and she felt her feet contact the next roof.

"Stop! Let me go! Watch where you're putting those hands, you pervert! I didn't say you could hold me like that! RANMA... YOU... BAKAAAAA!" Akane's voice faded away, as the couple bounded off into the distance. Ukyo smiled as she watched them disappear, then turned back to the dojo.

"Looks like it's just you an' me, then," Ryoga commented. There was a hint of challenge in his voice, but he smiled, showing a fang.

Ukyo shook her head. "I don't think so. There's not much more we can do tonight, and we should be ready for the match in the morning. So I think I'm just going to take a bath and go to bed."

"I disagree," Ryoga said. "I think you could use some more practice. It never hurts to be more prepared."

Ukyo stopped and studied him for a moment. He had fallen into a stance, and it was obvious he wasn't going to let her leave without a fight. Uncertain, she walked over to pick up the ribbon, and held it ready. "Okay, if you want to do this."

"Oh, I do." Ryoga's smile was more menacing this time, and showed a bit more fang. He came at her, and Ukyo snapped the ribbon, but it had little effect. She was forced to dodge out of the way of his charge.

Realizing he was serious, Ukyo lashed out at Ryoga's feet, throwing him to the ground. He flipped back upright, and came at her again, although he was a lot more careful about avoiding the ribbon. After a few minutes, Ukyo began to realize the ribbon was not defensive enough to resist his aggressive attacks, and so she abandoned it, rolling aside as she grabbed the hoop.

Ukyo blocked Ryoga's charge, spinning the hoop around her in a complicated series of moves that looked nothing like Gymastics. "What's going on? Are you fighting me for real here, Ryoga?"

He smiled at her again. "Let's just say I'm giving you a challenge. I think you deserve a good workout after all the work you've done getting ready for the tournament."

Ukyo dodged to one side, flinging the hoop as she back flipped away from him. Ryoga was forced to dodge the hoop, and she switched to clubs. He kept up the pressure on her, but Ukyo countered easily. She realized, though, that if he this kept up, she would start to grow tired.

"Are you trying to wear me out, Ryoga? Make me lose the tournament? Why would you want to do that?" It wasn't exactly a question, Ukyo was trying to puzzle it out herself.

Ryoga answered her anyway. "I heard what Kodachi said at school. About how if you and Akane lose, she wins Ranma. Ranma will have to take her out on a date, and Akane will be free..."

"... Free to go out with you," Ukyo finished.

"That's right. Ranma's a jerk. He doesn't deserve someone like Akane. I'll get Ranma out of her life, and she'll be a lot happier..."

"And I suppose you think you're better. A guy who sleeps in her bed, as a pig." She spit the word. "Yeah, you're a real man, you are."

That made Ryoga angry. He struck out at her, with a roar, and Ukyo simply leaped over his head. She flung the hoop at him again as she rolled past it, then blocked with the clubs as he just knocked the hoop aside. "I'm more of a man than Ranma is! And it's your fault I'm the way I am! I see the way you're trying to keep me away from her! But you won't get away with it! Akane likes me... maybe she could even love me, and I love her! I'll win her over, and then you'll see!"

Ukyo shook her head at the lost boy's lack of direction, in more ways than one. But then set herself to dodging his attacks. She had gotten him enraged, which would help, but it could still take him hours to run out of energy. She considered for a moment fleeing the dojo, and trying to lose him, but then she decided she did need the practice. At least Ranma and Akane wouldn't be the only ones to get in more training tonight.


	17. The Gymnastics Tournament

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 17

Akane awoke, stretching in the sunlight that was streaming in through her window. She had slept pretty soundly, although she blushed as she remembered a few dreams, of leaping across the rooftops with a certain pigtailed martial artist. It had been quite a workout, and she had been frightened at first. But then, as she began to relax and get into it, she had to admit that it had been pretty exhilarating. It felt almost like flying, as she raced along, barely in control of her movements, and yet she had felt completely safe and secure, knowing that Ranma was right there. His hands had not been really holding her, just pushing her along, but she somehow knew he would never let her fall, or miss a step.

By the end, she was pushing herself, trying to leap farther and farther. She hadn't wanted to hold back, entranced by the joy of feeling so free, with the wind rushing past her. Ranma even encouraged her somewhat, although mostly he was just teasing her, telling she could never keep up. But even that faded before the knowledge that she WAS keeping up, she was doing it, and with each jump she pushed a little harder. By the time they got home, she was exhausted, and her legs felt like they were made of lead. But she'd never been so happy in all her life.

Of course, once they got safely home, she had beaten Ranma pretty soundly for touching her like that. After all, she couldn't let him think he could get away with that. But she smiled as she remembered his protests that it was all Ukyo's idea. And she hadn't really hit him that hard. After all, it had been pretty nice. The blush grew again, and Akane shook her head to dispel those thoughts before they went any further. She would have to make sure to apologize to him some time today. And maybe even... well, maybe not right away, but after a few weeks she might get up the nerve to ask him to do it again. It would be nice to do that again...

As Akane looked around the room, she noticed that Ukyo was not there in her futon. In fact, the futon had not been rolled out, and was still tucked up against the wall. She had been so exhausted the night before, she hadn't even noticed Ukyo wasn't there. Had she stayed up all night? Or had she decided to sleep in the dojo for some reason? Did she want to get in some early morning training before the match? Curious, Akane got out of bed, and decided to go look for her.

She put on her jogging outfit, figuring she would stop by Dr. Tofu's while on her jog. That would give him time to look at her ankle, and she could be back in time to get ready for the tournament. She slipped out of her room, and into the house, which was quiet as usual. Kasumi was in the kitchen, of course, making breakfast, but the rest of the household was still asleep, this early on a Saturday. She went out to the walkway that separated the house from the dojo, and then slid open the door to the dojo itself.

There she found Ukyo, bouncing up and down on Ryoga's head. He was laying on the floor stunned. "Have you two been training all night?" Akane asked, shocked.

Ukyo looked up at her. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she stared at Akane blearily. "Oh, yeah. Pork Butt here was thinkin' that he could wear me out. Stupid pig. But I sure showed him..."

Akane wondered momentarily why Ukyo was calling Ryoga a pig, but put that aside. Ukyo didn't seem to know what she was saying. "Are you going to be okay for the tournament? You look exhausted!"

"Nah, I'm fine," Ukyo said, staggering towards her. "I just needta get some brekfasht in me and I'll wake right up. You'll shee."

Akane watched her worriedly, as the redhead stumbled on past her and into the house. There was a commotion from Ranma's room, which showed that he had been awakened by his father and was showing his gratitude by throwing him out the window. Then Kasumi came in and began setting out the breakfast. Ukyo started to wander past the table, and Akane pulled her back and sat her down.

Ukyo started chewing on a dish towel. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Akane asked her.

"Oh, sure. I'm a norning person. A perning norson. Morning pershon. Close enough."

Akane shook her head. "Well, I'm going to go jogging, and then stop by Dr. Tofu's. Will you join me there? I know you didn't twist your ankle, but it might not be a bad idea for a last minute check up. Just to make sure."

"Okie dokie!" Ukyo said. "I'll be there!" She giggled happily. By now, Ranma and Genma had joined them at the table, and Ranma was looking at her worriedly.

Kasumi had noticed as Ryoga wandered in. He, too, didn't seem to know exactly where he was. "Good morning, Ryoga. Would you like to stay for breakfast?" Kasumi asked.

Ryoga nodded. He took a seat opposite Akane and Ukyo, and Kasumi went back into the kitchen for another bowl.

"As long as it's not ramen, eh, Ryoga?" Ukyo said with a wicked, if somewhat lopsided, smile. "We've had enough of that!"

Ryoga turned a bit white. Ukyo laughed at him. "Oh, lighten up. As long as it's not PORK, it's okay!"

Akane and Ranma glanced at each other. "Whoa, Sis, you're out of it this morning," Ranma finally said. "I haven't seen you this silly in a long time."

"I'm silly, but I'm CUTE!" Ukyo shouted. Then she collapsed into her rice.

Akane shook her head as she lifted the redhead's face out of her bowl. "She and Ryoga were up all night training for some reason. I don't know what she was thinking. I hope she can compete like this."

"You're responsible for this, Umbrella Boy?" Ranma eyed Ryoga, with a scowl. "What were YOU thinking?"

Ryoga shrugged. He seemed to be worn down by his fight with Ukyo as well. "I think after the first couple of hours we were so tired we weren't thinking any more."

"Well, you better not make a habit of this. I don't want you beatin' up on my Sis."

Ryoga snorted, loudly. "She's the one that did most of the beating. I had no idea she was that good..."

"You better believe it, sugar," Ukyo muttered, but she was still sitting at the table with her eyes closed, and looked asleep.

Ranma glanced at her, then looked over at Akane. "Hey, about what I was sayin' about Dr. Tofu..."

Akane smiled. "I know, and I was just asking Ukyo to go with me. Do you want to go too?"

"Only to make sure you get there..."

"Baka. I said I'd go, and I'll go." She paused a moment, then looked back at him. "And thanks for helping me last night. And sorry... I'm sorry I made such a big deal about... um, you know." She blushed a bit. "I really appreciate you helping me learn to roof hop."

Ranma glanced back at her, startled. "Uh... yeah, sure. Whatever."

"I'll go after my jog. Why don't you meet me there?"

"Sure thing, Akane." Ranma answered.

Ukyo giggled. "Pork Butt..." she muttered sleepily. Ryoga seemed to choke on his food.

* * *

Several hours later, Ryoga found himself at St. Hebereke's. He only had time to express his surprise at his good fortune, and tearfully announce that this only PROVED that he and Akane were destined to be together, when a splash of cold water brought him back down to earth. Now a little black pig, he turned his eyes downward in depression. He perked up slightly when a group of schoolgirls spotted him, and called out to the "cute little pig". But then Kodachi appeared and shooed them away. She picked P-chan up, while he eyed her warily.

In the gymnasium, Akane and Ranma walked into the dressing rooms, looking worried. "Are you sure Ukyo wasn't there when you left?" Akane asked.

"Naw. She was gone, I figured she had gone on ahead to the Doc's." Ranma answered.

"But she wasn't at the doctor's. I hope she's okay."

"Me too... but Sis can take care of herself. She was so out of it, though, I hope she didn't just get lost."

"Well... maybe she decided to come straight here..." Akane looked around the dressing room, but there was no sign of her. "Do you think Kodachi managed to ambush her somehow?"

Ranma shrugged, although it was obvious he was hiding his worry, and not very well at that. "I'll go look for her in the gym. Maybe she's there. You go ahead and get changed."

Akane changed into her yellow leotard, and then followed after Ranma. There was no sign of Ukyo, though, and the audience was already gathering to watch the match. A ring had been set up in the center of the gym, and the audience was sitting in the bleachers around it. Kuno could be seen sitting in one of the seats, holding his bokken over one shoulder. He had his eyes closed, as if in contemplation, as he waited for the match to start.

"If she doesn't get here soon, she's gonna miss the fight," Ranma said, as Akane joined him at the ring.

Akane nodded. "I don't know what's taking her. But... there's only a few minutes left. I guess I'm going to have to fight Kodachi on my own..."

At that moment, they were interrupted, by a cry of "Airen!" They turned, to see Shampoo barrelling at them from the stands. She glomped onto Ranma, then let him go, and looked at Akane with an air of measured caution.

"Shampoo not come see Angry Girl, Shampoo not care Angry Girl win. But better Angry Girl win than Screechy Girl." She studied Akane for a moment. "You train with Shield Sister, yes, get many fast, hold off Shampoo?"

Akane nodded her agreement. "Then Shampoo think fast enough beat Screechy Girl. Shampoo go watch fight now. Watch carefully." She regarded Akane evenly, while the dark haired girl glared back at her.

Shampoo turned back to Ranma. "Airen give Shampoo Ran-chan now? Come back to China with Shampoo now?"

Ranma gulped and put up his hands. "No, no! I ain't goin' anywhere with you, Shampoo!"

Shampoo smiled. It was that wicked smile, and held a hint of something dark and foreboding. "Shampoo think Airen will. Soon. Shampoo be waiting."

She walked back into the crowd, leaving Ranma and Akane looking at each other worriedly. But a noise from the ring drew their attention. The referee was waiting in the ring, and Kodachi made her entrance, in a grand display accentuated by explosions of smoke, and loud cheering from the audience. The referee waved for quiet, and the audience fell silent as he began his announcements.

"And now," the referee said, "the Championship match of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Martial Arts Tournament. In this corner, from St. Hebereke's School for Girls, Kodachi Kuno! And in this corner, the first of two challengers, from Furinkan High School, Ranko Tendo!"

Akane stepped over to the ropes, to call the referee over. "I'm afraid Ranko isn't here yet. We told her to meet us here, but... she's late."

Kodachi laughed from her corner of the ring. "A challenger, forfeiting a fight with Kodachi Kuno before the match even starts? My, how unexpected."

Akane snarled as she leaned over the ropes. "What have you done with Uk... Ranko, Kodachi! Did you hurt her?"

The crazed gymnast laughed again. "For once, I haven't done anything. It almost makes me feel foolish. I struggled so hard to eliminate her, and here she eliminates herself."

"My Sis ain't no coward!" Ranma shouted.

"Of course not, Ranma darling. But she just wants you to be happy with me. Don't you see? Hohohohoho!" Both Ranma and Akane shuddered at her laughter.

Akane looked back at the referee. "Can we switch my match for hers? I go first?"

"I'm sorry, but the order of the competition was selected beforehand. If Ranko Tendo does not show up in the next few minutes, then she forfeits the match."

"But I still have my match, right?"

The referee nodded. "That's right. Furinkan can still win if you defeat Kodachi. If you have a substitute, then you can enter her, but YOU can't substitute for her. You're only allowed to compete once against each challenger."

"We don't have any substitutes," Akane said, sighing. "Ukyo and I were it." She looked back at Ranma. "What do you think? We still have a chance, don't we?"

Ranma studied her a moment. Then he sighed. "Sis has been trainin' ya. If anyone can win this, you can. Go on ahead, Akane."

She smiled brightly. "Thanks." She paused at a thought. "I don't suppose..." She looked Ranma up and down, then suddenly shook her head. "No, Shampoo's in the audience. If you appear as Ran-chan, she'll kill you."

Ranma turned red. "You weren't thinkin' of enterin' ME in there!"

"No, no," Akane giggled. "It was just a thought." She turned more serious as she looked at the gymnasium doors, but there was still no sign of Ukyo. "Well, I guess she's not going to show..."

"Your time is up," the referee said. "Is your friend going to compete or not?"

Akane shook her head. "Ranko couldn't make it. I'll take on Kodachi."

"All right then." He raised his voice again. "In this corner, from Furinkan High School, Akane Tendo!"

There was applause from the students from Furinkan, and Akane smiled at the show of support. She frowned, however, noting that Kuno was one of the crowd cheering for her. Ignoring him, she climbed into the ring and approached the referee, as did Kodachi.

"Shake hands," the referee ordered. Akane offered her hand, but Kodachi suddenly pointed behind her.

"Look there!" Akane did so, hoping maybe Ukyo had finally come in, but jumped as she felt something close around her wrist. Kodachi had put a manacle on her arm.

Akane looked down to see that the manacle was attached to a chain, which was then attached to another shackle wrapped around P-chan's waist. She grabbed the pig, and cradled him to her chest. "Kodachi! What did you do to P-chan?"

"Oh, dear. Is that your pet?" Kodachi laughed again. "This day is turning out to be full of surprises!"

Akane tried to take the shackle off, but it was locked around her wrist. "This isn't going to stop me, Kodachi. I'll beat you, even with this! Hurting my poor P-chan..."

"Go to your corners," the referee said, as the announcer began describing the rules. "This is a no time limit match. Bare handed attacks are not allowed. If either contestant falls completely down, or outside of the ring, she will be the immediate loser."

The referee gave the order to begin, and Akane picked up a club and charged. Kodachi countered with a rope, which she somehow made stiffen like a rod. Akane dodged the rope, but kept pressing her attack, until P-chan suddenly darted around her legs, wrapping her in the chain.

Unable to move, Akane wobbled and then toppled over. This was to her advantage, as Kodachi had brought the rope down, intending to strike her on the head. Akane blocked the blow with her arm instead, and cried out in pain. A loud clang echoed around the gym.

"That IS a rod!" The announcer commented. "A rod disguised as a rope!"

"Hey! Can she do that?" Ranma pulled himself up the ropes, as if on the verge of jumping in the ring himself. "Ref! That's not a real rope!"

"It's not a bare handed attack," the referee said. "It's not against the rules."

"What?" Ranma looked back at Akane, who had managed to untangle herself from the chain. She somehow managed to keep from falling completely to the mat, having used her arm to break the fall. She leaped out of the way of Kodachi's strike, as the clubs Kodachi was using suddenly sprouted a number of deadly spikes. They then retracted back in. "HEY!" Ranma said. "Didn't cha see that?"

"See what?" asked the referee, who had been looking at Ranma.

Ranma bit his lip. Worriedly, he watched Akane dodge Kodachi's attacks. Somehow, she had gotten tangled up in P-chan again, and one of the spiked clubs cut across her leg. "Akane!" Ranma called out, as blood began to trickle from the wound.

"Oh, this is all too easy. That little pig of yours is going to cost you the match." Kodachi charged in for the finishing blow, but Akane suddenly flipped over backward, and landed on her feet. In doing so, she pulled herself out of the tangle of P-chan's chain, and brought it up in front of her as a shield. Kodachi's spiked clubs caught on the chain, and she pulled them away. Akane then whipped P-chan around, and smacked Kodachi across the face with him.

Akane backed away into the corner, as Kodachi fumed, clutching at her face. As she leaned against the post, Akane began shaking. She started to cry.

"P-chan, baby... I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." She picked the pig up and held him. "Look, baby, I know you're scared. But please. Don't hurt me like that. When you run around like that, I get all tangled up, and..." She shivered, beginning to sob harder. P-chan swallowed, staring at her.

"Please, this is hard enough. I just can't..." she sobbed again. "I can't beat Kodachi. Not if you keep trying to get away. I know you're scared and... I'll protect you. I won't let her hurt you. Just... don't keep making me mess up. Not in front of all these people. Don't do this to me..."

P-chan looked up at her, his expression one of anguish, but Kodachi laughed merrily. "Oh, you self deluded little child! Do you really think it's the pig? I've been toying with you so far, but you could never beat me. You're just too slow. You haven't gotten a hit in on me yet, and now you're on the ropes."

Akane gaped at her, her heart threatening to stop in her chest. "Your friend Ranko might have had a chance, but you're outclassed and you know it. It's not the pig. It's you."

P-chan had started to growl, and from the ringside, Ranma yelled out, "Shut up, Kodachi, you don't know nuthin'!" He started to climb into the ring, but the referee waved at him.

"Only the contestants can enter the ring," she said, and Ranma backed down, grumbling.

"Don't worry, my darling Ranma," Kodachi said in a sing song voice. "I will run to your arms soon enough, and then we can be together. You need only wait a little while more."

Ranma snarled. "Kodachi, you..."

Akane had settled back into a stance, although she was still trembling wildly. "You haven't won yet, Kodachi! I'm not going to let you just beat me! There's no way I'll lose to the likes of you!"

"No? You don't sound very sure of yourself. Why don't you just give up now, before you get hurt?"

In Akane's arms, P-chan had suddenly begun squirming. Startled, she let go of him, and the pig shot at Kodachi. He leaped at her, and sank his fangs into her arm. Kodachi cried out in pain.

"And Akane's pig has attacked Kodachi! Is that a legal attack?" the commentator contemplated.

"It's not a bare handed attack!" the referee replied. "Pigs use their FANGS!"

"HEY!" Kodachi called out, trying to beat the pig off of her. "That's not what I pay... I mean, that's not the way I interpret the rules!"

"Leave P-chan alone!" Akane screamed, her eyes narrowing. She picked up a couple of the clubs, and charged at Kodachi. "I won't let you hurt him!"

Kodachi danced aside, still laughing in her maniacal way. "The pig is a more effective fighter than you. At least HE hit me..."

"You... I'll hit you, you'll see!"

"Akane!" Ranma shouted. "Don't hit her bare handed!"

Akane realized that she had been about to throw a kick, and pulled it back. Kodachi lunged out with her own spiked clubs, and one just grazed the side of Akane's head. She felt it brush through her hair.

"You're going to lose for sure, at this rate," Kodachi taunted. Akane snarled and charged at her again, and Kodachi whirled out of her way.

Ranma was trying to climb into the ring again, and the referee was arguing with him. At that moment, though, another voice called out from the contestant entrance. "Akane! You're losing your focus! Keep control of your temper! She's trying to make you lose control!"

A very familiar redhead came jogging up to the ring, wearing a light purple leotard. "Sorry I'm late," Ukyo called out. "Did I miss my match?"

Akane glanced at Kodachi, but she had backed off, unsure of this new development. Akane moved closer to the ringside.

"The referee had to call it a forfeit." Akane told her. "Where were you?"

"I'm not sure." Ukyo shook her head. "I must have fallen asleep, because I was wandering around in a daze. But then I woke up and I felt... I don't know. Really awake." She ran her hand through her hair. "... refreshed."

"I guess the nap did me some good. Anyway, I looked at the time, and realized the match was starting. So I ran here as quick as I could."

"Well, you can't compete now," Akane said sadly. "You've been disqualified."

Ukyo reached out and took her hand. "I'm sure you can do it. Kodachi is just trying to get under your skin, but ignore her. Keep your cool. Don't charge at her, she's still a lot faster than you, but use the ribbon, and throw the clubs. Keep her moving and off her balance."

She glanced at P-chan, and snickered. "And use the pig, too, he's a good weapon." Akane blushed and hugged her pet tighter, not wanting to hurt him. But Ukyo was glaring at him. "And you'd better think about what you're doing." She said to him. "Do you want Akane to get beaten? Do you want her to be humiliated in front of all these people? Then behave!"

"Ukyo... he's just a pig." Akane smiled at her. "He doesn't understand you." But P-chan had turned pink, and couldn't meet her eyes.

"Well, at least ya made it, Sis," Ranma said. He put a hand on her shoulder. "With you here, Akane'll win for sure."

Ukyo turned and looked at him. She stared at him for a moment, with a look of confusion in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Ukyo said. "Do I know you?"

The ring suddenly fell dead silent. Ranma and Akane stared at her, their mouths open. Finally, Akane managed to speak. "Ukyo... Ukyo, that's... that's your brother, Ranma."

Ukyo looked up at her. "I don't have a brother, Akane, you know that. I was an only child."

"No, no," Ranma shook his head. "I'm not REALLY your brother but... I'm like your brother, see? We grew up together, Sis."

She looked down at the hand, which Ranma had moved to her arm. "You're being awfully forward. No, I've never seen you before in my life." Ukyo looked back up at him, and it was obvious from her blank expression she wasn't joking.

"She... she really doesn't remember you..." Akane muttered, her voice quiet.

It took Ranma a moment to say the words they were both thinking. "Xi Fa Xiang Gao."

"Shampoo," Akane agreed. They turned to look out into the audience. The purple haired Amazon sat there, a couple of rows back, watching intently. She met their gaze, with a smile of deep satisfaction on her face.


	18. Akane and Ukyo

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 18

"So you really don't remember me at all, Sis?" Ranma asked.

"What about me?" asked Akane. "You remember me, right?"

"Of course I do." Ukyo answered her. "You're my best friend!" Akane smiled at this, but noticed the look of hurt in Ranma's eyes.

He grabbed Ukyo's arm again. "But you remember Shampoo, right? You remember why you gotta watch out for her? Stay in your cursed form?"

Ukyo pulled her arm away, but nodded. "The Old Man ate her tournament prize, and now she's trying to kill me. Or, my normal form, anyway."

"So you remember Ranma's father, then!" Akane said, surprised.

"Who?"

"Genma. Genma Saotome. He's Ranma's father." She pointed out into the audience, where Genma had sat down, in panda form. For some reason, he had a teakettle with him, and was calmly drinking tea while he watched. In panda form, no less.

"Oh!" Ukyo turned back to Ranma. "So you're the panda's son, huh? That's cool!" She stuck out a hand. "Pleased ta meecha!"

"No, no!" Ranma's expression was turning desperate. "You already know me! We grew up together! You're my sis, Sis!"

"What did you say your name was again?"

At that moment, Kodachi cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but are we going to have a match here? I am St. Hebereke's Champion of Rhythmic Gymnastics, and my time is valuable. Unless, of course, if you'd like to forfeit..."

Akane snarled as she looked back at the black haired gymnast, but then regained her focus. "She's right, we don't have time for this. We'll have to worry about it later. Right now I've got a fight to win."

"You can do it, Akane," Ukyo reassured her. "I'll be right here rooting you on."

"Me too, Akane," Ranma agreed, with a glance at his sister. She looked at him in confusion again, and he winced.

Reluctantly, Akane left the two siblings to return to the center of the ring. Kodachi was already waiting patiently, twirling a hoop in her fingers. As Akane reached for her clubs, Kodachi flung the hoop at her. Akane brought the clubs up to block, but Ukyo shouted out a warning.

"Akane! That hoop's not flying right!"

Instinctively, Akane ducked, and thus the hoop barely missed her as it sliced through her clubs. It careened off of P-chan's chain, and then sliced into the ring floor, leaving a deep cut in the canvas.

"That hoop's been sharpened to a razor's edge!" Ukyo said. "No wonder it was flying so straight."

As Kodachi picked up a couple of clubs and brandished them, Ranma tossed Akane a ribbon. "Keep her at a distance, like Sis said! She's probably gonna try those spikes again!"

Kodachi's crazed laugher filled the gym. "You will wish I had gone so easy on you. Behold my secret technique, the Attack of a Thousand Clubs!"

Akane caught the ribbon as it fluttered towards her, then snapped it out at Kodachi. She had gone into some sort of complicated maneuver where she had brought the clubs around, making it seem like she had several of them. But then, as Akane's ribbon wrapped around her wrists, the clubs clattered to the floor. There were at least two dozen of them.

"I wonder what she was planning to achieve with that," Ukyo wondered. "Akane's more than strong enough to block that many clubs." Kodachi had become irritated at Akane countering her tricks, though, and called to her second for a ribbon of her own.

"You think you can match my skill with the ribbon, peasant?" Kodachi taunted her. "See if you can match THIS!" She turned, and instead of snapping the ribbon at Akane, lashed out towards the announcer's table. Her ribbon snagged the bell, and then whipped it back towards Akane.

Akane leaped aside as the bell came at her, rolling as it hit the mat next to her with a clang. "Hey, Akane," Ukyo called out. "Two can play that game!" Akane nodded, and snapped her whip out of the ring as well, where she snagged the whole table. But she pulled too hard on the ribbon, and it snapped.

"A deadly bell assault from Kodachi," the announcer said, "and Akane attempts a counter with the table. But I guess it was too heavy for her..."

"Too heavy, huh?" Ukyo shouted, as she stomped over to the table. "I got it, Akane. Here it comes!"

She grabbed the table by its end and swept it up in an arc over the ropes, where it sailed towards Akane. Akane caught it as it reached her, then held it upright, before bringing it down towards Kodachi. Kodachi quickly snapped her ribbon out of the ring again, and it wrapped around Tatewaki. He only had time to express his surprise at being pulled out of his seat before he was flying into the ring.

"And Kodachi has countered with her own brother!" The commentator shouted excitedly, as Kuno sliced the table in half with his bokken. He then sailed off out of the ring and landed head first on the gymnasium floor. "Use of a brother is not a bare handed attack, right?"

The referee nodded. "It's a valid attack."

"Oh, this is getting way beyond ridiculous!" Akane shouted, her eyes flashing as she started to grow angry.

Akane charged at Kodachi, snapping out with the broken half of the ribbon as Kodachi started to back away. Ukyo reminded her not to make a bare handed attack, but as Akane drew near, she scooped up Kodachi's discarded clubs. She then began peppering her with clubs from a distance, propelling them with such force that they shot out past the audience and buried themselves in the walls of the gym.

Kodachi leaped around, clearly frightened, but then spotted something. She snapped out her whip and pulled back Genma's teakettle. "Now I shall stop you!" she said. "With my deadly Steam Bath of Boiling Water attack!"

"You think I'm afraid of a little hot water?" Akane snapped, but Ukyo's eyes had widened in fear. P-chan was still chained to Akane's arm, and if the hot water hit him, he would change right in front of everyone.

More than that, Ukyo realized, the shackle was wrapped around his waist, and if he returned to human form while it was there, he would suffocate. "Akane! Be careful! Don't let it hit you!"

"What?" Akane looked at her, startled, then backed away uneasily as Kodachi gestured threateningly with the kettle.

Ukyo swallowed. "You never know what kind of tricks she might be up to," she said, grasping desperately at the first thing that came to her mind. "She might be planning to poison the water or something..."

"The paralysis gas..." Akane guessed, as she looked back. Then her eyes narrowed in determination. "Well, I'll just have to take that chance! She got that kettle from Mr. Saotome anyway, so if she's going to put something in it, she'll have to do it now!"

She sprang at Kodachi, but P-chan, too frightened to face the kettle, and still somewhat tempted to make Akane lose the fight, had wrapped his paws around one of the ropes. Akane was pulled off her feet and crashed to the mat. She leaped back to her feet a second later, as Kodachi struck at her, but was forced to back away.

"Akane! Throw me the pig!" Ukyo shouted. "I'll try to get him loose!"

Akane did so, and Ukyo caught him, struggling to work his plump body out of the manacle. He squirmed and struggled to bite her, and Ukyo hit him. "I'm trying to help you, you fool!" She muttered in a whisper. "If you change while still wearing this thing you'll be killed!"

P-chan's eyes widened and he fell still. Ukyo still struggled to work the manacle up his body, however. All of a sudden, as Akane leaped out of the way of another attack by Kodachi, Ukyo felt P-chan being pulled away from her. She grabbed at the shackle, and it dug into her fingers, pulling her forward. She was dragged over the ropes and into the ring.

Ukyo's sudden entry did not go unnoticed by the announcer. "Ranko Tendo, who forfeited her earlier match, has been pulled into the ring!"

"Only contestants can enter the ring!" The referee reminded her.

"I didn't want to enter the ring!" Ukyo said, still struggling to work P-chan free. "Akane pulled me in. I'll be out in just a second!"

Akane, however, backed up next to her. "Ukyo!" She hissed. "You've got to get OUT of here! If she hits you with that hot water, Shampoo will see!"

Kodachi had noticed the change in Akane's reaction. "Oh, NOW you are frightened!" She waved the kettle at her. "Does your friend Ranko not care for hot water?"

"It's nothing like that!" Akane shouted, waving her arms frantically. "Just let her get P-chan free and get out of the ring!"

"I've almost got him!" Ukyo said. She had managed to work the shackle up to P-chan's neck. It had been easy enough to get it up his body, but now she was having trouble getting his forelegs through the ring. She stuck her own hand through the ring alongside his body, hoping she could get a better grip that way. In her cursed body, her hands were so petite they just fit alongside P-chan's neck.

With a laugh of triumph, Kodachi threw the kettle, and slashed it in half. A cloud of steam erupted in the ring, obscuring Ukyo and P-chan. "No!" Akane shouted, looking back at Shampoo. Inside the cloud, Ukyo felt the tingle as her body began to transform. Ryoga turned to normal as well, and began to choke. Ukyo's arm was pinned against his neck by the shackle. As her hand was now bigger, in her normal form, she could not pull it back out.

Ukyo almost shouted Ryoga's name, but bit it back at the last minute. He squirmed against her, and she cried out in pain, as his strength was more than enough to twist her arm. If he kept this up, he might snap her arm in two. After a second, though, she felt a blast of cool air, and water droplets struck her. A splashing sound was heard right next to her. Instinctively, she turned in the direction of the sound, and thrust Ryoga into what turned out to be a stream of water being sprayed into the ring.

"And Akane's second, a boy on her side of the ring, has apparently turned a water hose on Ranko Tendo!" the announcer shouted. "What a match this is turning out to be!"

To her relief, Ukyo felt Ryoga's body shrink back down into P-chan. His head popped free, and the pig fell to the mat, where he took off running out of the ring. Ukyo had only a second to calm her shaking nerves before her own curse reactivated, and she transformed back into the red haired girl. She had not noticed, while she was in her true form, that the shackle had slipped down her slender forearm, ending up right above her elbow. But now, as she felt her body shrink, the metal suddenly cut into the more developed muscles of her cursed form's arm. She grabbed at the shackle and tried to move it, but it wouldn't budge. She was stuck.

The steam cloud cleared, and Ukyo found Akane grabbing and hugging her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. Although I think I'm chained to you now, instead of P-chan." She held up the chain.

Akane looked down at it. "Well, that's all right. As long as you're safe." She looked over at Shampoo. "I guess the cloud hid your true form until you could change back."

"A lucky break," Ukyo commented. In more ways than one, she thought, it had hidden P-chan's transformation to Ryoga as well.

The referee came up to them. "I told you, you're not allowed to be in the ring. You will have to leave."

Ukyo held up the chain again. "I can't. I can't leave the ring without Akane, and she can't leave the ring without losing."

Kodachi laughed gaily. "I guess you will have to forfeit the match!"

"No way!" Akane snarled, her teeth clenched. She turned back to the referee. "If Kodachi can use her brother as a weapon, then surely..." She glanced at Ukyo and smirked. "... I can use my teammate as a weapon."

The referee thought about it for a moment. Kodachi stomped over to her. "Hey, wait a minute! You can't seriously be considering this!"

Ukyo smiled deviously at her. "All you've got to do is give us the key, Kodachi, and we can unlock the shackles and I'll be out of here. It's up to you."

Kodachi studied the redhead for a moment. Then she smiled back, with an equally wicked grin. "No... no. I think we'll leave things just as they stand. I agree to this... if Akane's teammate is bound by the same rules she is."

The referee nodded. "Fair enough. You cannot make any bare handed attacks, and if you fall to the mat or out of the ring, then Akane Tendo loses the match. And if the chain is detached or broken for any reason, you MUST leave the ring as soon as possible."

Ukyo continued to eye Kodachi cooly. "You're outnumbered, two to one. You still don't want to give us that key? You sure you want to risk it?"

Kodachi merely smiled confidently at her. "I cannot lose. I'm merely allowing this, because it's amusing. I assure you, it changes nothing. I will win this match, and then I will win my Ranma darling!"

"Ranma darling?" Ukyo said. "Who's that?"

Kodachi looked startled, but then laughed. "Do not play foolish games with me! My Ranma darling is sitting right there!" She pointed at Ranma, who turned white.

Ukyo turned to look at him, and jumped as if she had never seen him before. "Who's that?" She glanced at Akane. "Is he your boyfriend or something?"

Akane turned beet red. "HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND! I mean..." She suddenly gulped, and looked down at the ground. "I mean... my family's got this crazy idea about us being engaged... and... well... we're good friends, and..." She had begun touching the tips of her fingers together, looking uncomfortable.

"Oh, I see what this is! Hohohohoho!" Both Ukyo and Akane shuddered as Kodachi broke into maniacal laughter yet again. "You are trying to confuse me, you wicked, wicked girl. But I see the truth. Yes, I see the truth."

Kodachi stuck her face in Ukyo's. "You love him too, don't you! You claim to be his sister, but harbor a secret fantasy that you are his one true love! Hohohohoho!"

"It's not like that!" Akane protested. "Ukyo's his sister! She loves him very much, of course, but..."

Ukyo was looking back at Ranma. "I dunno, he's pretty handsome, isn't he?" She looked back at Akane, who stared at her, shocked. "What did you say his name was again?"

"Enough games!" Kodachi shouted, striking out with her ribbon. Ukyo merely reached out and grabbed the end of it, disarming Kodachi instantly. She then pulled the handle back to her, and lashed out with the other end. Wrapping the ribbon around Kodachi's ankles, she whirled her around her head a couple of times, and then flung her out of the ring.

Akane just gaped. "Just like that... and you defeated her!" She started to giggle, as the gymnast's path took her across the gym and far out of the ring.

As she flew through the air, though, Kodachi put two fingers to her mouth and whistled. Akane and Ukyo tried to keep their balance as the ring started to shift under their feet. It began to move sideways, moving quickly across the gymnasium floor, until it was in Kodachi's path. She sailed over the ropes and into the ring, where she landed deftly on her feet.

"You... you... THAT'S CHEATING!" Akane yelled.

Kodachi just smirked confidently. "I told you, I cannot lose. 'Out' is an impossibility for me."

Akane fumed, but Ukyo was now smirking as well. "Oh, so you like to control your environment, do you? You think that by using the ring itself as a weapon, you can defeat us? Well, lady, I'm about to give you a big surprise. I am a MASTER of using the environment as a weapon!"

"Akane! Let's put this thing back where it came from!" With that, Ukyo leaped skyward. Akane glanced at her, startled, but then looked down at the ring, thinking about it. She crouched in the ring, digging her fingers into the canvas to tear into it. Then she stood back up, hooking her feet into the exposed cables.

Ukyo flew up to a rafter, where she pulled herself up to it, looping the chain around it. Below, Akane let out a scream of power, heaving herself up the chain, straining to pull up on the canvas and wire tangled around her legs. The ring began to rise, throwing Kodachi off her feet. Ukyo pulled as hard as she could as well, trying to keep the chain from coming loose.

The ring shot upwards, then swung sideways, swinging like a pendulum along an arc across the floor. Several of the St. Hebereke gymnastics team were revealed hiding under the ring, and they scattered in all directions. The ring continued its movement, finally completing its swing, where Akane let it go. It hit the floor with a crash, ripping the canvas and knocking the corner posts out of alignment.

Ukyo dropped into the ring, as Akane got to her feet. The canvas floor of the ring had been torn to shreds, exposing the cables that had once supported it, and huge sections of the floor underneath. Kodachi got to her feet as well. "A clever move," she said, "It is certain this ring will never move again. But now, all that one of us has to do is fall through one of those openings, and the match is over!"

Akane and Ukyo readied themselves, as Kodachi brought out another ribbon. "Since you are chained together, it is that much more difficult for you to dodge. And since all I have to do is force one of you out of the ring, then all I have to do is strike at the WEAKEST of you!" With that, she lashed out at Akane. Ukyo leaped at her teammate, slamming into the black haired girl, and her momentum carried them both across a large gap, and to a more stable area on the other side. There Ukyo set Akane back on her feet again.

"Hey! I don't need you to save me!" Akane's face was red. "I can fight on my own!"

"Settle down, Akane. She's going to try to split us up, to cut down on our mobility. We've got to move as one, think as one, fight as one."

Akane looked down, taking a deep breath. "Sorry," she muttered.

Ukyo grinned at her. "Don't worry about it." She took Akane's hand, squeezing it. "We're gonna take her down!"

Akane nodded, grinning back. "Right." Her smile turned into a knowing smirk. "My weapon is my partner, not my opponent... right, partner?"

"Right." Ukyo glanced over at Kodachi, and then smiled back at Akane. Ukyo took the hand that she was grasping, and flung Akane towards Kodachi. She sailed over another gap in the canvas, and landed, unsteadily keeping her footing in the damaged ring. Then Ukyo leaped as well, and Akane pulled at the chain, propelling her partner past her across another gap.

Kodachi leaped aside as Ukyo came at her, striking out with the ribbon she had taken from Kodachi. Kodachi tried to strike at Akane, but Ukyo just pulled her back towards her, and Akane landed next to the redhead. Then, as Ukyo grabbed a couple of clubs from the ring, Akane scooped her up and threw her towards Kodachi. Kodachi was forced to abandon her ribbon, as she blocked the clubs with one of her own. She leaped up onto one of the corner posts, trying to get out of Ukyo's path.

Ukyo had sailed past Kodachi as she leaped aside, but regained her footing. She turned back towards Akane, yelling to her as she leaped. "Pull me into the ropes!" Akane tugged on the chain, and Ukyo shot past her, flipping as she reached the ropes at the edge of the ring. She sprang off of them, and reversed direction. Her course sent her straight towards Kodachi, still standing on top of the post.

"You aren't planning to attack me bare handed, are you?" Kodachi warned, but then she noticed Ukyo had crossed her clubs in front of her, prepared to bash through her like a battering ram. At the last minute, Kodachi leaped aside, as Ukyo revealed that her true target was the post at her feet. Kodachi landed on top of one of the ropes, stumbling a bit as Ukyo's impact with the post made her footing a bit uncertain. Still, she managed to stay upright.

Ukyo, meanwhile, careened off of the post, shooting off at an angle. Although her impact was enough to make the whole ring shake, the loosened post had enough give to absorb the shock without breaking. And Ukyo didn't have enough strength to break it with a direct blow. As she sailed on out of the ring, to the right and back behind Kodachi, Akane suddenly shouted out, "Ukyo!" She leaped back towards the center of the ring, falling to the canvas just a few inches from the edge of a hole. She grunted as she was pulled back by the chain, and Ukyo's momentum.

Somehow, Akane pushed forward, still on her hands and knees, and grabbed the razor hoop still laying in the ring. As Ukyo arced along her path past Kodachi, who ducked to avoid the chain, Akane flung the hoop at her. Ukyo caught it, then redirected it back at Kodachi. It sliced through the rope, sending Kodachi tumbling. Against all odds, the crazed gymnast managed to snatch both ends of the rope in her hands as she fell, and pulled, drawing the rope taught. Her fall stopped, several feet off the ground.

Ukyo was continuing to fly along at the end of the chain, parallel to the side of the ring. As she reached the edge, Akane was pulled forward, towards the gap at her feet. Ukyo bit her lip, knowing there was little she could do to adjust her course at this point. She reached out for the corner post as she passed it, but it was inches from her fingertips, her smaller cursed body having just too short a reach. She closed her eyes. It was up to Akane now.

There was a cry of fury from the ring, and Ukyo felt the warmth of Akane's battle aura as it exploded from her body. Akane wrapped her hand in the chain, just as it drew taught, and gave a massive heave. There was no purchase under her feet, Akane was standing in the middle of the ring, and yet still Ukyo felt her body yanked back, as her flight reversed direction. But Akane was pulled from her feet as well, shooting towards Ukyo with the counterforce of her pull.

Ukyo and Akane flew towards each other, reaching out with their hands. As they passed the ropes, Ukyo managed to snag it with one hand as she passed. She then reached out the other to Akane, whose hand grabbed at hers. Their fingers brushed, but then missed, and Akane started to continue on past. Then, Akane's other hand shot out, and closed like a vice around Ukyo's wrist. Ukyo cried out in pain, as her arm was wrenched about, Akane sailing in a circle around her over the ropes.

The two girls twisted around, their bodies spinning around each other, until Akane had come back inside the ring. At that point, Akane finally got her arms around Ukyo, and the two girls locked into an embrace. Their momentum cancelled out, and they sprang to a sudden stop, oscillating slightly back and forth. Akane was standing on the bottom rope, Ukyo had her toes hooked under it, and the top rope was pinned between the two of them. Slowly, they toppled over, their weight pulling them down, and the damaged structure of the ring giving, as the ropes went taught. Finally, they stopped, with Ukyo's red pigtail hovering just inches off of the arena floor, outside the ring.

Kodachi, still wrapped tightly in the ropes herself, stared in astonishment. She was unable to move as long as she held the ropes together. "It cannot be! It cannot be! That is cheating!" Suddenly, more concerned about defeating her foes that her own victory, Kodachi let go of the ropes.

"Akane!" Ukyo leaped upward, even as Akane pulled with all of her considerable might, pulling Ukyo's arms upward and over her head. She sailed over Akane, over her back, and back towards the ring. She then pulled Akane upright along with her. The two girls landed, unsteadily, but on their feet, in the ring.

Kodachi landed on her bottom on the ground. She stared for a moment, then screamed her outrage. "NO! I cannot lose like this!"

The two girls started laughing, and hugging each other, as they jumped up and down in the ring. "Sorry, Kodachi," Ukyo said to her, with a grin. "I told you... there's no weapon you can use against me that I can't use better. By trying to make us fall, you gave up your own last means of support."

"You defeated yourself, Kodachi."


	19. You've Gotta Protect Sis!

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 19

"Thank you for coming, Dr. Tofu," Akane said, as she met the doctor at the genkan. It was late, and very dark outside. Ranma came running up as well, as Tofu was taking off his shoes.

"We can get Sis's memory back, right Doc?" Ranma said, his worry obvious. "I just need that shampoo, and then I can do the Xi Fa Xiang Gao thing again, right?"

Dr. Tofu shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Now that the technique has been completed, we need a different formula to reverse the condition. Formula #411 is used to erase memory, but we need Formula #911 now, to restore memory.

"Not to worry, though. I have the ingredients for the formula right here." He held up a small booklet.

"That will be wonderful, Dr. Tofu," Kasumi said, just joining the others in the hall. "Ukyo is such a nice girl, and it'll be nice for her to remember her brother again..."

Dr. Tofu's glasses fogged up. "K... K... Kasumi! Imagine meeting you here of all places!" He nervously began shredding the first thing he could find in his hands, which turned out to be the booklet.

"Doc!" Ranma shouted. "The formula!" It was too late, though. Ranma grabbed the pages from him, but they had already been torn into pieces.

"Now what am I gunna do..." Ranma muttered. Akane took his hand. Scowling at the doctor's bashful antics, she dragged them both into the family room.

The doctor seemed to recover, once he was out of sight of Kasumi. "Hello, Ukyo," he said to her. "You do remember me, don't you?"

"Of course," Ukyo said. "Why is everyone asking me that?" Then she paused a moment and looked at Ranma. "And who is that with you?"

Akane shook her head. "She remembers everyone but Ranma. I guess that's what Shampoo was trying to do to me." She shuddered. "I can't imagine what it would be like to... forget somebody like that."

She glanced at Ranma for a moment, and her cheeks turned a bit pink. Then she looked back at Ukyo. "I mean... I'd hate to forget Ukyo... or... somebody like that..."

"Is this someone I'm supposed to know?" Ukyo commented, giving Ranma a look of confusion.

"You're my sis, Sis... and I'm gonna make you remember me," Ranma said. "... somehow. I just need some of that shampoo, huh?"

Tofu nodded, and Ranma started towards the stairs. "Well, then, there's nothin' else to do. I just gotta go to China and buy some."

Suddenly, he was crowded by the whole Tendo family. "Oo, buy me something while you're there." "I could use some oolong tea." The panda held up a sign saying "Get me some hair formula."

"This ain't no shopping trip!" Ranma roared at them.

"What about us, Ranma?" Akane asked him. "What about Ukyo and I?"

"I ain't getting nothin' for you, you tomboy!" Ranma snapped. Angry, he stomped up the stairs.

"Ranma, you jerk, that's not what I meant!" Akane yelled back.

"Is he your boyfriend or something?" Ukyo asked.

_"He is not... !"_ Akane caught herself, blushed deeply, then looked around at her family. "He's my fiancé, but I didn't agree to that, Daddy," Soun burst into tears at this, "but he's your brother. He's been living here, for as long as you've been here. Don't you remember him at all?"

"Brother?" Ukyo looked confused. "I don't have a brother."

"But you remember Genma, right? You don't remember Ranma growing up with you?"

Ukyo looked at the panda, then shook her head. "The Old Man adopted me, when my Pop asked him to raise me as a martial artist. He never mentioned he had a son..."

The panda held up his sign. "Of course I did, you ungrateful girl," it said.

"Mr. Saotome, stop it," Akane told him. "She just doesn't remember."

Dr. Tofu studied Ukyo carefully. "You don't remember Mr. Saotome's son? Do you remember why he took you on the road with him? Do you remember him making Ranma your fiancé?"

"Fiancé?" Ukyo asked. She looked startled.

"That's right," said Akane. "You were upset with him. You and Ranma and his father had a big fight, right here, when you first arrived. And I was upset about the engagement, too..."

Ukyo suddenly cried out in pain. She doubled over, putting her hands to her head. Akane knelt beside her. "Are you okay?" she asked, suddenly worried.

"Are you remembering anything, Ukyo?" Tofu asked her. Akane looked up at him, then turned back to Ukyo, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly.

At that moment, Ranma came back down the stairs. He was carrying his pack, but as soon as he saw his sister he dropped it. He came running up to her, yelling, "What happened?" At his voice, though, Ukyo looked up. Her pain seemed to clear, and she again looked confused.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"She STILL doesn't remember me!" Ranma seemed angry, and turned back to pick up his pack.

"Hold on, Ranma. I think we should try some other things first," Dr. Tofu said. "It could take you months to get back from China. Maybe even years."

Ranma froze for a moment, but then he pulled his pack onto his shoulders. "I won't be that long. I'll just have to swim ta China like I did before, but I'll make it."

"Are you sure, Ranma? It looked like Ukyo was almost trying to remember. Maybe I can break through her mental blocks."

Ranma looked back at him, and Tofu saw a flash of hope in his eyes. But then he looked at his sister, and bit his lip. "You keep workin' with her, Doc. If you can manage it, then great. I'll go get the 911 stuff in case you can't."

Akane stood up. "I'll go with you, Ranma."

"No way! You'll just slow me down!"

"So, are you just going to leave me here?" She said, a bit crossly. "What if that bimbo Amazon comes back? Do you even care about that?"

"Of course I care, you stupid tomboy!" Ranma snapped back at her, almost unable to control himself. "Don't you think I..."

Ranma bit his words back as he realized Akane was getting even angrier. With effort, he turned away from her, and began pacing. Suddenly, he glanced around the room, noticing the rest of the family watching them. He reached out and grabbed Akane's hand. "Come on, I need to talk to ya."

He dragged her out of the house, with Akane protesting as he pulled her along by the arm. "Let me go, you pervert! Where are you taking me?" He finally led her into the dojo, and shoved her in ahead of him. He then looked around as if making sure they weren't followed, and slid the door shut behind him.

Akane scowled at him as he resumed his pacing of the floor. "What's the big deal, Ranma? What's so important you couldn't tell me back in the house?"

Ranma continued to pace the floor, his expression growing wild. He would pause every few seconds, and clench his fists. Several times he looked at her as if to speak, but then turned away. Despite her anger, Akane started to realize Ranma was really upset. She forced herself to calm down, as she waited for Ranma to speak.

"I... I..." He stammered and stuttered for a few more seconds, then finally forced the words out, in a hoarse whisper. "I... need your help, Akane. You're the only one I can trust."

Akane was stunned. "W... what?"

He turned to look at her. He seemed to be trembling. "I need you to look after Sis for me. You're the only one who can do it. Pop could take on Shampoo, but... he'd just run at the first sign of trouble. I'd ask Ryoga... but I haven't seen him since this morning. And even if he was here, he'd just get lost again..."

He looked away, starting to pace again. "Sis might be able to take care of herself if she was okay, but... Shampoo already caught her off guard once. What if it happens again?"

Akane smirked to herself. "Don't you worry about that, Ranma. If that bimbo comes around here again, I'll take care of her. I'll..."

Ranma had crossed the floor in an instant, and grabbed her by the shoulders. Akane was a bit taken aback by the fear in his eyes. "No! Akane, you can't! If you try to take on Shampoo... you're not good enough! She'll kill you!"

Now Akane was really getting mad. "Don't you dare tell me that! I'm a martial artist, Ranma, the same as you! How dare you tell me I'm not good enough!" What made her even madder was the reminder that she had only barely managed to hold the Amazon off.

"Akane, please, listen to me!" Ranma shook her, and Akane was again stunned into silence by the intensity of his expression. "I know you're good, and I know you're a martial artist. I've seen you with Ukyo, Akane, and you're getting better all the time. You're gettin' really good. But you're not good enough! Even Ukyo's not as good as Shampoo, I'm not sure she could take her one on one! And she was able to catch Ukyo off guard! Ukyo! No one's EVER caught Ukyo off guard!"

Ranma stared at her, and Akane noticed his voice start to tremble. "And she almost got you, too, Akane... she almost got you too."

Akane wanted to protest that maybe Ukyo was better than Ranma thought she was, but something stopped her. It was obvious Ranma was terrified. "If anything happens to her... If anything happens... to Sis..."

He shook his head, violently, letting go of Akane as he turned away from her. He took a moment to wipe at his eyes. "I need you to take care of her. To protect her. If anything happens to you... you can't protect her." His voice lowered, and he added, more quietly, "And I don't want anything to happen to you, either..."

"You're the only one I can... count on."

Akane timidly stepped forward, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I... I understand, Ranma. I'll watch out for her."

"If Shampoo comes for you, you just run, okay?" He turned back to look her in the eyes. "You get Ucchan, and you just run for it. Make sure she stays in her cursed form, so Shampoo don't see her. I'll find you, wherever you are, I'll find you. I'll be back just as soon as I can, and I'll find you..." He grasped her hands. "You gotta do this for me. You gotta promise me!"

Akane swallowed. "I will, Ranma. I swear it, on... on my honor as a martial artist. I won't fight Shampoo unless I have to, and I'll make sure Ukyo is safe."

Ranma breathed a sigh of relief, almost collapsing. He gave Akane a slight smile. "Thank you. Akane."

"You just make sure you hurry back, okay?" Akane squeezed his hands, just before he let go of her. "We'll be waiting for you."

Ranma stared at her, and Akane suddenly saw a look in his eyes, that she'd never seen before. She didn't know what it meant, and yet somehow, it made her heart start to pound in her chest. Ranma seemed to lean towards her, and she leaned towards him. But then, before anything else could happen, the door to the dojo burst open.

Soun and the panda were suddenly there, pounding Ranma and Akane on the back. "That's my brave daughter!" Soun said, his eyes overflowing with tears. "You swallowed your own pride, just to take the pressure off of Ranma..."

"That's the way to go, boy!" said Genma's sign. "Relying on each other like fiancés should!"

"Gaah!" Ranma protested, leaping away from Akane and the fathers. "Just leave us alone, okay!"

"Yeah, don't make such a big deal of it!" Akane added. "I would have protected Ukyo anyway!"

The two men began dancing around each other. "They work so well together! The schools will be joined before we know it!"

_"Just leave me alone!"_ Ranma shouted, and ran out of the dojo. He leaped over the wall, and quickly disappeared into the darkness. Akane turned to the fathers and started to yell as well, but then burst into tears.

"You're ruining everything!" she said, and ran out in the other direction, heading for the house. "You're ruining everything!"

* * *

Ranma raced down the road, trying to not to worry about his sister, and failing miserably. "What was that tomboy thinkin'?" he muttered to himself, almost as a distraction. "'I'll come with you.' As if she could swim ta China. I ain't got money for a ship..."

Thinking about Akane brought up a strange feeling in his chest. He wasn't sure what had happened in the dojo. She had been staring up at him, so worried and understanding, and all of a sudden... all of a sudden he didn't want to leave her. The thought occurred to him, for the first time, that he might not be able to come back. He might not see her again. And all of a sudden, he wanted to... something. Say goodbye or something. He didn't know what, but he just felt he had to do... something.

He was brought up short as Shampoo dropped in front of him, hanging from a tree. She had a bottle of shampoo in her hand, with the label "911". Ranma pointed at it, startled, as Shampoo smiled wickedly at him.

"Gimme that shampoo, Shampoo!" Ranma shouted. Shampoo flipped over the branch and took off, bounding across the rooftops. Ranma dropped his pack and chased after her. He caught up with her as she stopped on the peak of one roof, and turned back to face him. Still smiling, Shampoo stuffed the shampoo bottle down her blouse.

"You think that's gonna stop me?" Ranma asked her, crossly. He grabbed Shampoo in an arm and pulled her to him. "Believe it or not, I'm pretty familiar with the female body..."

Shampoo gave out a loud shriek, and Ranma let go. Almost instinctively, he yelled, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's not what ya think!" Then his eyes narrowed as he realized he'd been tricked. He grabbed Shampoo's arm before she could get away.

Ranma reached into her shirt, and Shampoo regarded him with a mixture of amazement and amusement. She started to try to push him away, but he blocked her. Then she started giggling. "Airen tickle!" she said brightly.

As Ranma continued to search for the bottle, though, he was well aware that what he was finding was far more than he had a right to. He started to blush, although he gritted his teeth and forced himself to continue. Shampoo started to lean against him, and her laughter started to sound more like moans. As she gazed up at him, her expression softening, Ranma began to realize that she was enjoying this far too much. And he obviously wasn't going to find the bottle without... well... exploring further. He reluctantly gave up.

"All right, Shampoo," Ranma said, scowling, although he couldn't get rid of the blush. "Whaddya want?"

Shampoo continued to stare at Ranma for a moment, her eyes sparkling. "Airen know what Shampoo want." Then her expression cleared. "Airen tell where Ran-chan. No hide Ran-chan."

"I'm not hidin' Ran-chan, Shampoo. I dunno where she is, and I wouldn't tell ya if I did."

Shampoo's eyes narrowed. "Airen lie to Shampoo. Airen know where Ran-chan. Airen tell Shampoo now!" She stamped her foot.

"I ain't gonna do that!" Ranma insisted. "I'll do anything else. Except marry you, or let you hurt Akane or Sis. But anything else... whatever it is... just name it!"

The Amazon clenched her fists, scowling in frustration. But then she looked up. "Airen find Ran-chan then. Kill Ran-chan."

Ranma jumped away from her. "I can't do that! She's my sister!"

"Shampoo know." She stepped forward, putting a hand on Ranma's chest. "But Shampoo fix. Make okay."

She reached into her blouse and pulled out the bottle. Ranma snatched it away from her. "Got it!" he said in triumph. But then he looked at the bottle and noticed the label said "411", not "911".

"Xi Fa Xiang Gao." Shampoo said. "Shampoo erase memory of Ran-chan. Airen not remember. Come back with Shampoo, be happy. Shield Sister not remember Airen either, not sad. Shampoo erase Angry Girl memory too."

She wrapped her arms around Ranma. "Airen come back China with Shampoo. Everyone happy..."

Ranma slowly pushed her away from him, his eyes wide. He could only stare at her for a long moment, unable to form words. Finally, he whispered, his voice hushed. "You're... you're insane..."

"What wrong?"

"You want me to forget my sister? My friends? You're... you're crazy!"

"Shield Sister come too, if want. Good warrior, be Amazon too. Or stay, not remember Airen. Everyone happy."

"Forget it! Just forget it..." Ranma paused for a moment. "Wait... you said Uk... Shield Sister is a good warrior. Like an Amazon. What if she defeated Ran-chan?"

"Shield Sister kill Ran-chan?"

"Not kill... defeat... _almost_ kill. Ran-chan defeat you, right? I mean, Ran-chan defeated you. If Shield Sister defeats her, will that even the score? Like, your honor'll be satisfied?"

Shampoo stared at him, confused, but obviously picking up on most of Ranma's words. She thought for a moment. "Maybe... if Shampoo see Ran-chan defeated. If bring Shampoo Ran-chan, defeated..."

"Sure, sure, Shampoo!" Ranma was already starting to run back to the Tendo home as he waved at her, to wait. "I'll get Shield Sister to defeat Ran-chan, you'll see! Then you can go home to China!"

He took off running, and therefore missed the vicious grin that spread across Shampoo's face.

* * *

"So that's the story, Sis," Ranma said. "All you gotta do is just beat me up, and everything will be okay."

Ukyo stared at him. "What did you say your name was again?"

Akane sighed. "Ranma, you know this isn't going to work. Ukyo doesn't know who you are, and she's not going to beat up a total stranger." She shook her head. "You just didn't think this through did you, baka?"

"Well then, you do it!" Ranma said. "Come on, just one good punch! With your strength, you could lay me out flat!"

Akane scowled at him. "Forget it! I am not going to hit you!"

"Why not? You've hit me harder over much less!"

Her eyes widened, and then she scoffed, and put her nose in the air. "I'm sure I have, but I'm still not going to. Not if it's what that Amazon bimbo wants..."

"Come on! You know you want to. Not even if I call you an uncute tomboy? Not even if I say you're flat chested, and your thighs are too thick?"

Akane's head snapped around look at him, her eyes flashing. But then she looked away again.

"Come on! Just beat me up a little bit!"

"Ranma, what if Shampoo is just trying to trick you?" Akane's voice grew soft. "What if she's planning to use your weakness to attack you? What if she waits until you're almost beaten, and then tries to kill you?"

"Wha..." Ranma protested. "She wouldn't do that!"

Akane looked at him, but before she could say anything, Genma and Soun burst into the room. "We'll help you!" they said. "We heard the whole story! You're so good to your sister..."

They proceeded to punch and kick Ranma into the floor, while Ukyo shouted for them to stop. "What are you doing to this poor boy?" She asked. "Leave him alone!"

She chased off the fathers, helping Ranma to his feet. She then started, shocked by the bumps and bruises on his face. "Oh, you poor thing. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over them. Martial artists are supposed to help the weak."

"Weak?" Ranma said, obviously insulted. "Who are you callin' weak?"

"It's okay," she said, patting his shoulder. "It's up to us martial artists to protect people like you."

"I'm every bit as good as you are, Sis! In fact, I'm better! I'm only taking this because of you!"

Ukyo regarded him kindly. "You can't be as good as me. I'm the best martial artist in Japan. That's why Old Man Saotome took me on the road with him."

"What? Pop took _me_ on the road to be the best martial artist in Japan!" Ranma shouted. "You're nothing but a skinny, gangly, macho tomboy with no muscles, who _thinks_ she can fight!"

Ukyo snarled back at him, falling into a stance. "You know, I was thinking you were a nice person, but I was wrong! You're nothing but an arrogant, self-centered, insensitive jackass who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut! I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"That's the spirit, Sis!" Ranma said with a grin. "Hold on, I'm gonna go get some water."

Akane shook her head as Ranma ran out of the dojo past her. "Moron," she commented.

Ranma ran back in with a bucket, and took a position opposite Ukyo. Then he poured the cold water over his head. "Okay, Sis, I'm ready. Beat the crap outta me!"

Ukyo, however, had stepped back in shock. She glanced down at her own cursed body, then pointed with a shaking hand at the slender, lanky body that she knew as her own, uncursed form. "You... you... you look like _me_! How can you look like _me_?"

"What are ya talkin' about, Sis? It's me, Ranma. I've always been able ta turn into you... since Jusenkyo anyway..."

Akane suddenly stepped forward and put a hand on the ponytailed girl's shoulder. "Hold on, Ranma. We never thought to show her your curse." She looked back at Ukyo. "Ranma fell into the spring with you, Ukyo. Don't you remember?"

"No, no..." Ukyo stared, wide-eyed. "It was just me and the Old Man at Jusenkyo..."

Akane walked over to her. "But that can't be, can it?" she said, quietly. "How could you be cursed by the Spring of Drowned Girl to turn into another girl? It shouldn't have affected you. But Ranma was there. That's the proof, right there." She pointed at Ranma. "He has your body. And you have his."

Ukyo fell to her knees, clutching at her head. "No! No!"

Akane knelt down next to her. "Think, Ukyo!" Akane said, putting her arms around her. "Fight it! You know it must be true! Ranma was there with you, at Jusenkyo!"

Ukyo doubled over as if in agony, her hands still pressed against her head. Ranma knelt in front of her as well. "Come on, Sis. You gotta remember." She swallowed, as Ukyo's cries of pain grew louder. "Ucchan..."

Ukyo's head suddenly snapped up. She stared into Ranma's eyes. "Ucchan..." Her own eyes filled with tears, and suddenly she gasped. _"Ranma! Ranma!"_ Ukyo wrapped her arms around her. "I can't believe I forgot you! Ranma... How could I forget my Ranchan?"

At that moment, there was a crash from the wall. The wood splintered and collapsed, and Shampoo stepped into the dojo. She was shaking with fury, and her battle aura was beginning to glow around her.

Ranma suddenly jumped to her feet, getting between Shampoo and the other two women. "Shampoo! I... I guess you got me, huh? Uh..."

Shampoo pointed her chui at Ukyo. _"Shield Sister!"_ She shouted, her voice tight. "Why Shield Sister call Ran-chan Ranma! _Why you call Ran-chan Ranma?_"

"Uh... that's not what she said, Shampoo," Ranma said, sweating. "You misheard her..."

"Ranchan lie!" Shampoo snapped back at her. "Shampoo heard! Shampoo heard all...

"Shampoo standing behind wall. Shampoo hear Airen talk to Shield Sister. Hear Airen, Sheild Sister fight. Then Shampoo hear Ranchan. Shield Sister get back memory, remember Airen. But Shield Sister call Ranchan Airen name. Shield Sister hug Ranchan. Shield Sister remember Airen, remember Ranchan. Why?"

Ukyo and Ranma looked at each other. Then Ranma bowed her head. "I'll tell you everything, Shampoo..."

"Ranma!" Akane shouted. "No!"

"I gotta, Akane..."

Shampoo stared first at Ranma, then at Akane. She had heard Akane call her Ranma as well. She followed as Ranma left the dojo, and headed into the house. Ranma walked into the kitchen, checking a kettle that was sitting on a burner of the stove as she entered. She turned off the burner, then turned away from the stove.

Ranma looked up at Shampoo as she stood watching in the doorway. Ukyo came up behind her. "Don't do this, Ranchan..." Ukyo muttered.

"I'll show ya, Shampoo. I'll show ya everything. First I gotta get some cold water, though." She walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a second teakettle, identical to the first. She brought it over to the sink and started filling it with water. "You've heard a' Jusenkyo, right? I mean, it is right next door to your village..."

"Shampoo heard of Jusenkyo. Never go there, no one go there. Very dangerous, many tragic story..."

"Yeah, yeah, tragic story." Ranma had finished filling the kettle with cold water, and then turned to walk back towards Shampoo. "The springs are cursed, and turn you into whatever drowned there."

She walked past the stove, and as she did, she suddenly tripped. Ukyo yelled out "Ranchan!" and leaped to catch her. Ranma caught herself against Ukyo and wrapped an arm around her. She looked up at her red haired sister, and muttered, "Thanks."

As she did, Ukyo noticed Ranma switch the teakettle on the stove for the one in her hand. The switch was hidden behind her body, so only she and Ukyo could have noticed it. Ranma stood up, and stepped away from Ukyo.

"Anyway, cold water changes me into my cursed form. I fell into the Spring of Drowned Man, and so now when I'm hit with cold water, I turn into a boy." She poured the kettle over her head, trying not to wince as the hot water ran over her face. She hoped the water had cooled enough that there was no noticeable steam.

Akane gasped as Ranma turned back into his male form. She put both hands to her mouth. Ukyo had stepped over to her, though, and as she looked at the redhead in confusion a look passed between them. Akane suddenly understood, and she smiled sadly.

The fathers, meanwhile, had begun yelling at each other. "Saotome! Your son is really a girl? Is this true?" "It's the first I've heard of it!" Ukyo and Akane shook their heads at the two mens' stupidity.

Ranma put the kettle down, and then picked up the one on the stove. "This is hot water," he said, unnecessarily. "So this is my true form." He poured the water over his head, and again returned to being a brown haired, ponytailed girl.

Ranma opened her top, showing Ukyo's breasts. She blushed a bit, but Shampoo was a girl too, after all. "I used my guy form as a disguise, to hide from you. I'm sorry Shampoo. I didn't mean to mislead you but... I'm not really a guy."

Shampoo was staring at her, her face twisted in anguish. She glanced over at Ukyo, and her anger returned. "Shield Sister lie! Shield Sister lie to Shampoo!"

Ukyo stepped back, as Shampoo looked like she was about to attack. But Ranma put up her hands. "No! I told her to lie! And Akane, too! They didn't really lie to you. They said they didn't know where Ran-chan was, and that's true, because there is no Ran-chan. That's just a nickname Sis calls me. Ranma is my real name."

Shampoo looked back at her, snarling, and Ukyo stepped forward. Ranma waved her back. "Get back! I don't want ya to get hurt, Sis!"

Ukyo looked hesitant, but Akane gently pulled her back next to her. Ranma stood there, as Shampoo glared at her, her face dark with rage. "Don't hurt Sis or Akane, Shampoo. They didn't have anything to do with this. I'm the one that lied to you. If you gotta kill someone, Shampoo...

"... kill me."

Shampoo leaped at her. Ukyo shouted, "Ranchan!" leaping forward herself, but the blow never came. Shampoo stood over Ranma, her arm raised, with tears running down her cheeks.

She turned back and looked at Ukyo, who pulled free of Akane. "Don't you dare touch Ranchan!" Ukyo screamed at her. "I'll kill you!"

"Shield Sister..."

"No, Shampoo!" Ranma yelled, unsure of Shampoo's reaction. "Don't hurt her!"

Shampoo looked back at Ranma, her eyes wide. She studied the other girl's face, hurt by the fear that she saw there. "Ai... Ran... Ranchan..."

With that, Shampoo turned and walked back out of the kitchen. "Bie Liao..." She muttered. She put an arm up to wipe her tears. Then she ran out of the house.

* * *

Ranma sat in the family room, her hand in her chin, staring off into space. Akane seemed to be ignoring her, but instead had been watching the ponytailed girl carefully. The fathers were playing shogi, and the rest of the family were just sitting around enjoying the return to normalcy.

Ukyo wandered out of the kitchen, back in her true form. She walked up to her twin, and poured the kettle, one with hot water this time, over Ranma's head. Ranma sputtered as he returned to normal form, caught by surprise. But then he looked up. "Thanks, Sis."

"So... gonna miss her, huh Bro?"

Ranma started to protest, while Akane looked up, startled. But Ukyo smiled at him. "It's hard to lose a friend... even one that's trying to kill you."

He looked away. He was silent a moment, then muttered, "Yeah, right..." in an uncaring voice.

Ukyo shrugged, appearing indifferent as well. "Well, I did the best I could."

"So why don't you go after her, Ranma?" There was teasing in Akane's voice, but also not a small amount of hurt. "She was cute, after all. You've still got time to stop her and tell her that you're really a guy."

Ranma snorted. "You remember what I told you about cute, Akane? That's it's like girly and bows in your hair and stuff? Well, that's Shampoo. That kinda cute I can do without."

Akane's eyes widened in astonishment, then shone as she turned away, hiding her reaction. But Ranma didn't notice, he was still looking out over the koi pond. "Sure, it was nice having her hangin' onta me once or twice. But ALL THE TIME? And the way she talks... it was just starting to get to me. She's just... well, I mean she can fight and all, but she's just way too cutesy." He shook his head. "And crazy, too..."

He looked up at Akane, and finally noticed she was staring at him. A slight blush had settled over her face. He paused for a moment, as if thinking of something, and then Ranma's smile turned teasing.

"Not that you couldn't show me a little affection like that, now and then. I mean, not that I care or anything, I don't wanna be engaged to an uncute tomboy like you. But you _are_ my fiancée, and I was thinking... well, if you ever wanted to get a boyfriend, it would be nice if you hugged on him a little like that. Showed him a little affection, instead of bein' such a violent tomboy all the time..."

Akane's eyes narrowed, and Ranma gulped. Her mouth turned in a frown as she walked up to him. "You want me to show you affection, huh? You want me to show you some _affection_?"

For a moment, Ranma steeled himself for the blow, but as Akane stepped in front of him, his body froze. Akane was not looking at him with anger. There was mischief in her eyes, and a fire of a totally different kind. It mesmerized him, and he couldn't have moved if he wanted to. Akane brought up her hand, and slapped him across the cheek. From behind, where her family was watching, it probably looked like she had struck him with all her strength.

But it was just a light blow, just hard enough to make his cheek sting, but no more. And she let her hand linger there for a second, caressing his face. Her eyes glittered as she looked into his, and her smile was maddeningly smug. The combination of the pain and Akane's gentle touch was intoxicating. Ranma felt his breath taken away.

"THAT is the only affection you'll ever get from me," she snapped, the smile on her face a stark contrast to the anger in her voice. She turned and walked away, and Ranma put his hand to his cheek. It still stung, adding to the intensity of the moment.

When he finally found his voice, he only managed one word. "Un... cute..."

A slow smile spread over Ukyo's face. Even standing next to Ranma, she hadn't clearly seen what had happened. But she had caught Akane's eye as she turned away, and the look on her face said it all. Mutters of apprehension came from the others in the household, Soun wailing his grief that "The schools will never be joined! _Waaaaaa!"_

"Oh, my," Kasumi said innocently. "That didn't seem very affectionate to me." The rest of the family all facefaulted, but Ukyo turned to look at her. As their eyes met, Kasumi flashed her a knowing grin and a wink. Then her innocent expression returned, as if she couldn't understand what everyone was so shocked about.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I know that in the original, Shampoo just stuck the bottle in her shirt, and it could even be seen, between her breasts. However, I decided for this version that she would know a little bit of Mousse's Hidden Weapons trick, so she could switch the 911 for 411. This would let me play up the fact that Ranma's willing to go a little further for his sister than he did for Akane. And of course, give Shampoo the opportunity to enjoy that for a moment. :D

The main thing, though, is that I'm walking a thin line here. In the canon, Shampoo was not told that male Ranma was related to female Ranma or even cared about her in any way, thus asking him to kill her is not as cruel as asking him to kill his own sister. I came up with the idea of Shampoo offering to erase his memory to free both of them from the guilt. And yeah, that's insane. But Shampoo's always struck me as a little wacko, not to the extent of the Kuno siblings, but her head's not always firmly attached to her shoulders.


	20. Akane's Cookies

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 20

Shampoo sat on a bench in the darkness. She had finally stopped running there, in a park some distance from the Tendo home. She pulled out the bottle of Formula #411, and stared into it, as if searching its depths for answers. "Shampoo shampoo Shampoo..." she muttered.

She put the bottle away, and rested her head in her hands as she started crying. *I am an Amazon warrior,* she said to herself in Mandarin, trying to control her tears. *My duty as an Amazon is all that is important to me.*

For a long time, she said nothing else, the only sound in the park those of her sobs. Then she reached into her blouse and pulled out the handle of her broken chui. Setting it aside, she pulled out one more item, a neatly folded box from a school bento. She had picked it up on impulse, the lunch that Ranma had shared with her, while she was reclaiming her weapons after that second, fateful defeat.

Shampoo pressed the thin cardboard to her chest, bending over it as her tears resumed. Then she scowled angrily, yelling, "Stupid! Stupid!" She stared at the box for a few more moments, her expression softening, before again twisting in anguish.

Swallowing, Shampoo stood up. "Shampoo forget all this. Shampoo go back China, go back Great Grandmother. Shampoo not want remember. Shampoo want go home." She looked at the box in her hand and started crying again. *I want to go home...*

As the sun rose over Nerima, Shampoo sat up, wondering how in the world she had ended up in Japan. She headed off looking for a ship back to China. In a trash can nearby, sat an empty bottle of shampoo, a broken mace handle, and a crumpled up paper bento box.

* * *

Akane awoke, some unexpected activity in her room bringing her awake a bit earlier than usual. She sat up to see Ukyo, who was already up and getting dressed. She had put on a pair of shorts and a loose shirt, very much like the outfit Akane wore for her morning runs. "Good morning," Akane said cheerily. "You're up early."

Ukyo nodded. "I'd like to go running with you this morning if that's all right."

"Sure!" Akane smiled brightly. "It'll be nice to have some company."

Ukyo regarded her with a sly grin. "You may not think so when you find out what I have in mind. I want to start on your balance training. So we're going to be doing some fence walking."

Akane bit her lip, unsure, but then shrugged. "I guess so. If you think I'm ready, I'll give it my best shot. But why don't I just run on the fence to school like you and Ranma do?"

Ukyo giggled. "Well, first of all, fence running isn't something you want to do in a skirt." Akane blushed at that, but Ukyo continued. "I don't wear the school uniform, but you do, and I kind of think you don't want to change that. Your jogging outfit is just perfect for it, though.

"Also, I want to get you started on walking before you try to run. And if I know Ranchan, he'll get all impatient and not want to wait up for you."

Akane snorted. "My balance isn't all THAT bad. I just... well I seem to do all right for a while, and then my feet get all tangled up in each other..."

"I've noticed that," Ukyo commented. "You're a bizarre combination of remarkably agile, and incredibly clumsy. I'm assuming it's just a lack of focus, and experience. You just need to train your body so it's more natural and not studied. I've been working with you on your katas, and you're doing great with them, you just need some real world experience."

The smile on Akane's face looked like it was capable of lighting up the room. "Thanks, Ukyo! You don't know how much this means to me!"

"Yeah, well, after that fiasco with you almost twisting your ankle, I'm not going to go easy on you. I've been taking it easy because I didn't want you to get hurt before the tournament. But without that to worry about, I'm going to be expecting you to fall a few times today. So you'd better be ready to catch yourself."

Akane paused a moment, caught between protesting that she wasn't going to fall, and the knowledge that if Ukyo said it, it was probably pretty likely. She settled for a confident smirk. "I bet I don't fall more than twice!"

"You're on!" Ukyo countered. "I'm expecting at LEAST a half dozen times. And if you don't fall more than twice, then I'm not pushing you hard enough!"

* * *

Sure enough, Akane ended up falling five times that morning, but she was still proud to have avoided Ukyo's predicted six falls by one. She was still bragging about it when Sayuri and Yuka joined them in the locker room to get ready for gym.

"It was really frightening at first," she said happily, "but once I got used to it, it was a lot of fun. I didn't even fall at all until we started running."

"I have to admit, I was surprised," Ukyo told her. "I thought I would have to work you up to it, but you just hopped onto that fence like you'd been doing it all your life. I could tell you were unsure of yourself, but once I got you through the basics and you started walking you picked it up pretty quick. Then it was just a matter of getting you to run."

"I think there may have been some exercises like that when I was a kid, back when Daddy was still teaching me," Akane said. "But it's been so long I forgot about it. I know I've never run on anything that high, though."

"There's the balance beam," Sayuri put in. "You've always been good at that."

"Hey, yeah. I guess I did have more experience than I thought." Akane looked thoughtful.

Ukyo grinned at her. "Well, I was right about why you're tripping all the time. There were times when I had to force you to slow down, and *I* was trying to push you." She laughed good-naturedly, glancing down at the scrapes on Akane's legs. "You probably should have worn some longer pants instead of shorts."

Akane looked down as well, but seemed proud of her injuries. "I don't usually wear long pants, even when it starts to turn cold like this. I find they just get in my way."

Ukyo paused a moment, "Well, it was a bit too chilly for me. It's a bit early for it, but it looks like we're getting a sudden cold snap,"

Yuka and Sayuri nodded their agreement. "I was hoping for a couple more weeks of warm weather," Yuka added. "But I think the weather guys have been expecting it. I think I heard the ice rink is going to be opening in a couple of days. So I guess winter is on its way."

Ukyo glanced at Akane. "Hey, now that would be a good way to train your balance. Ice skating."

"Do you skate, Ukyo?" Akane asked.

Ukyo shook her head. "Nah, the Old Man never had time for 'frivolities' like ice skating. Ranchan and I never learned how. But I'm sure it won't take me long to learn."

"Akane's great at ice skating," Sayuri said, and Akane modestly waved a hand to dismiss her praise. "I'm sure she can teach you."

"It's a deal, then," Ukyo said. She grinned widely at Akane. "I'll teach you fence running, and you can teach me to skate. It'll be perfect!"

Outside the gym, Ranma happened to be walking past with Hiroshi and Daisuke, when he noticed someone lurking around the wall. He was a small, scrawny looking fellow, and Ranma was a bit disturbed to see he had a camera with him. "Hey, who's that guy?" He asked.

Hiroshi looked in the direction he was pointing. "Oh, hey, that's Gosunkugi. Hikaru Gosunkugi, although everyone calls him 'Voodoo Spike'. He's a real geek and a weirdo. He's always takin' pictures of Akane, though..."

"What?" Ranma growled. "Is that what the camera's for?" He glanced back at the figure skulking around by the gym. Even from here, he could see that the boy was skinny as a rail, and probably not a fighter. Still, Ranma was torn between his honor, which told him that martial artists were supposed to protect the weak, and a strong urge to walk over and beat the boy into a bloody pulp.

"You want us to get ya some copies?" Daisuke asked. He then put up his hands, as Ranma turned his murderous glare on him. "Hey, but I guess you don't need pictures of Akane, do ya? I mean, you can see her any time you want!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ranma snapped.

Daisuke gave him a lecherous grin that did nothing to calm Ranma's fury. "Well, she's your fiancée... and you live with her, you can probably see her in the bath, or whenever you want."

"What makes you think I'd want to see that uncute tomboy... !" Ranma protested. Even as he said it, he remembered Akane's reaction the last time, and almost choked trying to stop himself. He also found himself blushing a bit at a memory of a certain encounter in the furoba. Fortunately, or unfortunately perhaps, the pervert duo didn't notice his momentary lapse, attributing his red face to anger and not embarrassment.

"Hey, don't worry," Hiroshi reassured him. "It's not like Voodoo Spike sneaks inta the locker room or anything like that. It's usually just pictures of her exercising in the gym, or playing sports..."

"It sure would be cool if he did sneak into the shower, though," Daisuke noted, his eyes glazing over.

Hiroshi snorted. "He ain't got the guts. And even if he did, a geek like that, the girls would see him and pound him..."

"Heh, so you got no reason to be jealous," Daisuke said. "You got all the luck, you dog you, gettin' to see a babe like..." His voice trailed off as he realized Ranma was no longer there, he had stalked off in the direction of Gosunkugi.

Ranma poked the boy on the shoulder, which caused him to jump, and turn to face him. Ranma almost jumped himself, at the boy's gaunt, almost ghastly visage. He looked drawn and pale, with dark circles around his eyes. Ranma noted for a moment that he might not have to kill this boy, he looked like he might keel over on his own. Or, maybe he was already dead, and a zombie or something.

"Ranma Saotome!" He squeaked, his voice surprisingly confrontational for someone who was about to be beaten senseless. He sneered at Ranma, as if angry with him about something.

"So ya know me, then?" Ranma asked him.

"What do you want?" Gosunkugi shot back, again either not aware how close he was to the end of his life, or not caring.

"The camera," Ranma answered holding out his hand. "Give it to me."

Gosunkugi cradled the camera against his body. "I'll never give it up!" He said defiantly. "Beat me all you want, but you'll never get it away from me!"

Ranma cracked his knuckles. "Whatever you say..."

Gosunkugi scurried on his hands and knees as Ranma stepped towards him. He slipped out from where he was trapped against the wall, and then got to his feet. With surprising quickness, he darted forward, and pulled a strand of hair out of Ranma's pigtail. Ranma was so shocked by the unexpected attack, he didn't even bother to block. Laughing insanely, Gosunkugi ran off, disappearing across the field.

"What was that about?" Ranma said, rubbing his head.

"Oo, you're in for it now!" Daisuke said, as he and Hiroshi approached. "That's why we call him 'Voodoo Spike'. He has all these Voodoo dolls, and he's always doing these crazy rituals with 'em."

Daisuke waggled his fingers, making a scary noise. "He's going to put a curse on you..."

Ranma snorted. "Curse. Yeah, right."

Hiroshi laughed. "He's just a freak, man. That stuff ain't real."

"You have no idea." Ranma shook his head. "You just have no idea."

"Hey, what are you perverts doing down there?" Ranma looked up to see Akane looking out of a window set high in the wall of the gym. "You're not trying to spy on us, are you?"

"Of course not!" Ranma protested. "Just takin' care of a little pest problem."

"Pest problem? A likely story..."

"No, I mean it! There was this little jerky guy down here."

"It was Gosunkugi!" Hiroshi called out.

"Who?" Ukyo had appeared at the window as well, jumping up beside Akane.

"This little weaselly guy that was hanging out down here. He had a camera, and I think he was tryin' to peep at you!"

"Whatever. Don't you get any ideas, pervert!"

"As if!" Ranma shouted back. But Ukyo and Akane had already dropped away from the window. Ranma turned back to Hiroshi and Daisuke, who were drooling as they gazed up at where the two girls had been. He slapped them both across the head, and chased them away from the gym.

As Gosunkugi raced away from the athletic field, still giggling like a madman, he passed a small black pig, coming onto the field. The pig looked around himself, and then spotted the equipment shed. Grunting in relief, he headed for the shed, hoping that the bucket of water Ukyo kept stored in there for him was still good and hot.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Akane was walking back from her Home Economics class, still wearing her apron and a bonnet wrapped around her hair. She held a cloth in her hands, and didn't seem to notice that the other girls following were leaving a wide berth around her. One or two of them, that stood the farthest away, looked a little singed, as if by smoke.

A group of girls coming out of Home Ec always attracted a bunch of boys, and several of them trailed along, asking the girls what they had been baking. When it turned out to be cookies, they all started asking for some. A few of the braver boys even asked Akane what she had made, although many seemed hesitant. Akane ignored all of them, however, as she hurried along.

She was interrupted, however, as Tatewaki Kuno made his appearance. "Happiness, for a woman, lies solely in cooking for the man she loves," he stated solemnly. "Allow me to make you happy..."

Akane leaned back, shielding the cookies from Kuno, while planting a foot in his face at the same time. "These aren't for you!"

Kuno somehow produced a knife and fork, which he wielded like his bokken. "Ah, you protest now, but there is no need to pretend. I'm sure your cooking shall be as a feast to me."

His pontificating was cut short, as Ukyo appeared atop his head, her ponytail fluttering out behind her. "Kuno, I didn't think you could disgust me any more, but that drivel you just spouted makes me think I was wrong. I cook because I enjoy it, not for some jackass like you."

She flipped off of Kuno's head and landed next to her friend, as Kuno righted himself. "My ponytailed goddess! You have returned to your natural, radiant form! How I have missed your earthy beauty!" He reached to embrace her, and Ukyo dodged aside. "Have you also come to show your love for me with your culinary skill?"

"No, Kuno, I don't have Home Ec with Akane, my class is later. But if you want something to eat, I think I can give ya something..."

She glanced at Akane, and the short haired girl grinned at her, as Kuno nodded expectantly. As one, they kicked Kuno out the window.

Ukyo stretched, arching her back a bit as the crowd dispersed. "Man, it's good to be back in my own body again. Even if it does mean Kuno's going on about his 'ponytailed goddess'." She snuck a look at the pile of cookies in Akane's hands, and was a bit concerned to see they looked a little misshapen and burned.

"So whatcha got there?"

Akane looked down at her hands. "I made some cookies. You can have some, if you want," Akane said, almost as an afterthought. But she also blushed a bit, and Ukyo noticed. "Um... where's Ranma?"

Ah, so that's what's going on, Ukyo said to herself. Hiding a look of mischief, she started down the hall. "He's probably just goofing around after class. Let's go find him."

They reached the classroom just as Ranma was getting out. "Yo, Akane, what's up?" He asked, as she approached him. Surprisingly, she seemed a bit shy, and couldn't quite meet his eyes.

Her cheeks turned a bit pink. "I... uh... made some cookies in Home Ec and... I thought you might like some?" Her voice rose a little at the end, turning it into a question.

"Oh yeah? Cookies, huh?" Ranma grinned at Akane's attitude, it was somehow incredibly cute, although he'd never seen her act like that before.

"So why don't you try one, Bro?" Ukyo asked Ranma, with a look that would have told him "behave", if she felt that there was a chance he actually would behave. As it was, she gave it a try anyway.

Ranma shrugged and looked down at the cookies, obviously noticing their condition as well. Ukyo watched him carefully, but he just reached out and picked one up. "That's some pretty funny looking cookies," He noted, ignoring Ukyo's reproachful look.

"They're animal cookies," Akane told him, her voice getting a little tense.

"Oh!" Ranma looked amused, now. "I get it! This one's an octopus!"

"It's a penguin!"

Ranma picked up another. "This one's a crab!"

"No! It's a lion!"

"A water flea!"

Akane stomped her foot. "It's a rabbit!"

"Quit critiquing her artistic skills, and eat one!" Ukyo cut in. At least before she gets to a cat, anyway, she added to herself.

Ranma gave her that maddening smirk, then bit into the rabbit/flea. "Heh, I was just gonna..."

All of a sudden, Ranma's eyes widened. He began choking, then spitting the half chewed cookie out of his mouth. "Whoa! That's hot! How do you make a cookie hot?"

"RANMA!" Ukyo slapped him across the back of the head. Akane's face had turned an intense red, even as tears sprang to her eyes. Ukyo wasn't sure if she would burst out crying, or start throwing things. "What is wrong with you?" she yelled at Ranma, hoping to forestall either explosion.

"It's hot!" Ranma told her. "Like, really spicy! Like REALLY spicy! And... and there's some other wierd taste, too."

"Ranmaaaa..." Akane was clenching her teeth, but it looked like crying was going to win out.

"Give me that!" Ukyo cried out, grabbing the other two cookies away from Ranma. "They can't be that bad. Honestly, Ranma, sometimes you are just the biggest jerk..."

"Then you try it!" Ranma yelled back.

"I intend to, you jackass! Why, if you acted like that about my..."

At that moment, Ukyo stopped talking. She had tried one of the cookies, and found that she no longer had the breath for speaking. She froze, a look of fear and panic crossing her face, and then put her head down in her hands. She stood like that for a long moment, while she very obviously, and very painfully, swallowed.

"Oh, Akane..." She muttered. "Oh... I'm... I'm so... so... sorry."

Akane was staring at her, her eyes wide. "Is... is it bad?"

Ukyo lifted her head, but still kept a hand over her face. "I'm so sorry." She said again. "Yeah. It's... It's really bad..,"

Now Akane did break down into tears. "I thought I had it this time..."

"Was that... ? Um... was that... Mayonnaise? In cookies?"

Akane nodded. "Uh-huh?"

Ukyo managed to wipe the tears from her own eyes. "How can you not know your cooking is this bad... ?"

"I tried really hard!" Akane yelled, growing hysterical. "I really thought I had it this time! I tried..." She put her own face in her hands.

Ukyo put an arm around her. "It's okay. It's okay." She lifted Akane's hands away from her face. "Haven't you had Kasumi help you with your cooking?"

Akane shook her head, still sobbing. "I tried. When I was little. But I could never get it right. I... after a while... I just..."

"All right, all right." Ukyo drew her in closer. "Why don't you just ask Kasumi to let you help with dinner some time? Sometime next week."

"It won't help!" Akane shook her head, almost wailing. "Kasumi's tried, she's really tried! And everybody always says it's great, but then nobody ever wants to eat it, and I..."

"You should get Sis to help ya," Ranma said. "I bet she could teach you to cook, easy."

Akane looked up at him, his words bringing some of her anger back. "Are you saying that my own sister can't teach me to cook, but Ukyo can? You think my sister's a bad cook?"

"No, no, of course Kasumi's not a bad cook!" Ranma answered. "But just because she's a great cook, that don't mean she's a great teacher. You wouldn't think I'm a great martial arts sensei just because I'm as great at martial arts as I am, would ya? Naw, I'm not bad at it, of course, but I've got a long way to go, and I know I gotta lot of work to do before I can call myself a sensei."

Akane looked at him. Ukyo found herself startled as well, she'd never really heard Ranma admit he still had anything to learn before. Ranma grinned back at her, noticing her expression. "Heck, Sis is a better sensei than I am right now. Although I bet I get better than her before long..."

Ukyo blushed at his praise. But Ranma had turned back to Akane. "I bet Sis knows all sorts of special stuff about how to teach cookin'. Her dad was a chef, after all, and he had to know all sorts a' things about training cooks and preparin' fancy dishes. I bet she knows all sorts of stuff that Kasumi couldn't possibly know."

"Is that true?" Akane asked, looking at Ukyo. The hope in her eyes was unmistakable.

Ukyo swallowed. Ranma was overestimating her abilities. She hadn't seen her father in over a decade, and he had never taught her anything about how to teach cooking. But it wouldn't help Akane to tell her that. So she nodded. "Sure, Akane. Don't you worry. I'll talk to Kasumi, and you and me, Akane, we'll make dinner together sometime soon."

"Thank you, Ukyo!" Akane gave her a tight hug, but Ukyo couldn't help but worry if she'd gotten in over her head.

* * *

Akane wandered across the schoolyard, heading for the equipment shed. She hadn't seen P-chan around for a couple of days, but hoped that she might find him there.

She sighed as she thought about how her attempt at cooking had turned out. She had so hoped they would turn out okay, but at least now Ukyo was going to help her. Somewhere deep inside, she wondered if it would help, but she roughly shoved that thought back down where it had come from. She HAD to succeed, she HAD to! She would show Ranma she could be a good cook!

Her mood already sour, she frowned even deeper when she heard a familiar voice carrying across the field. "Ranma Saotome, get back here, you coward! Come here and face me like a man!" That was answered by Ranma's mocking voice, answering, "Catch me if you can, Bandanna Brain!"

Akane caught herself chuckling. Bandanna Brain? That was a new one, and pretty funny, too. She was caught off guard to see Ranma leap over a hedge and sail over her head, not even noticing her. Still heckling Ryoga, he bounded away, disappearing over the fence and out of sight.

Akane's foul mood returned. Honestly, those two boys just drove her crazy. They wouldn't stop fighting or picking on each other. And she had no idea why. Whatever Ryoga's beef with Ranma was, Ukyo said she took care of it, and yet Ranma couldn't help provoking the poor boy. Akane felt sorry for Ryoga, really, he seemed really lonely, and she figured with him getting lost all the time, he probably didn't have many friends.

Ukyo seemed to like him, though. Akane smiled at that. At least he had one person he could count on, even if Ranma was an insensitive jerk.

At that moment, Ryoga came bursting through the same hedge, and Akane found herself startled out of her thoughts again. Ryoga seemed surprised as well, and began waving his arms, trying to stop from crashing into her. He wasn't fast enough, though, and slammed into Akane, knocking her to the ground. They rolled across the grass, until they came to a halt with Akane lying on her back, with Ryoga on top of her.

Akane stared up at him, her mouth open at the position they had found themselves in. Ryoga was staring back at her, too, and there was something in his eyes, something that make Akane suddenly nervous, and her throat get tight. He was shocked, she could tell, and from the way his face turned beet red he was obviously embarrassed. But something about the way he was looking at her just made Akane start to tremble.

From the bushes nearby, there was a quiet click, although neither Akane nor Ryoga heard it.

Some part of Akane noticed the warmth of Ryoga's body against her, and the strength of his arms, as he braced himself above her, just barely keeping his face above hers. She was reminded of the warmth of Ranma's embrace the few times he had held her. And then she was overwhelmed by a wave of such shame and guilt that it made her breath catch in her throat. Ranma couldn't see her like this! He just couldn't!

Blushing herself, Akane turned her face away. She couldn't understand that look Ryoga was giving her, but it made her feel bad, wrong. Something was wrong, this wasn't right. But it wasn't because of Ranma, was it? It wasn't like he was her boyfriend. They didn't even want to be engaged, although she did say that she didn't want to break off the engagement. But it wasn't like they were a couple or anything. This wasn't her fault, it was just an accident.

Akane was beginning to feel really confused, but in the chaos her mind bounced off of the rails, and onto another track. Ryoga was on top of her, and was being a pervert! This was a familiar thought, and her body reacted to it automatically. With a wordless scream, she punched Ryoga off of her, causing him to flip through the air and then land, face first, in the grass.

As Akane struggled to catch her breath, the confusion returned. Ryoga wasn't a pervert, he wasn't that kind of guy. Or at least, she didn't think he was. He was just a nice guy. She knew this was just an accident, he hadn't been watching where he was going, and just crashed into her. He didn't know she was there. The confusion warred with the anger, and Akane wrapped her arms around herself. She just wasn't sure what to think.

"Uh... Uh, I'm sorry, Akane-san." Ryoga had gotten up, and bowed in front of her. "I'm sorry, that was... improper of me. I hope you can... forgive me..." He gave her such a hopeful look that the last of Akane's anger melted away.

But that only left the confusion, and that odd, disturbing guilt. "That's... that's okay, Ryoga. I know you didn't mean it. Let's... let's just forget it happened."

"Sure, sure, Akane." He looked at her, and there was that look in his eyes again. Akane's heart started beating faster, and the guilt and shame grew worse.

Akane leaped to her feet. "Thanks, Ryoga. I'll... I'll see you later!" With that, Akane took off running as fast as she could, her only thought to get as far away from that place as possible. Ryoga watched her go, and with a sigh, headed for the equipment shed. Maybe he would just spend the night there, he noticed that Akane was not running in that direction, and was heading for home instead.

Behind the bushes, Hikaru Gosunkugi looked down at his prize. "Oh, Akane, my love, what am I to do? That horrible boy, that was Saotome's rival, wasn't he, the one that fought him before? How horrible for you, to be caught between two such lecherous monsters! But what should I do? Should I show this picture to Saotome, in hopes that he will get jealous and abandon you? Or should I use this to force that bandanna'd boy to leave you alone?"

"So, whatcha got there?" came a tight, angry voice to his left. He turned to see Ukyo Kuonji sitting next to him. Jumping in surprise, he clutched at his camera.

"Give me the camera, Gosunkugi", she said.

"No, you can't have it! I didn't let your brother have it, and you can't have it either!" He jumped to his feet and evaded her attempts to grab him, finally taking off running across the field. Ukyo stood up, chuckling to herself. He obviously wasn't a martial artist, but he hadn't realized she was playing with him, letting him get away. She noted from his path that he was probably heading straight home. If she cut ahead of him, she would be able to track him to wherever he was going.

She looked back across the field, to where Akane and Ryoga had gone. This was starting to get really bad. She hadn't seen exactly what happened, but from Akane's reaction it was kind of obvious. And depending on what Gosunkugi's picture revealed, it could look even worse than it was. Ranma and Akane just didn't need this. She didn't have any kind of equipment for developing film, so the best bet was to get Gosunkugi to do it, and then take the picture from him.

Sighing, Ukyo set off in pursuit of her prey, keeping to the rooftops so he would not see her following.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Thanks go to both tuatara, and my sister, for the inspiration for the "Shampoo shampoo Shampoo" scene. My sister suggested the line as a joke, but meant it to be light-hearted. It occurred to me it could be played up more seriously, to show that Shampoo feels some remorse for her actions. Time will tell, though, whether she learns from her mistakes.

Also, Ukyo doesn't say this, but she's not in Home Ec with Akane because she signed up for an advanced class. I'm not sure the canon Ukyo would disagree with Kuno about cooking for the one she loves making her happy, but I figured this more independent Ukyo would. Besides, the line just makes me cringe. :)


	21. Hot Photograph

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 21

Gosunkugi slid the photograph into the chemical bath of his developer solution, his eyes mere pinpricks even in the near darkness. He stared at the picture as it slowly developed. His expression grew in intensity as the image became clear. "Do not worry, Akane," he muttered to himself. "I will free you from those fools Saotome and Hibiki."

He crept out of his darkroom, only to feel a tap on his shoulder as he turned to close the door. He turned back to look into the eyes of Ukyo. "Yo," she said.

Gosunkugi tried to dart away from her, but this time she was faster. She quickly snatched the picture out of his hands, and frowned as she looked at it. Gosunkugi tried to take the picture back, but she easily evaded his attempts. She backed away from him, so she could take a closer look without being interrupted.

The picture couldn't have been much worse. It showed Ryoga and Akane, their faces just inches away from touching. Akane's eyes were wide with astonishment, and almost awe, and her lips were slightly parted. Ryoga was looking longingly into her eyes, and there was just a hint of pink on his cheeks, the beginning of the fierce red blush that had spread over his face mere seconds later. Ryoga looked like he was lowering himself down onto her, although he was really just bending his arms to absorb the impact, and the bit of innocent fear in Akane's eyes only reinforced this misperception. Between the slight opening of Akane's soft lips, and the intensity and aggressiveness in Ryoga's expression, it looked very much like they were about to kiss.

Akane was even laying in a bed of flowers that happened to be at that spot on the field. Her short hair was spread out slightly around her head, her hands up against his chest as if to caress him. The picture couldn't have been more romantic if it had been intended to be. Ukyo snorted to herself. She could tell what had really happened, knowing what Ryoga and Akane were likely actually thinking, but still, it looked like the two were caught in a passionate tryst. It was a good thing she got hold of this, if Ranma had seen it, he would have gone ballistic.

At that moment, Ukyo backed further away from Gosunkugi, and was surprised when the door behind her opened, and someone slammed into her. "Now where am I?" asked a familiar voice. "This isn't the equipment shed."

Ukyo turned to look up at Ryoga, cursing the stroke of fate that would have the lost boy show up here. The picture flipped out of her hand, and Ukyo lunged for it, but Ryoga instinctively tried to grab it as well. For a few seconds, it bounced between them, before Ryoga finally managed to get the picture away from her. As he looked at the picture, Ryoga's expression first turned curious, then astonished, ashamed, and finally fiercely determined.

"Give me that!" Ukyo shouted, trying to take the photograph back, but Ryoga was remarkably good at keeping it out of her reach. She tried to strike at him, hoping to knock the picture out of his hand, but then Gosunkugi attacked as well, getting in Ukyo's way. Ryoga backed off, flinging a handful of bandannas at the pair, then leaped back, to gain some room. This gave him enough time to slip the photograph into his leggings, and then he blocked Ukyo's blows.

"No! That is mine!" Gosunkugi cried. Ukyo yelped as he pulled a hair out of her ponytail, then he grabbed one from Ryoga as well. Sticking the strands of hair into a couple of voodoo dolls, he yelled out, "Now I will stop you! Fools!" and nailed the two dolls to the wall of his house.

Ryoga and Ukyo looked at each other, and then at themselves, but as nothing seemed to happen, they both shrugged. Ryoga leaped aside as Ukyo swung at him again, and then charged out of the house. Gosukugi ran after them, but Ukyo was already chasing the fanged martial artist off into the distance.

"Kuonji! Hibiki! You fools!" Gosunkugi nailed up the voodoo dolls again, this time to a tree outside his home, but cried out in pain as he hit his thumb with the hammer. Shaking his sore hand for a moment, he muttered under his breath, staring off after the pair with his inhumanly wide eyes. Then he pulled out the negatives, and headed back into the house and back into his darkroom.

Ryoga tried his best to avoid Ukyo's pursuit, but she was able to get ahead of him, and block his path. He found her wielding a street sign, which she used to slash at him as he charged. He tried to grab the sign, to wrench it out of her grasp, but it cut into his hand as she twirled it. As he drew near, she leaped and rolled, upending a trash can and pelting him with the contents. Idly, he noticed that the garbage struck him a lot harder than it should have, but he knew the technique she was using to harden her improvised weapons. Given that he could do the same thing with his bandannas and his belt, he wasn't overly surprised.

He flung several of those bandannas at the ponytailed martial artist, countering her garbage attack. As before, she intercepted them, and sent them back. Ryoga knocked them aside, as she opened up more distance between them.

"I think we both know this isn't going to be an easy fight, Ryoga," Ukyo said. "Why don't we talk about it. What do you want for the picture?"

Ryoga's first thought was to protest, that he had no intention of dishonoring Akane further with the photograph. But then he suddenly realized what Ukyo was thinking. If he showed Ranma this picture he would be enraged, possibly even angry enough to abandon Akane. But could he get to Ranma and show it to him without Ukyo stopping him? He somehow doubted it.

"Do you think so little of me?" Ryoga said, showing a fang. "You think I can be bribed, with money?"

"I was thinking of something less tangible." She gritted her teeth. It made her feel sick to offer this, but... "You know I hate you sleeping in Akane's bed. But maybe I'll give you an extra night a week. Or two."

Ryoga seemed to consider it a moment. "I don't know. I think I may give this to Akane as a gift. Maybe then I can tell her how I feel."

"I kind of doubt she'll appreciate that," Ukyo said.

"She might. Maybe she'll decide it's time she told Ranma to get lost. Seeing the proof of my love for her might help make up her mind."

"Or she might decide you're a pervert and to pound you into orbit again."

"Or maybe someone else will make a better deal. I'm sure that con artist sister of hers would pay good for a picture like this."

Ukyo gritted her teeth. "You wouldn't dare!"

"I don't know." Ryoga shrugged. "I can't really bear to part with it, myself. Maybe I will have a bunch of them printed up." Ryoga was just saying the first thing that came to mind, not really thinking about it. Really, what he wanted was for Ranma and Ukyo to go away and leave he and Akane alone, but he knew she wouldn't go for that. He thought of asking her to help him break up Ranma and Akane, but obviously from the way she was trying so hard to keep the picture from him, she wanted to get them together. He frowned. She was trying to ruin his happiness too...

Ukyo, meanwhile, suddenly froze in shock as the obvious finally sank in. Copies! Gosukugi still had the negatives! She had been so focused on getting the picture away from Ryoga that it had completely escaped her notice. And now Gosunkugi was probably printing up another while she and Ryoga were fighting. She had to hurry up and get the picture away from him so she could get back to Gosunkugi!

She quickly steeled her features, hoping she hadn't given away any of her thoughts to Ryoga. Fortunately, he seemed to be still trying to think up ways to taunt her. Hopefully he would not realize that he needed to get the negatives, himself. "Okay, Ryoga, what do you want? Just name it. I'll trade you anything, just give me the picture..."

A sly smile spread over the lost boy's face. "How about a date... with Akane?"

"A... A date with Akane?"

"Yep. Fix me up with a date with Akane, and I'll give you the picture."

Ukyo took a deep breath. "Okay, I guess that's not too bad. Sure. Give me the picture, and I'll set up a date with Akane for you."

Ryoga shook his head. "No, the date FIRST, then I'll give you the picture."

"Ryoga!"

"That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

Ukyo growled to herself. She really didn't have any choice. And maybe it wouldn't be too bad. Akane probably wouldn't mind going on a date with him, but how to talk her into it? If she knew Akane, she would resist the idea of going on a date with any boy, just because the Hentai Horde made such a point of that being the goal of their morning assault. She would have to handle this carefully.

On the other hand, Akane might make it clear to the boy that she wasn't interested in him that way, and get him to give up this unhealthy obsession that he had with her. And while Ryoga was busy, she could run back to Gosunkugi's and get the negatives, and he would be none the wiser. All she would have to do was pick him up again after the date, and get the photograph. Then she could destroy it and the negatives.

And then all she would have to do was make sure Ranma never finds out.

"All right, Ryoga. You've got a deal. I'll talk to Akane, and get her to go out on a date with you. Do you have any idea of where you'd like to go?"

Ryoga stared at her, turning red. "Um... uh..."

Ukyo sighed. "Of course not. Okay, don't worry about it, I'll set up the whole thing."

* * *

"You want me to go on a date with Ryoga?" Akane asked.

"Well... not exactly," Ukyo said. "You know how Ryoga is. He doesn't have many friends, and he probably hasn't seen his family in years. The way he's been getting to school every day, he must be spending all his time either there, or someplace nearby where he can't get lost. Even if he is making it home, he probably doesn't dare leave, except to go to school. I'm betting he's going stir crazy."

Akane nodded. "I imagine he must be pretty lonely, poor guy..."

"Right. So I was thinking, if you could take him out somewhere, maybe to get something to eat or something, I'm sure he'd really appreciate it. He'll have a chance to go somewhere other than home or school, he'll be able to relax and not have to worry about getting lost, and he'll have some company that he can talk to."

"So why don't YOU ask him out?" Akane's tone was slightly irritated, but there was a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. She was probably thinking that Ukyo liked him, although she shuddered at the thought. Even if Ukyo had an interest in him - which she didn't, she was just trying to help the poor guy out - he had made it clear that he hated her.

"Unfortunately, I can't, I've got something else to do." Namely, getting back to Gosunkugi, and getting the negatives, Ukyo said to herself, although you don't need to know that. "Besides, I'm Ranma's sister, and he's still holding a grudge against him. I think he'll be more comfortable with you. Heck, you know good and well I can't ask Ranchan to hang out with him, he and Ryoga would get into a fight in just a few minutes."

Akane scowled. "Yeah, the insensitive jerk! I don't know why he's always picking on Ryoga! I'll do it, Ukyo, but just so he knows he's got friends."

"Great! I told him to show up here sometime this afternoon. I didn't set an exact time, so hopefully he'll make it here and not get lost." She could have ensured he'd be available, by bringing him home as P-chan, but Ryoga had insisted on going to find some flowers. Ukyo hoped he'd actually make it before nightfall, but even if he didn't, at least he'd be out of her hair.

"I've already made reservations at a nice restaurant, and afterwards, maybe you can take him to a movie or something. I really appreciate you doing this."

"Oh, no problem, Ukyo. Ryoga's a nice guy, and I'm glad to help him out. It's really nice of you to want to help him, too..."

It's not all that nice, Ukyo said to herself, I'm just doing this because I don't have any other choice. But then, Pork Butt isn't as nice as you think he is, either. To Akane, she smiled. "I'm just hoping he'll be happier, and stop fighting with Ranchan all the time."

With her preparations complete, Ukyo left Akane to wait for her suitor, while she headed for Gosukugi's house. It wasn't an hour later, when Akane heard a commotion from the front yard. She ran for the door, only to reach it as someone rang the chime. On the other side of the door was Ryoga, who collapsed into the genkan as she opened it.

"I... I made it!" He gasped, his clothes looking like he had just returned from climbing a mountain, hiking across a desert, and Running with the Bulls in Pamplona.

Akane snickered. "So you did, Ryoga, that's wonderful. And you're early, too!"

"Really?" Ryoga managed to get to his feet and looked around. He was carrying a bouquet of flowers in his hand, and Akane blushed a bit at his thoughtfulness. Ryoga noticed, then glanced down at the flowers she was looking at. Stammering and blushing himself, he handed them to her. "Um... uh... here..."

"Why thank you, Ryoga," Akane muttered, smiling at him. At he stared at her, though, she found herself growing uncomfortable again. There was that look in his eyes, and it made her look away.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Came the last voice she wanted to hear at that moment. "How'd you ever find your way here, Ryoga?"

Ranma walked over to the two of them. He had obviously noticed the flowers, and didn't seem happy about it. Akane sighed. She had thought he was busy training in the dojo, but apparently Ryoga's noisy arrival had gotten his attention.

"Akane and I are going on a date," Ryoga said proudly, in a voice that was sure to push Ranma's buttons. Sure enough, Akane looked at him, and he was starting to grit his teeth.

"Well, not exactly..." Akane interrupted, then glanced at Ryoga as he gave her a hurt look. She spoke quickly, to both reassure him, and try and smooth things over with Ranma. "I just thought I'd show Ryoga some of the sights. I mean... he travels around all over the world, but he probably just never gets a chance to go to restaurant in his own neighborhood."

"Heh, that sounds fun. I'll go with ya."

Akane scoffed. "Be serious, Ranma. You'll probably just make a scene. Besides, I already made plans." Well, Ukyo made the plans, anyway.

"Hey, I ain't the one who'll start it! Umbrella Boy is always the one who causes trouble!"

"He does not, Ranma!" Akane put her hands on her hips. "This is something I want to do for Ryoga," she took his hand, "and I want you to stay out of our way!"

Ryoga looked down at the hand that had touched his, and gulped loudly. Akane didn't seem to notice his expression, too intent on Ranma, but Ranma noticed it. He snarled at the fanged boy. "I know what you're doin' here, Ryoga. An' you're not gettin' away with it."

"Ranma!" Ranma looked back at Akane as she yelled at him. "I told you to stop picking on him!"

"Akane, I'm just trying to protect you! This moron, I'm telling you, he thinks he's..."

"Shut up, Ranma!" Ryoga interrupted him, letting go of Akane's hand to take a swing at the pigtailed martial artist. Ranma darted back, grinning. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Ranma looked happy that he had goaded the lost boy into attacking him, but his smile was cut off as Akane clobbered him. "I said leave him alone!" She said.

"He started it!"

"He did not! Look, Ranma, I'm going on this date, and I want you to promise you won't interfere!"

"But Akane..."

"Promise!"

Ranma frowned, obviously very upset. Akane felt that guilt rising up in her again, but told herself firmly that she wasn't doing anything wrong. She was trying to help Ryoga, to show him some kindness, and Ranma was being a jerk, like he always did.

"Fine! As if I care," Ranma said. "A macho tomboy like you wouldn't know how to act on a date anyway."

Akane frowned at him for a moment, then turned and took Ryoga's arm. "Come on, Ryoga. Our reservation is good for a couple of hours, but we might as well go now."

Ryoga eyed Ranma with a look of smug satisfaction, as Akane led him out of the house. Ranma snorted as they disappeared in the distance. "Stupid macho tomboy," he said again. "I tried to warn her. Whatever happens is her own fault now."

Something about that didn't sit right, but Ranma ignored it. He wandered upstairs to his room, still fuming. "Stupid Umbrella Boy doesn't know what he's getting into," Ranma said to himself. "Akane'll pound him if he steps out of line. Stupid moron, giving her flowers like she's some kinda girly girl. I give it an hour before he either gets all goofy and says something stupid, or Akane gets all clumsy and breaks his arm or something."

Ranma sat on his futon, thinking. "Maybe I'd better go along, just to make sure they mess it up. I bet it'll be funny to watch." He got up as a thought occured to him, and set off for his sister and Akane's room. "I bet if I turn inta Sis, I can follow 'em. I mean... it won't be like I'm interferin', I'll just watch that clumsy tomboy mess it up."

He walked into the girls' room. "Nah, Akane would spot Ukyo for sure, and she'll probably figure it's me. That won't work. Maybe I could wear glasses or something..." He stopped, thinking hard again. "Ah, what I'm I worried about. That macho tomboy don't know nothin' about being a girl on a date. I can just see her gettin' all girly and giggly, gettin' all dressed up and makin' herself up and stuff..."

He scowled darkly, then laughed at his own mental image. "Yeah, right. As if. If that macho chick can actually pull off goin' on a date, why... why... I'll dress up like a girl myself, and run around town!"

The very idea set Ranma laughing again, but suddenly a thought occurred to him. He looked momentarily reluctant, but then stepped over to Akane's side of the room, and opened up her closet. Although most of her outfits were pretty nondescript, in the very back of her closet she had a few very frilly dresses that she apparently saved for special occasions. Ranma scoffed at the idea of Akane wearing something that feminine.

On the other hand... Ranma looked at the mirror in the room as he considered. As weird as Akane would look in an outfit like that, his sister would be even less likely to wear something like that. No one would EVER recognize Ukyo if she was wearing a dress like that...

* * *

"Thank you for coming with me like this, Ryoga," Akane said, as they sat at a table in their restaurant. It was a fancy place, overlooking a nearby lake, but Akane was relieved to note the prices were very reasonable. Ukyo had offered to pay for Ryoga, but Akane had insisted on paying her half herself. She figured the other girl couldn't have much money. "I'm sure Ukyo must have worked really hard to talk you into this."

"No, no, Akane," Ryoga reassured her. "I really wanted to go on this date."

Akane smiled at him, and Ryoga swallowed. "That's so sweet. I think you're a really nice guy, Ryoga, I hope you know that."

"Do... do you really think so?" Akane thinks I'm sweet, Ryoga said to himself. Reflexively, he closed his hands on the lip of the table, and it cracked off in his grasp. "Oops."

"Ryoga, what happened?" Akane looked at the damaged table, and Ryoga grinned back at her dazedly.

"It's nothing. Nothing!" This is so wonderful, Ryoga thought. This is almost like a dream!

Akane watched Ryoga, worried, as he nervously jerked on the tablecloth, scattering dishes everywhere. Then she noticed the girl at the table next to theirs laughing to herself. She'd noticed the girl a few times, as she looked vaguely familiar. She was wearing a dress similar to one Akane thought she had. Her hair was brown, and done up in twin pigtails, fairly long and down to her back. She was also wearing glasses, and a hat. Akane frowned as she remembered that she had a hat like that too. Could that be Ukyo? Her suspicions were confirmed when the girl noticed that Akane was looking at her, and ducked behind her menu.

Except that it wasn't Ukyo, it was Ranma. It had to be! Akane clenched her teeth. That baka was spying on her, and dressing up like a GIRL, too! And wearing one of HER dresses! She looked back up at Ryoga, and found that he had stood up to try to fix the tablecloth, and had banged his head against a support beam that was extending out from the wall nearby. She didn't know why he was so nervous, but obviously Ranma was finding this hilarious, the insensitive jerk.

"Ryoga, sit down. I'll take care of the tablecloth." She did the best she could to get Ryoga settled down, while stealing another glance at the girl. It was definitely Ranma, because she had definitely noticed Akane had spotted her, and was trying to slip out of her seat. Akane couldn't allow that, so she picked up her tea, and walked over to grab the girl by the arm.

"Ranma!" She growled. The girl tried to give her an innocent look, but there was no mistaking that slender yet muscular build, and Ukyo's aquamarine eyes. "I can't believe you! I told you not to interfere." She dragged the girl out of the restaurant, then poured the tea over her.

"Now get lost!" She kicked Ranma into the stratosphere, then added with a shudder. "And now I'm going to have to burn that dress!"

Ranma emerged from the garbage can that he had landed in, holding the dress in one hand. "Stupid macho dweeb!" He complained. "Why did she have to splash me with hot water before she kicked me? If anybody saw me in a dress as a guy, they'd think I was a pervert..."

His voice trailed off as he realized that he was surrounded by people, and they were all staring at him. He had landed in a trash can in a park, and most of those around him were women, coming to the park for a walk. And he was stripped down to his boxers, not wearing a shirt, and holding a dress in one hand. As one of the girls screamed, Ranma realized he was doomed.

Akane, meanwhile, was more determined than ever to make it up to Ryoga for Ranma ruining his "date". Once their dinner was over, she walked with him down to the shoreline of the lake. Akane eyed the water uncomfortably, but then noticed a dock with several small rowboats scattered around it. A sign over the dock said "Boat Rentals."

"Hey, Ryoga, let's rent a boat!" This might relax Ryoga, she thought, and give them something fun to do. It was also kind of romantic, although she was pretty sure Ryoga wouldn't really care about that.

Ryoga, meanwhile, was worried about the water himself. If he fell into the water, she would certainly find out he was P-chan. The boats looked pretty stable, though, and he had of course had to learn how to paddle a boat in all of his travels. He glanced at Akane, and noticed how expectant and happy she looked. He could take a chance, for her.

"Sure, Akane." He rented a boat, and he and Akane were climbing into it, just as Ranma arrived. Ranma was bruised, from his encounter with the girls in the park, but back in his own clothes. He had had the foresight to bring them along, in case his disguise failed. He watched as Ryoga paddled the boat out into the middle of the lake.

A few minutes later, the salesman in charge of the boat rentals came charging out of his shack, as all of the boats had been cut loose, and started to drift off into the lake. He set about frantically trying to retrieve them, but most of them floated out of his reach. As one of them got further out onto the lake, Ranma sat up inside it. He noticed Ryoga and Akane drifting by, just as Ryoga was working up the nerve to speak.

"L... look, Akane..." Ryoga said, blushing and worrying with the handle of one of the oars. The wood was starting to crack in his hands, and Akane coaxed it away from him. "Um... I wanted to tell you that... um..."

At that moment, Akane spotted him again. "Ranma! What are you doing?"

"Ranma?" Ryoga looked around to snarl at him. "Leave us alone, Ranma! Akane is with me now!"

Ranma laughed, feigning disinterest. "I'm just here ta watch ya make a fool of yourself, Ryoga. This is the most fun I've had in a long time." He then pitched his voice mockingly, in imitation of Ryoga. "Oh, Akane, I've got something to tell you!"

"Ranmaaa!" Ryoga snarled, then leaped at Ranma over the side of the boat. It pitched back and forth, throwing Akane from side to side, but she caught herself. Meanwhile, Ranma leaped over Ryoga's kick, and he sailed past him, over the water.

Realizing the danger, Ryoga turned and grabbed Ranma's head, pulling him out of his boat and dunking him. Then he leaped, using Ranma's head as a springboard to jump to another boat drifting nearby. "You aren't going to make me get wet!" He said, as he regained his balance in the small boat.

"Oh, you a little afraid of the water, there, Umbrella Boy?" Ranma smirked at him, not noticing the flash of panic in Ryoga's eyes at the question. Ryoga quickly caught himself and smiled back.

"No, just I'm not going to let an arrogant jerk like you dunk me."

"Well, you're sure not gonna make ME fall in the water!"

Ryoga smiled even wider. "I already have, Ranma. You're looking a bit girly, there..."

Sure enough, Ranma was once again female, her hair back in the twin pigtails she had tied them in earlier. "Who are you calling 'girly'?" She yelled, leaping at Ryoga, who jumped to another boat to avoid the attack. Akane shook her head as the two took off skipping across the lake on the scattered boats.

"A few minutes ago he was wearing a dress," Akane commented, "and now he's upset over being called a girl. Baka."

Ryoga avoided Ranma's attacks, continuing to use her as a stepping stone when necessary to make it from one boat to the next. As their attacks became more and more desperate, Akane watched, her irritated expression slowly becoming more concerned. Sure, she was mad at Ranma for making a mess of things, but it looked like Ryoga was REALLY mad. And Ranma kept being thrown back into the water, from which she would emerge, spluttering and frustrated.

Ryoga finally made his way across the lake to dry land, and turned to face Ranma. As the girl came near, he stepped just outside of her reach, and then grabbed her arm. Pulling her forward along with her own momentum, he slammed Ranma into the ground, hard. She struggled back to her feet, holding onto her arm.

"You knew just how to do that," Ranma said. "Like you were used to the length of my arms. You been fightin' my Sis..."

Ryoga grinned at her. "If you think you can win by switching forms on me, forget it. I know both of your bodies now. You can't win this. I'm going to beat you, and then I'm taking Akane."

"'TAKING' Akane? Like she's some kinda pet or something? I don't think so. Akane'd probably punch your lights out if she heard you say that."

Ranma charged, but Ryoga just stepped out of the way. "That's what you think. Akane's mine now, you just don't know it yet. She loves me, and you've already lost her."

"I told you before, Ryoga, you're crazy. She doesn't even know you. She certainly doesn't like you, much less love you!"

"That's where you're wrong. And I can prove it." As Ranma darted in for another attack, Ryoga pulled something out of his shirt. As Ranma swung he stuck it in front of the girl's face. Ranma batted at it, and then as Ryoga continued to hold it out in front of her, she grabbed it.

It was a photograph. As Ranma finally looked at it, and it registered with her what it was, her face went pale. She felt her heart stop, which is why she couldn't even try to dodge as Ryoga grabbed her. She didn't even really feel it, as Ryoga punched her hard enough to set her ears ringing, and then drove her into the water and mud at the edge of the pond.


	22. Are We Jealous?

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 22

"Ranma!" Akane called out, as she watched Ryoga shove her under the water. She wasn't sure what had happened, but Ranma had apparently been caught off guard, and knocked out by his attack. Her eyes grew wide as Ryoga held Ranma down, as if trying to drown her. Ranma's arm suddenly flailed out and caught Ryoga across the face, though, and he flew back. Ranma stood up, spitting out muddy water.

She shouted something at Ryoga, which Akane couldn't make out, but she was obviously furious. Ranma charged, but Ryoga was backing quickly away, trying to get away from the lake. Once he got safely away from the water's edge, he met Ranma's charge, and the two began to punch and kick each other mercilessly.

"What's the matter, Ranma?" Ryoga taunted. "Are you taking this seriously now? You're not gonna run away?"

"Shut up," Ranma yelled, throwing a punch that Ryoga easily countered. "Shut up!" Ryoga caught Ranma's fist in his palm, and twisted it, causing Ranma to cry out.

"You're weak in this form, Ranma," Ryoga told him. "Your sister was more of a challenge to me. Akane deserves someone who's a real man."

Ranma didn't answer, she just evaded Ryoga's punches, and then ducked underneath him to grab at his legs. Then she whipped him off his feet, swinging him around to send him sailing out towards the lake. Ryoga steeled himself as he realized he was about to hit the water, and give away his curse.

Ryoga was suddenly struck by a boat. It had flown at him, and he pulled himself up onto it, dropping inside it just as it hit the water. The water splashed up around him, but didn't touch him. As he sat up, Ranma was coming at him again, and he leaped out of the boat and onto another one that was still drifting nearby.

"WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING?" Akane yelled. She had thrown the boat, and was crouched inside her own boat, her eyes narrowed in anger. "I WANT YOU TWO TO STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"

"Stay out of this, Akane!" Ranma yelled back. Her voice sounded almost as angry, although her attention was fixed on Ryoga.

"Just hold on a minute," Ryoga put in, "and we'll talk. I'll explain everything."

"You'll TALK?" Ranma repeated. She attacked Ryoga, smashing the boat he was standing in. However, he was headed back for the shore, and only had a few more hops to make. Ranma leaped to intercept him, only for both of them to be crashed into by another flying boat.

"Are you helping him now?" Ranma screamed at her. Meanwhile, Akane had leaned over the side of her boat, and was paddling over towards another one. She hefted it out of the water, bracing against the far side of her own boat so it would not tip over, and then propelled it towards the two fighters.

"I told you to stop!" She protested. For some reason, she seemed terrified of something, she hunched low in her boat, to keep her balance, but her anger was overriding all else. "What are you two fighting over? I don't know why you're always fighting, but I'm tired of it!"

"Oh, you don't know, do you? I knew you were easy, but I didn't think you were STUPID!" Ranma was so distracted by yelling at Akane, Ryoga caught her off guard again. He shoved her into the water, then leaped off of her to land back on the bank.

"Easy!" Akane yelled back, "What the hell do you mean by that?" But Ranma was too busy fighting Ryoga. They were back on land now, and Ranma was worn down from the multiple dunkings, and the near drowning. Ryoga was tiring as well, but he didn't seem to care.

"Don't worry, Akane, this won't take long. Just let Ranma get it out of his system, and then we can be together."

"What are you talking about?" Akane flung a "No Fishing" sign at the pair, then reached for another boat behind her. "Ryoga, stop it! Whatever Ranma did, it's not worth it."

"Not worth it!" Ranma snapped, her voice thick with anger. "I'll show you who's not worth it..."

As Akane reached for the adjacent boat, however, she imbalanced herself, and inadvertently shoved the other boat away. She was nearly pulled out of her own boat herself, ending up extended over the water. She jumped back, crying out in terror, and lunged to her feet.

"Akane!" Ryoga called out. "You shouldn't stand up in a boat!"

Akane turned back to look at him, losing her balance as she did. She flailed her arms, causing the boat to rock, but then, before she could fall overboard, she suddenly flipped, and landed in a handstand on the boat's bow. She balanced there precariously for a few heart stopping moments, but then suddenly the boat shifted underneath her. It shot forward, as Akane's hand slipped out from under her, and she splashed into the water.

"Akane!" Ryoga called out. Ranma shook her head as Ryoga took of running towards the bank. She wanted to jump into the lake as well, but somehow, seeing Ryoga running to her rescue, she had to look away. Sighing deeply, she put both hands to her face. Let the stupid Umbrella Boy rescue her, I don't have to watch.

There was a loud splash and then - nothing. No sound at all, except Akane's thrashing. Turning, Ranma saw no sign of Ryoga. She looked out towards the lake, and suddenly realized Akane was screaming in fear. Even as it finally sank in that Akane was only flailing and splashing around, the dark haired girl sank beneath the surface. When she didn't come back up, Ranma took off running.

"Don't tell me she can't swim!" Ranma leaped into the water, swimming towards Akane as fast as she could. As she got near, she realized Akane was on the surface again, although she was choking and struggling, and in a way that shouldn't have kept her afloat. Even as Akane sank back down again, Ranma grabbed her, feeling her feebly clutching at her arms. She pulled the other girl's head out of the water as much as she could, and then swam towards the shore.

Even as she started to wonder how Akane had managed to stay afloat long enough, Ranma felt something brush her hand. She grabbed at it, and felt something small and round. To her astonishment, it was P-chan, trying to get under Akane and hold her up. Ranma grabbed the pig just as it seemed to tire, and dragged all three of them onto the bank.

"I don't know how the hell you got here, P-chan, but I'm sure glad you did," Ranma muttered. She felt out of breath, but couldn't spare the time for that. She pulled Akane out onto drier land, and began pounding on her back to get the water out. After a few moments, Akane began coughing, and gasping for breath. Quite a bit of water came up, but Ranma was relieved to see her start breathing again.

But her relief was immediately followed by anger, as she remembered the picture. Akane could sure pick 'em, couldn't she? Her "real man" couldn't even be counted on to save her from drowning, without getting lost on the way to the water. Scowling, Ranma watched as Akane blinked, and opened her eyes.

"Ranma... you... saved me." Akane blushed and sat up, coughing a bit to get the last of the water out of her throat.

"Yeah, well..." Ranma looked away from her, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sure you would have been happier if your Ryoga had saved you."

"What are you talking about?"

Ranma sighed heavily. "Don't play games with me, Akane. Rushing off with Ryoga, just because he gave you a few flowers? I should have seen what was going on." She looked at her, her eyes narrowed. "Right behind my back, Akane."

"Behind your back?" Akane scowled. What brought this on? "What are you talking about? Ranma, what is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? Protectin' a guy like that, who you can't even depend on when your life's at stake!"

"What?" Akane shook her head, in complete confusion now. However, P-chan, who dragged himself up and shook the water out of his fur, then ran up and bit Ranma on the finger.

"Damn it, pig, what's YOUR problem?" She punched P-chan, at which time Akane snatched him away.

"Ranma! Stop it! Leave P-chan alone!"

Ranma looked up at her, and Akane found herself shuddering, at her expression. There was an intense flash of anger in the other girl's eyes, then just as suddenly, heartbreak and anguish. She looked away, and Akane felt her heart leap into her throat. Something was wrong, very wrong.

"I'm sorry, Ranma. P-chan doesn't know any better, that's all. I won't let him bite you."

"That's okay, Akane. It's not P-chan... I..." She glanced at her for a second, then away again. "It's just... you were defending him, like..."

She was silent again, and Akane swallowed. "Like Ryoga? Is that what this is about? Look, I wasn't defending Ryoga, I was trying to stop both of you."

"Don't lie to me!" Ranma yelled, the anger returning. "I know the truth! I know that you..."

"What? What, Ranma?"

Ranma looked at her again, and her anger made her clench her teeth. "You don't have to hide it. I know you like Ryoga."

"Well, of course I like him! He's a nice guy, and he's Ukyo's friend! He could be your friend, too, if you'd let him! I don't know why you..."

"Shut up! Shut up!" Ranma stood, waving her arms, as if pushing Akane away. "Don't play me for a fool! I'm not stupid, you know..."

Akane stood as well. "Oh, stop acting so jealous! I don't feel that way about Ryoga! I was just going on the date with him because Ukyo asked me to!" Akane missed P-chan's eyes getting very wide, as she held him in her arms. "Honestly, sometimes you are so..."

Ranma whirled on her. "Liar! I saw it! You can't say you're not in love with him! I saw it!"

"What? Saw what?"

Ranma reached into her shirt and pulled out the picture. Akane backed away, more because of the vicious way Ranma shoved it at her than what it showed.

Once she saw the picture, though, the blood drained from Akane's face. She took it, her hand shaking, and stared at if for a long moment. Then she looked up at Ranma. There was rage and hurt in the cursed girl's eyes, and Akane shook her head, numb with shock.

"It's not... it's not what it looks like..."

"Feh." Ranma sneered cruelly. "Like I haven't heard that before."

Akane's lip trembled. How could it end like this? "You... you believe that I would... that I would... You think that I could... with him? You... you... you... BAKA!" She could think of no word more scathing. "I HATE YOU!"

With tears running down her cheeks, Akane turned and fled. As she ran across the grass and towards the street, Ukyo arrived, coming from the direction of the restaurant. She watched Akane as the girl ran past her, then looked down towards Ranma. Even from here, she could see Ranma's expression clearly.

"Aw, HELL no..." She muttered. "Oh, Ranchan, no..."

* * *

Akane burst through the door of the Tendo home, ignoring the questions of her sisters as she ran upstairs. She slammed the door behind her, stopping a moment to lock it, and then threw herself onto her bed. She buried her face in her pillow, muffling the sobs that had been continuing since she ran out of the park.

She knew she had done nothing wrong, but it didn't matter. After what she had said, and what he saw, Ranma could never believe her again. Even the usual thought, that they weren't really boyfriend and girlfriend, didn't make any difference. None of it made any difference now. They never even gave it a chance, and now there was no chance.

What hurt more than anything else was that strange feeling she had felt when being held by Ryoga. Because she knew what it was now. It had just been an accident, she hadn't meant for it to happen, but she had still realized, at that moment, that it was wrong. And when Ukyo asked her to go on the date, she had felt that that was wrong, too. She had been trying to tell herself, trying to warn herself, and she didn't listen. She had known that Ranma would react like this, she knew it would upset him, and yet all she had done was make it worse.

And now, in retrospect, she could see every mistake she made. Practically daring him to follow her and spy on them. Trying to chase him off when he did follow them. Taking every opportunity to defend Ryoga, instead of defending him. Now that she knew Ranma was jealous, it all made sense. Of course he was fighting Ryoga all the time. He was probably jealous of the attention Ukyo paid to him, too. She should have reassured him that they could all be friends, but instead she was too concerned with punishing him for being mean to Ryoga.

There was a knock at her door, and Akane muttered, "Go away."

"Come on, Akane. Let me in."

"No." Akane buried her face even deeper in the pillow. The knocking continued, but she shut it out, until it stopped. She continued to cry, just laying there.

There was a tapping at the window. Akane looked up to see Ranma there, still in Ukyo's form. It was obviously Ranma, though, because although she had taken down the twin pigtails, she hadn't retied her hair yet. She was hanging upside down from the eaves, her brown hair hanging loose like a curtain, well down below her head.

Akane ignored her, but she continued to tap, until it occured to Akane that she might break the window. She got up and slid the window open. "So, come to see me cry my eyes out, huh? Come to laugh at the stupid, naive, short tempered tomboy? Well come on in, I don't care."

Ranma winced. She stared at Akane for a moment while the black haired girl climbed back into bed. Then she quietly crept in through the window. She stood there for a moment, her head bowed, and then slowly, timidly, sat down on the edge of the bed.

Taking a deep breath, Ranma began. "Akane... I'm sorry."

Akane's sobs stopped, and for a moment, she didn't even breathe. Then she sniffled. "Sis told me what happened," Ranma said sadly. "She showed me the negatives. It showed you punchin' Ryoga off of ya."

Akane said nothing. Ranma took another deep breath. "It's just... when I saw that picture..." She put her head in her hands. "I know Ryoga is in love with you. I thought, when I saw that picture... well... I just thought you felt the same way."

Akane sniffled again. "Don't be stupid, Ranma," Akane said, a little tersely. "Ryoga isn't in love with me. He just went on the date because Ukyo asked him to, just like I did."

"No, Akane, you're wrong..."

Ranma was interrupted as P-chan suddenly squirmed free of where Akane was holding him, and leaped at Ranma. She slapped the pig away, but then looked up at Akane guiltily. Akane was frowning, but at P-chan, not at Ranma. She picked the pig up, and carried him out of the room, where she placed him on the floor in the hall outside. Then she closed the door and walked back to the bed. P-chan could be heard scratching frantically at the door from the other side.

Akane looked up at Ranma. "Go on. What do you mean?"

"Ryoga's in love with you, Akane. He's told me so himself. I know he meant it, because he was telling me he was going to take you away from me. He loves you, and he was going to make you fall in love with him."

Akane wiped her eyes. "You... are you kidding? Did he really say that?"

Ranma nodded, her long hair swaying across her shoulders. "He said that I ruined his life, so he was going to ruin mine, by taking you away from me. I... I didn't want him to take you away from me."

"Is that why you two are always fighting all the time?"

Ranma nodded again. "He also said that..." Her voice became very quiet. "... that I don't deserve you..."

Akane was silent for a moment as well. "Oh, Ranma... it's not like I can blame you. Not after all the times I've jumped to conclusions about Shampoo, or Kodachi..."

"Tell me about it," Ranma said sourly. She tensed as if for a reaction, but her tone was still scathing.

Akane just sighed, though. "Does... does this mean we're... jealous of each other?"

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous of..." Ranma turned and looked at Akane, her words choking off in her throat. But Akane just looked at her, her eyes pained, but not angry. Ranma stared into her eyes for a moment.

She shrugged. "Whatever. I guess so."

"So what do we do?" Akane asked.

Ranma shrugged again. "I dunno."

"All right then, what do we do about Ryoga?"

"Whaddya mean?"

Akane chuckled at Ranma's pouting tone. "I mean, what do we do about his feelings for me. I don't... care about him that way, but I don't want to hurt him. He needs friends, people who care about him, like Ukyo does, not more heartache."

"Maybe if you just make it clear you just want to be his friend, and don't try to push it, he'll figure it out on his own."

"Maybe. I hope so."

There was a long silence, and then Ranma spoke up. "It's just... well..." She paused again. "I... well, I don't... I don't want you to be taken away from me."

Her hand closed around Akane's, and she looked at it, then up at Ranma. "I... uh... I don't want to be taken away from you either," she said. She looked away, blushing. "And I don't want you to be taken from me."

"That's good," Ranma muttered. "So, um... are we... ?"

She squeezed the hand a little tighter. "Yeah. We're still friends. Best friends." She looked up at the brown haired girl, noting with amusement that she seemed a little cuter with her hair down. There was absolutely no confusion in her mind as to who she was looking at, though. "I hope we'll always be best friends..."

Ranma blushed, deeply. "Me too."

There was the sound of wild celebration out in the hall. Ranma and Akane both rolled their eyes, as the door burst open.

"Oh, they are getting along so well!" Soun said.

"The schools will be joined before you know it!" Genma answered.

"We said we were FRIENDS!" Akane said, as Ranma nodded her agreement. "What is with you two?"

P-chan then charged in and bit Ranma on the arm. Akane pulled him off of her, while the pig continued to struggle to leap at Ranma again. Finally, Ranma just ran out of the room, pursued by two dancing fathers, and Nabiki with her camera, hoping to catch a good picture of Kuno's "ponytailed goddess" with her hair down.

* * *

The next day, Akane got her chance to cook dinner with Ukyo. The two of them disappeared into the kitchen, while Kasumi nervously sat waiting with Ranma in the family room. Her nervousness increased, as various crashes and bangs began to come from the kitchen.

As the minutes went by, more crashes were heard, causing Kasumi to jump. Then Ukyo was heard to yell, "DON'T PUT THAT IN THERE!" There was silence for a few more minutes, then Ukyo called out again, "No, no, stop!"

"The white wine will give it flavor!"

"That's VINEGAR!"

There was a few more seconds of silence, and then something clattered to the floor. Ukyo was heard saying, more calmly. "Okay, Akane, focus. You're losing your control, like with your martial arts. Find your center, and concentrate. AND DON'T LET THAT BURN!"

There was more frantic activity, and then silence. After a few moments, the thumps and bangs resumed, along with muttered conversation. This kept up for the rest of the time Akane and Ukyo were in the kitchen.

Finally, Ukyo announced they were almost ready, and Nabiki, Genma and Soun joined the rest of the family at the table. As they were settling themselves around it, Ukyo came in with a couple of bowls of rice. She looked a bit on edge, her nerves frayed, her apron and clothes stained with bits of food and sauce. Her hair was even somewhat frazzled.

"Okay," She said, her voice lowered, "Akane made curry. It's not too bad, I tasted it a few seconds ago, but it's really, REALLY, hot. Akane worked really, really hard on it, though, so I want you all to say it's good. You only have to take a few bites, and I'll have plenty of water ready."

She glanced back at the kitchen, then leaned a little closer. "Akane's told me you always say her cooking is good, and that's nice, but I think that might be part of the problem. She's not sure about what you like or don't like. But I think she's more in need of encouragement right now, so just be nice about it."

At that last, she gave Ranma a warning glare. But then she retreated back into the kitchen. A few minutes later, Akane came out with the bowl of curry. Ukyo was following behind her with four huge pitchers of ice water, two held in each of her hands. She set the pitchers down, as Akane portioned out the rice and curry to everyone.

The meal did not exactly look tantilizing, it was an odd combination of colors, and sort of sat, in thick clumps, next to the rice. Genma proclaimed that it smelled wonderful, however, and Akane waited excitedly as everyone tasted it. There was then a burst of motion as everyone lunged for their glasses of water.

"It's really good!" Soun said, as soon as he was able to speak again. "It's the best you've ever made!"

"Yeah, not bad, little sis," Nabiki agreed, choking a little. "You really... outdid yourself this time." She then drained her glass, which Ukyo immediately refilled.

Akane smiled wider and wider with all the words of praise, but was clearly watching Ranma for his reaction. He had seemed startled at first and took a big drink of his water, but then had returned to his plate for a few more spoonfuls. "What do you think, Ranma?" Akane asked, trying to hold back the hopefulness in her voice.

"Hey, it's pretty good," Ranma finally said. "It's really spicy, but I LIKE spicy food!" His eyes had started to water, but he took a few more bites.

Then he looked up at Akane and grinned widely. "Heh. I'd expect something you made to kick me in the teeth, tomboy!"

Akane smiled back at him, unsure, but pleased that he apparently liked it. "Do you mean it?"

His grin widened a bit. "Nah. Sis asked me to say it."

The room suddenly went silent. Ukyo looked at him with a look of horror, while the rest of the family just stared at Ranma like he had grown another head. Ranma's eyes were locked on Akane, though, and his grin never faltered. Akane just stared back at him, her eyes widening slightly, but just staring at him.

Ranma suddenly burst out laughing. "You don't think I'm lyin' to you, do ya tomboy? I said, I like spicy food, and I do. This ain't the greatest curry in the world, but it's better than those cookies. Spicy works a hell of a lot better on curry than cookies. It's good."

"R... Really?" Akane's eyes were starting to glisten, now.

"Really." Ranma took another bite. "This is better than the cookies, which means next time will be better than that. And who cares if it's not the BEST. It's just food."

"It's just food?" Akane started to look angry again.

"Well, sure. You think Sis cooked every meal we had on the road, and every one of 'em was great? Of course not, sometimes I cooked, or we just didn't have anything good that she could fix. The main thing is, if you make enough for that bottomless pit I call my stomach..." he poked Genma in the belly, "not to mention my Pop here... you gotta make a lot. And that takes a lot of work."

"I think what my brother is trying to say," Ukyo said, putting her arm around Akane, "in his own SPECIAL way, is that he appreciates how much effort you put into it."

"Yeah, and that's another thing." Ranma's expression turned thoughtful. "From what I was hearin' out here, you were REALLY workin' at it. And you didn't sound like you were having much fun. It's like I say about martial arts, if you're not having fun, you're not doin' it right.

"You think Sis cooks because she wants folks to tell her how great her cooking is? She's told me again and again, she cooks 'cause she loves it. 'Cause it's fun. I bet if you just cook because you like cooking, and don't worry about how it turns out, it'll be great."

Ukyo gave Akane a hug. "Ranma's right. You do stress yourself out too much, worrying about the results, instead of concentrating on the work. It's like martial arts, you need to find your focus..."

Akane nodded, blushing a little. Then she looked at Ranma, and her blush deepened. "Thank you, Ranma." She nodded to him a little. "And... thank you for being honest with me."

"No problem, tomboy," Ranma bent to shoveling more of the curry into his face. His father looked over at him, obviously torn between the temptation to steal something off of his plate, just for the sake of it, and the knowledge of what that would do to his taste buds.

Akane walked over and sat down at the table, next to Ranma. She looked over at him, thoughtfully, for a moment, but he just kept on eating. With a smile, she took a bite of her curry.

She then dropped the spoon. Akane put her head down on the table. "Oh... I am... I am so sorry, everyone. I... I tasted it just before it was done, and it wasn't like this, I swear! I... I..." She sniffled.

Ranma looked at her. "What's the matter, tomboy, too hot for ya?"

Akane met his gaze. "What?"

"Are you tellin' me you can't eat something I can? Can't take what you dish out, is that it?"

Akane's eyes flashed. "Well, if you can eat it, then *I* can certainly eat it."

"I bet you can't. You take one bite, and start crying like a baby. You'll never beat me like that."

"I am not crying like a baby!" Akane wiped her eyes. "And I can eat as much as you can!"

"I bet you can't eat half as much as I can!"

"You're on!" Akane bent to her plate, shovelling food into her mouth as fast as Ranma. In response, he redoubled his own efforts.

Shaking her head bemusedly, Ukyo went into the kitchen, and returned a few minutes later with an extra bowl of sauce. She and Kasumi used it to cut the curry already on everyone's plates, and then sat down to eat themselves. In a few minutes, everyone had declared the meal a grand success, and were eating happily.

Ranma and Akane continued eating as fast as they could, tears running down both of their faces. But with her radiant smile, it was not clear whether Akane's tears were due entirely to the curry.

* * *

Author's Notes:

My original intention going into this arc was just to do something related to Akane's cooking, and move on to the Golden Pair. I wanted to bring in Akane's cooking, though, both because I hinted at it in Chapter 5, and because cooking is one of the ways Akane tries to show her feelings for Ranma. I wanted to show that she's falling in love with him much faster than in the canon, by moving up this part of the story. My original plan, though, was just to do a short scene with the cookies, and then have the scene with Ukyo helping her make curry come after the Golden Pair arc.

I didn't want to use Kodachi, since I had just used her in the last arc. But then, it occured to me that by using Ryoga and Akane in place of Ranma and Kodachi in the picture, I could combine three arcs; the arc with the cookies and the picture, the arc where Ukyo first meets Ryoga and tries to fix him up with Akane, and the final part of the Golden Pair arc, where it's revealed that Akane can't swim. I had never really liked the way either the manga or the Anime handled that part, it seemed like a stretch to go from an ice rink to a swimming pool either way, and so I had been planning to do something different there anyway.

I also got to include two scenes from the Ryoga arc that I had discarded, Ranma hanging outside Akane's window, with Akane making the comment about "crying her eyes out", and Ranma falling nose to nose with Akane, and the two of them sensing their attraction to each other. Although of course in this case it is Ryoga that falls on Akane, and it makes Akane uncomfortable and guilt-ridden when she senses Ryoga's attraction. (And she tries to deny it)

If anyone is wondering why Ranma still hasn't put two and two together about Ryoga being P-chan, remember that he was more concerned about Akane than noticing that P-chan mysteriously appeared the moment Ryoga vanished. Plus, he's already established in his own mind that Ryoga's ability to get lost can cause him to disappear right before his eyes. (He turned into P-chan then, too) Besides, this is a comedy staple. :D Ryoga will eventually get what's coming to him, just not too soon. (And Akane is not likely to be as forgiving of P-chan's attitude from now on, either)


	23. Gimme Back My Charlotte!

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 23

"Hey, you been holding out on us man!" Daisuke called out.

"What do ya mean by that?" Ranma frowned as the two losers caught up with him. He was sure they had spotted them outside, but he was hoping they hadn't followed him. He was visiting the Municipal Sports Complex with his sister and Akane, and just wanted to be left alone.

"That Ranko chick," Hiroshi said. "She's really hot. Why didn't ya introduce us to her sooner?"

"What? She's... um, Akane's cousin. I don't know nuthin' about her."

Daisuke nudged him in the ribs with an elbow. "Oh, come on. We could see the way you were actin' around her, all smooth and friendly and stuff. You even told that Shampoo girl she was your sister."

"Yeah, Shampoo. She was pretty hot, too." Hiroshi put in. "What happened to her, anyway? Didja get very far with her?"

"Yeah, man..." Ranma tried to fight off Daisuke, as he kept trying to put an arm around him. "I heard she kissed you and everything."

"It wasn't like that!" Ranma protested. "She's just some crazy Amazon! She went back to China, and good riddance."

"Love 'em and leave 'em, eh?" Daisuke gave him a knowing leer. "But I bet you like Akane better, huh. Has she kissed you yet? Does she kiss better?"

"What? That uncute..." Ranma managed to intercept the words before they finished coming out of his mouth. "Look, I don't wanna talk about Akane. Just... that was all a crazy misunderstanding. I didn't really kiss Shampoo. She gave up, and she went home."

"Aw, you wuss," Daisuke said, and Ranma scowled at him. "Lettin' a hot girl like that get away."

"You don't understand. She's dangerous. And crazy." Ranma plopped down in a chair in the complex's restaurant. "She was just following these crazy tribal laws of hers."

The two boys were silent for a moment, and then drew up chairs of their own. "So whatcha doin' here, Ranma? We saw Akane and Ukyo with you. You any good at skating?"

Ranma looked at them for a moment. Then he snorted. "That's silly. I don't wanna do nothin' girly like ice skating. Not that I couldn't if I wanted to. But I'm just here 'cause Sis asked me to."

"What do you mean?" The boys grinned at him. "Skating is a lot of fun."

"It doesn't look like fun to me." The restaurant overlooked the skating rink, and Ranma watched the skaters going by. "It looks like it's all little kids and girls."

Daisuke slapped him on the shoulder. "I know, that's the idea! Girls love to skate... and guys get to hold them while they're skating!"

Ranma rolled his eyes, as the boys looked over at Akane and Ukyo on the ice. Ukyo was slowly getting the hang of it, but still seemed to be having to work to keep her balance. "See, Akane's holdin' Ukyo up right now... man, I'd sure like to be out there helping her..."

Hiroshi smirked at his friend. "Man, you like to live dangerously. She'll kill you."

"Would not!" Daisuke protested. "Maybe I should go offer to help."

"You better not bother my sister..." Ranma growled.

Daisuke glanced at him, and seemed to think better of it. "Well, Akane's doin' okay. I'd sure like to skate with her, though."

"Aw, give it a rest, will ya!" Ranma protested.

"Come on, Ranma! You get all the girls! Can't you at least leave some for us?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Quit playing dumb." Daisuke's lecherous grin was getting irritating. "You've got two hot chicks living with you, and apparently that Ranko was staying with you too, last week."

"Yeah, and she had a heck of a body," Hiroshi agreed. "And that red hair, that's so exotic. Come on, buddy, share! We wanna ask her out!"

"Look, stay away from Ranko!" Ranma knew he should pretend like he didn't know her, but couldn't do it. "If I have my way, she won't be seen around here ever again!"

"Come on!" The boys were trying to wrestle him again, and Ranma fell out of the chair. "You've got Akane! I bet you're doin' her all the time, aren't you? Don't hog Ranko too!"

"I'm not hoggin' Ranko! She's a friend. And so is Akane!"

"Oh, don't give us that! We know she's your fiancée, so don't hold out on us!" "Yeah, what's she like?" "Does she get as hot in bed as when she's fighting?" "Yeah, she kept saying she hated boys, but why would she keep doin' that if..."

"Enough!" Ranma shouted, pushing the boys away. He stood up. "Look, I've had enough of this. Akane is my friend, my REALLY good friend, and I don't like people saying things like that about her! All that stuff about her fighting the boys every morning, she HATED that!

"I don't want to hear any more of that kinda talk! Akane's not that kind of girl, and... and I would never think of doing anything like that with... a good friend like that. It's just not right! So just stop talkin' about her like that! Ya hear me?"

Hiroshi and Daisuke looked startled. Finally they nodded. "Sure, Ranma."

He took a deep breath. "You can tell everybody else the same thing. You can tell 'em I said..."

Before Ranma could finish, he was interrupted by a commotion from behind. He first noticed Hiroshi and Daisuke's frightened expressions, as they were looking behind him. Then he turned to see Akane stomping towards him. Putting up his hands in a warding gesture, Ranma thought frantically, trying to figure out how he was going to get out of this.

"Um... Akane! I don't know what you heard, but..."

"Ranma!" Akane called out. She didn't seem angry, but she was definitely upset. Ukyo was behind her, but her expression was neutral, so Ranma wasn't sure if she was going to be any help. Akane stepped up into the dining area, and Ranma was forced to back away as she charged right up to him.

"What!" Ranma called back. In his panic, he finally lost control. "What'd I say? I thought I had it this time! I was tryin' ta say the right thing, and I just didn't know what to say, and..."

At that moment, Ranma noticed Akane was crying. Ranma just steeled himself. "I don't GET it," he muttered under his breath. "You have to be the most uncute..."

"Ranma," Akane said, sniffling as she stared into his eyes. "You have to help me find P-chan!"

"Huh?"

"P-chan! He's gone missing! I had to set him down to help Ukyo, and when I turned around, he was gone!"

Ranma struggled to get his heart to start again. He did not miss that Ukyo was grinning at him wickedly, enjoying his discomfort. Behind him, Hiroshi leaned closer to Daisuke. "Yeah, he's definitely doin' her," he said, his voice low, but not low enough for Ranma. He just knew that Akane had heard, and his life was now over.

"Um... uh..." Ranma looked around, trying to distract himself before his face burst into flame. Just by chance, he spotted a small black pig in the arms of a young girl.

"What would this P-chan look like?" He asked.

"Ranma!" Now Akane was mad, and she stamped her foot. "Don't play games with me, I'm serious!"

"Would he look like that?" Ranma pointed at the girl. She actually was not as young as she appeared, as Ranma could see from here that she was rather well developed in the chest. But she was wearing an extremely frilly skating outfit that honestly made Ranma feel sick to his stomach. She wore her brown hair very long, and in curls around her face, which only emphasized the impression that she was no more than about ten.

Akane looked where he was pointing, and her face brightened. "P-chan!" She exclaimed, and ran over to the girl. As she tried to take P-chan back, the girl pulled him away.

"What are you doing to my Charlotte?" she asked, in a high-pitched, childish voice that went perfectly with her appearance.

"He's my P-chan!" Akane said. "See, he recognizes me!" P-chan had apparently been unconscious, lying limply in the girl's arms, but at Akane's voice he had stirred.

"No! SHE is my widdle Charlotte!" the girl protested. "Charlotte!"

P-chan began to squirm, apparently upset at being called "she". Before he could wiggle his way free, he suddenly found himself being picked up into the air. Someone had come up behind the girl, and lifted P-chan by the bandanna he was still wearing around his neck.

A tall, extraordinarily handsome young man had picked up P-chan. "Is this yours?" he asked Akane, handing the pig to her. She nodded, her eyes wide, while P-chan leaped for her, and snuggled up against Akane's chest.

"Oo!" Yuka commented. "He's dreamy..."

The little girl with the curly hair began to beat on him with her fists. "Give Azusa back her Charlotte! Charlotte! Charlotte!"

"Please, forgive my companion," P-chan's rescuer said, as he settled into a chair in the small dining court. "She has a tendency to collect cute things. When she finds something cute, she names it and takes it home with her."

"Isn't that illegal?" Hiroshi commented.

Azusa, meanwhile, had switched to beating the boy over the head with a chair. "Charlotte! Charlotte! Charlotte!" she continued to yell, punctuating each cry by hitting him.

"She reminds me of somebody," Ukyo commented, obviously amused. Akane glanced at her, and then blushed deeply as she realized what she meant.

"I am not that bad!" She protested.

"Or that cute," Ranma said, "Not that I would want you to be. Please, don't EVER try to be that cute, Akane."

Akane looked at him, then at the girl in her frilly dress and tights. "For once I agree with you," she said.

Finally, Azusa starting wailing dramatically, which finally got a reaction from her human punching bag. He stood and whirled around, yelling out, "Will you stop that, you childish brat!"

"I want my Charlotte!" She whined, her tears making even Soun Tendo's usual waterworks look pale by comparison. She turned back to Akane. "I challenge you for my Charlotte!"

Akane looked surprised. The girl was a little shorter than her, and Akane wasn't all that tall to start with. Still, Akane knew better than to underestimate her. And there was no way she was going to back down from a challenge. "You want to fight?"

She turned up her nose, looking more pouty than arrogant. "Fight? How nasty! I'm talking about a skating match!"

"Figure skating?" Ukyo asked. She seemed to size the girl up as well, and then looked at Akane. "You're a pretty good skater, Akane. Why not?"

Ranma snorted. "That's just like a couple of girls, to have a skating match over a pet pig."

"Well, I'm certainly not going to lose!" Akane snarled back.

"You will too!" the girl protested. "You'll lose and gimme my Charlotte back!"

"Wait a minute, Akane," Yuka interrupted. "I recognize these two now. Azusa Shiratori, and Mikado Sanzenin. They're Kolkhoz High School's 'Golden Pair' of freestyle figure skating. They're supposedly undefeated."

Azusa smirked. "That's right. Don't you worry, my widdle Charlotte. I'll win you back, and you'll be so happy with me in my widdle home..."

P-chan seemed to be getting agitated, so Akane stroked him to calm him down. "I'm not going to let her take you, P-chan. I don't care how good she is, there's no way I'm going to lose."

Ranma snorted again. "Lot of trouble over a stupid pig," he muttered. Although on the inside, he was trying not to think about how adorable Akane looked, cradling P-chan in her arms protectively and trying to comfort him.

"Shut up, Ranma!" Akane snapped, her eyes flashing as she looked up at him.

Ranma feigned disinterest, but Sanzenin approached Akane. "I am sorry my partner is causing you so much trouble," he said. "I would wish you luck, but as Azusa is my skating partner it would not appear proper. However, I will watch your match with much interest..."

"By way of an apology..." He leaned forward to cup Akane's chin in his hand. "Allow me to give you a small reward..." With that, he pursed his lips, clearly moving closer to kiss her. Akane's expression turned shocked, and then just as rapidly, enraged.

Ranma, however, leaped to his feet. "Hey! Whaddya think you're doing?" He raced over to them, and shoved Sanzenin away. He had already looked up as Ranma came at him, and merely released Akane, stepping back.

"Does this girl mean something to you?" he asked, his expression still calm.

"No!" Ranma protested, and then his eyes narrowed. "But she's a friend, and I ain't lettin' some pervert kiss her!"

Akane clenched her fist. "It's okay, Ranma, I got this."

Sanzenin looked from one to the other. "I see. You do have feelings for this girl. Why don't we make it a couples match, then? You and your girlfriend against Azusa and I. Winner takes the pet pig."

"She ain't my girlfriend, but you're on, anyway! Girlfriend or not, nobody treats Akane like that!"

"Can you even skate?" Sanzenin looked the boy over, obviously unimpressed.

"Of course I can! Why... when I was a kid, they used to call me 'The Ice Man'."

Ukyo laughed out loud. "What are you talking about, Ranchan? You don't know how to skate any more than I do!"

Ranma shot her a cold look. "Shut up, Sis! If a gangly tomboy like you can do it, I'm sure I can do it."

Sanzenin watched with amusement, as Ranma quickly turned and took off towards the rental counter. "Now, about that apology..." he said, turning back to Akane.

She held up her fist. "You better not try that again."

"Another time, then. I can wait." He smiled at her, which only made Akane madder. Then he turned to Ukyo. "And you are quite beautiful as well. Is that loudmouthed cretin your brother, as he says?"

Ukyo sized him up in much the same way he had Ranma. "Ranchan's my brother, yeah. And you're a flatterer. Do you really think I'm... beautiful?" She looked a little unsure of herself, although she was trying not to let Sanzenin see it.

"Very much so." He stepped closer to her, as he had Akane, and the shorter girl started to fume. Ukyo was watching him carefully, though, as he took her hand and started to kiss it.

"Hey! Hey! Leave Sis alone too! You jerk!" Ranma came running up, his footing rather unsteady on the skates. "What is with you?"

"Do you think you can stand, much less skate?" Sanzenin asked, by way of his answer.

"You just watch!" Ranma shouted confidently. He took a step over to the rink, and then put one foot out on the ice - at which time he went flying into the air, and landed on his bottom.

Sanzenin laughed, and even Ukyo seemed to be covering a smile with her hand. "At this rate, Azusa will win her widdle Charlotte for sure!" Azusa put in.

"Shut up!" Ranma snapped back, his face red with embarrassment. "It just caught me off guard is all! All I have to do is..." He was then cut off, as his legs again slipped out from under him, and he crashed to the ice.

The Golden Pair continued laughing, as Sanzenin escorted his partner back onto the ice. "Let us show you how it is done," he said. "It's time for us to practice our 'Assault of a Hundred Foes' anyway."

Ranma watched as the two skated to the center of the ice. "Assault of a Hundred Foes?" He muttered. "What's that about?"

Akane came up next to him, and offered her hand. "Come on, Ranma. Lean on me, and I'll help you skate."

"No way!" Ranma looked up at her like she was crazy. "No man would ever let some girl hold him up, where everyone could see!"

Ukyo skated past him, her stance unsteady, but managing to stay upright. "Suit yourself, Ranchan. But you'll never learn if you keep falling like that."

Ranma waved a hand at her dismissively, as he tried to use the wall of the rink to stand upright. Meanwhile, Ukyo skated out to watch the Golden Pair. A group of skaters had surrounded them, all of them wearing hockey masks and padding, or other protective equipment. As Sanzenin called for them to begin, the group of them all charged he and Azusa at once.

The problems of keeping Ranma on his feet and continuing Ukyo's lessons were soon forgotten, as everyone became engrossed in watching the fight. The Golden Pair drove them away effectively, Sanzenin lifting Azusa and using her as a whip to lash out at their many foes. The attackers fell rapidly, knocked aside one by one by the pairs' punches and kicks.

"This is a martial arts battle?" Ranma asked wonderingly.

Ukyo shook her head. "Figures. Martial Arts Figure Skating. At least you have a fighting chance, now."

"Yeah." Ranma grinned. "If it's got martial arts in it, I can do anything!"

Akane then leaped to catch him as his feet slipped out from under him. "As long as you can stay on your feet, that is."

Ranma scowled at her, then puffed up his pride and went back to trying to stand on his own. "It can't be that hard, the gangly tomboy does it. It's just like standing on a fence."

"You'd think that, but it's not," Ukyo said, looking back at him. "You've got to work really hard to keep your ankles straight."

"I know that, Sis!" Ranma yelled back at her. But then he looked down at his feet and concentrated, and seemed to get a bit more stable.

In the meantime, the "Assault of a Hundred Foes" had ended, and Sanzenin and Azusa stood untouched in the middle of the pile of bodies. "Nine seconds flat", called out their scorekeeper.

Sanzenin ran a comb through his hair as if more concerned that it had been mussed in the scuffle. "We can do better than that."

Azusa glided over to Akane, grinning at her. "It's not too late to back ow-out!" she teased.

"I'll beat you, you'll see!" Akane shot back. "You call a fight 'nasty', but now you're all for it! Well, you'll get a fight..."

Sanzenin, meanwhile, had skated back over towards Ukyo, where she was watching them in the rink. He took her hand again, although she tried to back away. She was still unsteady on her feet, though, and only managed to begin drifting slowly backwards. Sanzenin stopped that by drawing her into his arms, and then began skating away from the others.

"I would be happy to teach you to skate," Sanzenin said.

Ukyo blushed, although she did her best to maintain control. "No thanks. I prefer learning with Akane. We're good friends."

"Ah, two such lovely ladies, and only one of me. I hope I do not come between you."

The smirk returned to her face. "I think she's disgusted by you."

"She is fiery. I like that. But you are quite beautiful as well."

Now Ukyo started blushing again. "No, I'm not. You're charming, but I'm not falling for it."

"No, really, I'm serious."

Ukyo started giggling. Then she started smacking Sanzenin across the face. "No I'm not!" She was looking away and blushing very deeply, not as if she were angry at all.

Sanzenin shook his head, a little surprised by the strength behind Ukyo's seemingly careless slaps. He felt certain they would leave handprints. He recovered quickly, though, and drew Ukyo back against him, as they glided together across the ice.

Before he could continue his seductive flattery, though, Ranma called out from across the ice. "Hey! I told you to leave Sis alone! What are ya doin' to her?"

Akane tried to stop him as he started to rush over to them, but Ranma again tripped and landed on the ice. This time he just pulled off the skates, and hopped back onto his bare feet. Stepping lightly but deftly, he ran over to Ukyo and Sanzenin.

He slid a bit past them as he caught up to them, but kept his feet. He started to lose his balance again as he pulled Ukyo away, but somehow managed to hold her upright, keeping her from slipping. Then Akane caught up with them, and helped keep them both upright. Ukyo was studying Ranma, with a mischievous smile, but Ranma was just glaring at Sanzenin.

"You're very protective of your sister, aren't you?" Sanzenin said, smoothing his hair back.

"You bet I am! You better leave her alone! Don't even THINK of tryin' to kiss her, like... or Akane either, for that matter!"

"Ranma..." Akane muttered, looking around at her friends, who were watching the conversation from nearby. She turned a bit red.

Ukyo stepped forward, but she pushed Sanzenin away. "Like I said, I'm happy learning from Akane. I suggest you go train with your partner. When you take on Ranchan and Akane, you're gonna need it."

Sanzenin glided backwards, putting on his best dashing smile. "Very well. A week from today, then? We shall see how good you are." He looked at Ukyo. "And perhaps you and I shall skate again."

"I wouldn't count on it." Ukyo said with a smile.

* * *

The three of them walked home from the skating rink, Ranma on the fence as usual, and Ukyo down on the ground with Akane. Akane was a bit bundled up against the wind, and looked a little cold, although Ranma and Ukyo didn't seem affected. Although winter was still quite a ways away, the cold snap had left the air a little chilly, and the trees were starting to lose their leaves.

"Just so you know," Ranma said nonchalantly. "That wasn't like Ryoga or nothin'. I wasn't jealous. I just couldn't stand the way that pervert was treatin' the both of ya."

Akane looked up at him. P-chan looked up too, although only Ukyo noticed that he was following the conversation as well. "I didn't need your help, Ranma. I was about to handle that jerk myself."

"Yeah, right..." Ranma growled. "It looked ta me like he totally caught you off guard. As slow as you are, he woulda kissed ya for sure."

Just like before, Akane clenched her fist, meeting Ranma's eyes with a glare. "If you'd been half a second later, I would have broken that guy's jaw."

Ranma's heart did a flip-flop at the determined look in her eyes, and he looked away. "I bet you would..." he said, trying to sound disbelieving, but it didn't quite come out that way.

Akane snickered at him. "It is funny, though, you calling someone else a pervert."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing..." Akane answered, with mischief in her voice. "Only you got more of a kiss from Shampoo than he got from me."

"That's different!" Ranma protested, his face turning red.

There was a moment of silence, and then she looked up at him again. "Thanks for helping me anyway, Ranma."

He stared at her for a moment. "Wha... Really?"

"Really." She looked away. "I do appreciate it. Even if you didn't have to."

Ranma grumbled for a moment. "Well, there was still Sis. He wouldn't leave her alone, either."

Ukyo's voice turned wistful. "Well, he was pretty handsome..."

"What?" Ranma jumped off of the fence, and even Akane looked startled. He studied Ukyo's face for a moment. "You... you didn't LIKE that guy, did you?"

There was a moment where Ukyo maintained her smitten expression, but then she burst out laughing. "No! I was just playing with the idiot! I had you going, though, didn't I?"

"Aggghhh!" Ranma threw his arms up. "You crazy chick! What didja think you were doin'? He woulda kissed you, too, just like he tried with Akane."

"I know, and I would have punched him a good one. But I figured I would just have some fun with him."

"Gah," Ranma said. "You crazy chick." He'd already called her that, but couldn't think of anything better.

"You jealous, Ranchan?" Ukyo smirked at him.

"No! Just... nobody touches my sister! Nobody!"

Ukyo patted him on the shoulder. "Well, maybe someday I'll have to talk to you about that attitude." Then she hugged him. "But until then, thanks for watching out for me."

Ranma blushed again. He stared at the ground for a moment, and then mumbled, "You're welcome." He never knew quite what to do when his arguments with Ucchan ended up this way. And he found himself even more embarrassed when he noticed Akane was smiling as well.

"Yes, thank you, Ranma. For watching out for both of us." Akane smiled a bit wider. "And thank you for what you said to your two pervert friends, too. That was really nice, and a lot better than the last time.

He didn't feel like his blush could get any deeper. Ranma tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. "Well... you know... I was tryin' to say the right thing..."

Akane's smile became that special one, the one that always made his heart skip a beat. "Yes, and you did. I heard that and... I'm really grateful."

"Aw... it wasn't really nothin'. I just thought about what I'd say if they said something about Ucchan like that. And I kinda... said something like it. I just figured... that's what you'd want me to say."

There was a short pause. Then Akane spoke again, her voice flat. "And what was that about me being uncute?" she asked.

Ranma looked up, swallowing, but her eyes were teasing. He looked down again. "Um... uh..."

"It's okay, Ranma. I still appreciate it anyway." She giggled. "That was really very sweet of you, and I suppose... that was kind of mean of me." She snuggled her pet, which she was still holding in her arms. "At least P-chan was okay."

Ranma smiled at the pig, although he was glaring back. "Yeah."

"Well, for the next week at least," Ukyo said, "You and I will be training in Martial Arts Figure Skating with Akane. Sounds like fun!"

That got another growl from Ranma. "Gah. Figure Skating. Gymnastics. What it is with all the girly sports?"

The two girls just laughed at him as they continued towards the Tendo home.


	24. Perfect Harmony

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 24

"So are you really going to take on that 'Golden Pair' in that match?" Sayuri asked.

Akane nodded her head confidently. "We'll beat them for sure," she said.

"Are you sure?" Yuka studied her friend carefully. "You're pretty good, but Ranma obviously doesn't even know how to skate. Maybe you should think about cancelling the match."

"I wouldn't worry about Ranchan," Ukyo told her. "While he may have trouble admitting he needs help, it doesn't take him long to learn something new. Once we can get him over his embarrassment at being 'trained by a girl', he should pick it up in no time."

Akane laughed. "You know it's funny, Ryoga showed up this morning, insisting that he should take Ranma's place. He and Ranma almost got in a fight over it, until Ukyo got him to admit that he had never skated before either."

"Yeah, it's funny that he seemed so desperate to team with you. Almost like he was involved somehow or something." Ukyo smirked. She knew good and well Ryoga was nervous about trusting his freedom to Ranma's skating skill, but he was just going to have to deal with it.

That thought made Akane's happy mood fade, though, and she sighed in frustration. "He's just trying to win me away from Ranma, is all. Now that I know he's got a crush on me, it makes so much more sense..."

Yuka looked startled. "Ryoga is in love with you?"

Akane met her eyes, and then nodded, sadly. "That's what Ranma said. I'm not sure why Ryoga would think he's in love with me, though. I hardly know him. He's such a nice guy, and... I don't want to hurt him."

"Maybe he's the one," Yuka suggested, her eyes sparkling with thoughts of romance. "He's certainly nicer than Ranma."

Akane said nothing for a long moment. The four of them had finished getting undressed, and so they headed into the showers. They were so wrapped up in their conversation that they didn't notice that ahead of them there were squeals and shouts of surprise from the girls already there.

As she stepped into one of the shower stalls, Akane finally spoke. "Oh, sure, Ranma's a jerk. But he can be a nice guy, when he wants to. We're friends, and... well, friends don't hide things from each other." She was quiet a moment, and then muttered, "I learned that the hard way..."

Ukyo noticed the uncertainty in her voice, and put a hand on Akane's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about it. And as for why Ryoga would fall for you, you're a really nice person, and anyone can see that. I'm sure Ranchan sees it, too. It's just, he's not going to say anything about it." She chuckled.

Sayuri nodded her head. "Yeah, Ryoga is kind of cute, but you really don't know him any better than Ranma. And they're both pretty rough and tough guys. The way he waves that umbrella around, and is always yelling at Ranma, you'd have to be crazy to put up with that stuff."

"You'd have to be crazy to put up with Ranma, too," Akane said with a smile. She turned the handle of the shower as she spoke. "I guess that makes you crazy, Ucchan..."

Akane's words were interrupted, though, as she was hit by a spray of freezing cold water. She jumped back, and cried out in surprise. She heard Sayuri, next to her, gasp as well. Akane fumbled with the shower handle, trying to turn up the hot water, but apparently there was none. She finally just turned the water back down, so at least it would not be so uncomfortably painful as it hit her.

As she was getting the water down to a manageable level, she heard Sayuri call out, "Ukyo!" She sounded frightened. Akane turned to the girl, to see her staring past Akane, with her eyes wide. Sayuri's mouth hung open, as if she was in shock, and then she muttered, "Ran... Ranko?"

Akane whirled, to see Ukyo, on the other side of her, in her red haired form. She was crouched down in the spray, wrapping her arms around herself to shield her body from the cold water. She looked back at Sayuri with a sheepish grin.

"Ukyo, what... what happened to you?" Sayuri said. Yuka looked past her and gasped as well, but she had not noticed Ukyo's change. Sayuri had been looking right at her, though, and had seen it happen. Akane could tell by the way she was gaping at her, stunned.

Akane quickly turned off Ukyo's shower, then glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed them. No one had. She turned back to Sayuri. "It's a curse," she said, keeping her voice low. "She picked it up in China. Whenever she's hit with cold water, she changes into this form."

Ukyo nodded. "Hot water will change me back." She adjusted the shower faucets again, seemingly irritated that only cold water was coming out. "I guess the hot water has gone out."

Yuka was looking between the three of them. "So... when Ranko was here before, that was..."

"Ukyo, yes," Akane answered her. "Don't tell anyone, please. Ukyo doesn't like the curse, and it makes her uncomfortable, so we had to hide it. But Shampoo... well, she was trying to kill Ukyo's normal form. So she had to pose as Ranko for a while."

Understanding seemed to be dawning in Sayuri's eyes. "Oh, that makes sense. That's why you kept telling Shampoo that Ukyo had to go away. And why Ranma was calling you 'Sis'." She indicated Ukyo's current form.

"Yeah, and you called her Ukyo, too, Akane," Yuka added. "Ranko... well, Ukyo anyway, said that you were just kind of distracted because of Shampoo."

"Well, she was a little out of it," Ukyo grinned at Akane, who scowled back at her. "But yeah, she knew who I really was. She just forgot to call me 'Ranko'."

Yuka was studying Ukyo's body. "That explains why 'Ranko' always took such fast showers, too. You must have been using cold water back then."

Ukyo shivered, both at the memory, and the current temperature of the water. She managed to get the water to a gentle trickle, as Akane had, and quickly washed herself off. "Yeah, I hate cold showers. I usually use warm water when I bathe, because I hate changing all the time. So I'm honestly not used to cold water anymore."

"We just thought you were shy," Yuka said, trying to finish off her shower as quickly as she could as well. "Although you've got nothing to be shy about." She gave the voluptuous redhead another appraising look. "You're really well endowed in that form."

"Why does everyone always mention that?" Ukyo asked hotly, wrapping her arms around her chest. "I happen to think my natural body's breasts are pretty nice, too. Sure, they're not as big, but they're okay..."

Akane patted her shoulder. "I don't think they're all that bad either. They're pretty nice."

"Sure, Akane, you say that, but we know you're jealous." Yuka said with a grin, and Akane blushed deeply. "I know *I'm* jealous, and I'm not ashamed to admit it!"

Sayuri shook her head. "I don't think she's really all that big, it's just that her body is so petite, it looks that way. As Ukyo, she's much taller."

"You're probably right."

Ukyo had finished her shower, and stepped back into the locker room. Akane and the other girls finished soon afterwards. None of the girls really seemed to want to spend a lot of time in the shower, and most of them had already gone on to their next classes.

The girls were putting on their clothes, when Ukyo's eyes widened. "Ranchan! If the hot water's out in the men's locker room as well..."

"Oh, no!" Akane looked just as frightened. "We'd better warn him... but, we can't go in there!" Akane shuddered, at the thought of barging into a locker room full of perverted boys.

Sayuri had just put her shoulder length black hair back into its ponytail. "Ranma has a curse too?"

Akane looked back at her, and blushed deeply. "Um... yeah. But it's kind of embarrassing. I think that Ranma wouldn't want me to talk about it." The last thing she wanted Sayuri and Yuka to find out was that a boy that was supposed to be her fiance' turned into a girl.

"We'll just go to the door and ask for him," Ukyo said. She grabbed her shoes, and ran out of the locker room, while Akane quickly threw on her skirt and followed her.

Yuka looked at Sayuri. "I wonder who Ranma turns into. You think maybe he's Ryoga?"

"No, then Akane wouldn't have a problem with being him being in love with her. Besides, we saw them fight each other. I wonder who he is..."

Ukyo, meanwhile, had made her way to the boy's locker room, with Akane right behind her. She knocked on the door.

One of the boys answered. "Hey, would you get Ranma?" Ukyo asked.

He turned back to yell back into the boy's locker room. "Hey, Ranma! Akane and that Ranko are here looking for you!" A few catcalls followed his announcement, and then Ranma ran up to the door, ducking shoes that the boys were throwing at him.

He drew up to a halt at the door, obviously surprised to see Ukyo in redheaded form. Ukyo was relieved to see he was still in his gym clothes, so at least he hadn't taken his shower. "I just wanted to let you know to be careful. The hot water is off in the girl's locker room. If it's off in here, too... well, I don't have to tell you what cold water will do."

Ranma looked his sister over. "That explains the cursed form, yeah. Thanks Ucchan." He looked back, as a few screams and muttered curses came from the showers. "Uh... I think I'll skip the shower for today."

Ukyo grinned widely. "That sounds like a good idea."

* * *

Once school ended for the day, Ranma, Akane and Ukyo headed back for the Municipal Complex. Once they got there, Ranma pulled his sister aside.

"Come on, Sis! Do me a favor!"

"You want me to pose as Ranko again? Ranchan, I've already been Ranko once today, and it took me forever to find some hot water!"

"But it'll be so much easier for me to learn to skate in your body!" Ranma argued. "You're always faster an' more agile than me, and when I'm you, I'm just better at seein' where my feet are goin'!"

Ukyo scowled at him. "Just admit it, Ranchan. You're embarrassed to be seen asking Akane for help. So you'd rather make a fool out of me than make a fool outta yourself."

"It ain't like that!" Ranma paused a moment, then frowned. "Okay, okay. A man who can't skate looks dumb. I don't want no girls and little kids laughin' at me!"

"To tell ya the truth, a girl who can't skate looks pretty dumb, too..."

"Yeah, but when a girl falls down, everyone's like, 'Aw, look at the cute widdle girl, she fall down on her butt! That's so adorable!' When a guy falls down, they just laugh at him."

There was a moment of silence while Ukyo stared at him, but then she shook her head. "I'm not even going to bother calling you a jackass for that, Ranchan. The truth is, it'll probably help me as well. My cursed form does have a lower center of gravity, and that'll probably help me balance better.

Ranma grinned impishly. "And you don't have as far to fall, either..."

"Jackass." Ukyo still grinned at him. "Okay, go change in the men's room, and I'll change as well." As he started off towards the bathroom, she added, "Just make sure there's no one in there to see me!"

Akane, meanwhile, had been trying to help Ryoga skate, as he had turned out to be no better at it than Ranma. He looked incredibly embarrassed, and kept clumsily losing his balance every time her contact became too much for him, but Akane patiently helped him anyway.

"Ryoga, you don't need to do this," Akane told him. "This is my fight, and Ranma's. You aren't involved."

He took her hands, trying to appear sincere, but Akane could sense a bit of panic in his eyes. She wasn't sure why that was. "I know that, but I still want you to skate with me! Ranma's never going to get good enough to beat those two! You need someone you can count on... like me!"

Akane shook her head. She wasn't sure how Ryoga had heard about the Golden Pair, it wasn't like he had met them. "Ryoga, look... I'm trying to be honest with you. I really like you, and you're a good friend, but... this rivalry with Ranma has to stop. I know you care about me..."

"Yes, yes, and that's his fault for telling you!" Ryoga was angry again. "He had no right to tell you about my feelings!"

"And when were YOU going to tell me?" Akane asked, holding his gaze. She put her arm into Ryoga's arm, so he wouldn't fall on the ice, but she made sure not to make her grip seem too much like an embrace. "That date... you had plenty of chances to tell me, but you were just too nervous. Weren't you?"

Ryoga looked away, blushing. "You don't understand. There's... there's things... I haven't told you. It's complicated." He met her eyes again. "But I DO care about you, really! I swear, I wouldn't do anything to hurt you!"

"Of course you wouldn't. But Ryoga... I'm still angry with you about that. You hurt Ranma, and... you DID hurt me." Her expression turned hard. "That was really cruel of you... lying to Ranma about that. And... not being honest with me about the date. Taking advantage of Ukyo like that, to set it up. I know you just wanted to have a chance to go on a date with me and let me know how you feel, but you should have just ASKED me!"

"I'm sorry. I really am." Ryoga looked down at the ice. It felt good to have Akane's arms supporting him, but it made him feel guilty as well. "I never meant to use the picture that way, it was just on the spur of the moment, and I was so mad at Ranma..." He sighed. "I just pulled out the picture and showed it to him before I even knew what I was doing."

Akane studied his face for a moment. "There's something you're not telling me, isn't there? I know that look, I see it whenever Ranma's lying to me. I... I don't like to think that you've been lying to me, Ryoga..."

"It's not like that!" Ryoga took her hands again. "You don't understand, I... can't... tell you." He looked down, blushing.

At that moment, Ukyo came skating up, in her redheaded form. "Hey, Akane. How's about I take Ryoga skating for a while? You can help Ranma, he's going to need it more than me, I think."

Akane looked into her eyes for a moment, and then nodded. She took Ranma's hand as she joined them. The ponytailed boy-turned-girl unsteadily stepped out onto the ice and immediately started to slip.

"It's okay, Ranma, I've got you," Akane said, as Ranma settled into a bowlegged stance, crouched down. Akane frowned at her. "You can't skate like that."

"Hey, I'm doing the best I can." Ranma scowled at Ukyo. "Ucchan's gangly legs aren't as strong as mine."

"I was able to stand on them just fine," Ukyo said, and Ryoga snickered as well.

"Yeah, after like an hour or so. I'll get it." Akane gently coaxed her out onto the ice, and the two began to gently glide around.

Ukyo looked up at Ryoga. "She's right, you know," she said, her voice lowered. "You need to tell her the truth. Soon."

"I can't!" Ryoga looked panicked.

"The longer you let it go on, the worse it gets. I know I promised to keep your secret, but this is different." She looked Ryoga in the eye. "You're starting to lie to HER, now. You're starting to have to cover up your secret, and so am I. You're digging yourself in deeper and deeper, and when the truth finally comes out, she's going to be crushed. She TRUSTS us, Ryoga!" Ukyo started to sound desperate.

"I'm not going to hurt her," Ryoga said. "I'm NOT hurting her. Ranma's the one that insults her and makes fun of her. And all you ever do is stand up for him. I'm trying to protect her..."

Ukyo sighed, putting a hand to her face. "Okay, Ryoga. I'm not going to argue with you, not now. Let's just do some skating, I need the practice and so do you. But I want you to start thinking about telling Akane the truth. You don't have to tell Ranchan, and I'll try and smooth things over with her if she gets upset. But I want YOU to tell her."

Ryoga didn't look convinced. "I'll think about it..."

Meanwhile, out on the ice, Ranma was still not standing up straight. "Come on, Ranma. Is that really helping you?"

"Sis's body is too tall," Ranma complained. "It's got no balance."

"What are you talking about?" Akane scoffed at her. "Ukyo has great balance."

"Only because she's so good at doin' flips and stuff! Bein' a scrawny stick helps her. It's like she said, MY body is more stable!"

"Then turn back into your normal form."

"I can't learn to skate as a MAN!" Ranma protested. "Everybody'll laugh at me!"

Akane sighed, her patience nearing its end. "Then stand up in THIS body, like a man!" She elbowed Ranma in the side, causing her to jerk upward. Then she put an arm around her shoulders, to help support her. "Now come on, try to keep your balance."

Ranma had turned beet red, but didn't struggle, too afraid that if she did, she would fall down. Akane found herself blushing as well, but took Ranma's other hand, helping to keep them upright. Ranma's weight was shifting erratically, and it took quite a bit of work to keep compensating for it, but having her arm around her helped.

Unfortunately, before they could get really comfortable with the embrace, Ranma suddenly tensed up. "Akane! Look out!" Akane turned to see Azusa Shiratori coming at her, and tried to duck. With Ranma pulling at her body, however, to try and keep on her feet, Azusa managed to kick Akane across the back, right between her shoulder blades. Akane fell to her knees.

"Oh no!" Azusa said cutely. "Did I do that?"

"Hey! You did that on purpose!" Akane accused her. She got to her feet. Ice skater or not, whether they were in a rink or not, Akane wasn't going to let her get away with that.

Azusa, however, was looking past her. "Oo. Your friend is awfully fast..."

"Ranma!" Akane turned, to see that Azusa's attack had sent Ranma flying out of control across the rink. She had settled back into her crouched position, and was flailing her arms, unable to stop. Akane immediately set off skating after her, but Mikado Sanzenin suddenly appeared in Ranma's path.

"Not to worry, I've got you," Sanzenin said, as he swept Ranma into his arms. "I told you we would skate again."

Ranma's relief at being saved quickly faded, at the realization of where she was now. "Let go of me, you jerk!"

Sanzenin wrapped his right arm around her, in much the same way Akane had. Ranma felt herself growing infuriated. That had felt so special with Akane... and now this... this PERVERT was making it feel awful! She drew back to punch at him, but only ended up disturbing her own balance.

"Ran... I mean, Ukyo, I'm coming!" Over towards the railing, Ukyo heard Akane calling out to her "sister". She left Ryoga behind, as she made a fairly decent kick off with her skates, and glided towards Sanzenin. She was a lot closer to Ranma than Akane was,

"Yo, Sanzenin!" She called out. "I think Ukyo's had just about enough of your 'attention'. Why don't you let her skate with Akane, like she said she wanted to..."

Ryoga, meanwhile, had managed to gingerly make his way back to the restaurant area. There he sat down and started taking off his skates. "I've got to come up with some other plan to get rid of Ranma. I dunno if I'll be able to help Akane win the match, but maybe Ukyo will do okay with her. She certainly seems to have picked it up fast enough..." He looked up at Ukyo, as she caught up with Sanzenin, and drew Ranma out of his arms. She then passed the lanky ponytailed girl off to Akane, who did her best to keep Ranma standing.

He totally missed the two kids who had gotten into a fight behind him. "Hey, don't throw your soda on me!" One of them yelled, giggling.

"Nyah, nyah, you can't catch me!" the other yelled, as he ran past Ryoga. Ryoga didn't even notice the cup of soda that came sailing at the back of his head.

"If you want to skate with someone, why not skate with me?" Ukyo asked Sanzenin. She circled around him, as if taunting him, then put out a hand. He took it, and Ukyo drew him away from her brother and his fiancee. She smiled as she noticed Ranma's feminine features turn down into a scowl. Interestingly enough, she noticed that Azusa seemed to be growing angry as well.

"Hey! Hey!" Ranma called out. "What are ya doin' Sis? Sanzenin! You better get away from her, you pervert!"

Akane pulled her away. "Come on, Ranma. Ukyo's distracting him, so we can continue our training."

"But... but that pervert! He's gonna..."

"Don't worry about Ukyo, Ranma. I'm sure she can handle herself."

Sanzenin, meanwhile, had drawn the red headed girl into his arms. She was so tiny, she was almost swallowed up next to him, and he had to reach down just to hook his arms around her waist. "Have we met? You seem to know my name, but this is very unusual. I'm sure I'd never forget meeting a girl as cute as you."

Ukyo giggled, looking away from him shyly. "I've just heard about your reputation, is all. You're a real lady killer, sugar. Think you can handle someone like me?"

Sanzenin tried to pull her closer, but instead she slipped out of his grip, and only let him keep hold of her by her hand. She started to pick up her speed a little, testing her own skill on the ice, while forcing Sanzenin to keep up with her. She noticed Azusa was looking away from them, as if disinterested. She made a note of that, in case it came in handy during the match.

Ranma was still watching as well, grumbling under her breath. Akane continued to try to coax her attention away from Ukyo, and finally Ranma began to relax. Akane was relieved to note that Ranma was improving, her balance was getting much better, and it wasn't a constant struggle to fight against her frantic shifts in weight. It almost seemed natural, and Akane found herself enjoying the way they were skating together. She was again reminded of all the times Ranma had held her, and smiled as Ranma unconsciously pulled her arm a little tighter around Akane's waist.

At that moment, Ranma looked down at her feet, and then around at the rink. "Hey... I'm kinda gettin' the hang of it, ain't I?"

"Yes, but don't lose your focus," Akane said with a chuckle. Ranma's feet had started to shift, as she once again started thinking about it. "You've still got a long way to go before we're ready for the match next week."

Ranma laughed as well. Her arm slipped from its position around her, and Akane felt strangely disappointed. But Ranma glanced down, smiling, and her hand stayed on Akane's waist. "Hiroshi and Daisuke were right..." she muttered.

"About what?"

"Um... nuthin', nuthin." Ranma looked away, blushing. "Just that skating IS kinda fun."

Akane laughed. She put her hand on top of Ranma's, pressing it closer to her body, and then took her other hand to help guide them. She picked up their pace. "It's a lot more fun to have someone to skate with," she said. Ranma just smiled and nodded in agreement.

Akane stared into Ranma's eyes for a moment, but then her attention was attracted by a very familiar squealing noise. She looked around to see P-chan scrabbling into the rink, screaming out "Bwee! Bwee!". Behind him, a huge crowd of girls were chasing him, yelling about how cute he was, and how they all wanted to hold him.

"P-chan!" Akane called out, and started to skate after him. As she let go of Ranma, though, the lanky girl was propelled away from her, and cried out, as if frightened. Akane quickly caught up with her, and drew Ranma back against herself, stopping the girl's frantic gyrations.

Azusa, meanwhile, had spotted the little pig as well. "Charlotte!" she cried out. Akane turned to look at P-chan, then up at Ranma's worried face.

"Go on an' get 'im," Ranma said, her body tensing as she prepared for Akane to let go.

"No, Ranma, you'll fall!"

"I ain't scared!" She protested, but the look in her eyes contradicted her words. Akane knew that if there was anything that frightened Ranma, it was to appear helpless or weak in front of her.

Even as they were debating, Ukyo called out from the other side of the rink. "I got him! Don't worry!" She skated over to P-chan, but Azusa beat her to him, and scooped the pig up.

"Here Charlotte. Azusa's got a present for you," the girl said. She pulled out a collar, and snapped it around the pig's neck.

Ukyo then grabbed P-chan away from her. "What are you doing?" She studied the collar for a second, and then tried to pull it off, but it was too tight. P-chan began to squirm in her grasp.

"You can't get it off," Azusa said, in a sing song voice. "Azusa locked it with her widdle key. If you want the key, you'll have to win the match."

Ukyo looked back at Ranma and Akane, who were watching them wide eyed. She studied the collar, noticing that it had the word "Charlotte" engraved on it. "So let me get this straight," she asked. "You've locked P-chan in a collar, and if we want to get it off, Ranma and Akane will have to beat you in this Martial Arts Skating match?"

"Yup!" Azusa grinned cutely.

Ukyo looked down at the pig in her arms. "You just can't win for losing, can you Pig Boy?" she said tiredly. P-chan growled at her.

Akane and Ranma had managed to skate up to them as well. "Golden Pair Shmolden Pair!" Akane yelled at Azusa. "I don't care who you are, Ranma and I don't intend to lose!"

Ranma didn't seem as secure on her feet, but she nodded her agreement. "You bet we won't," she said confidently. "With the two of us together, there ain't no one we can't beat."

Akane looked up at her, surprised and pleased, but Sanzenin glided over as well. "You seem confident, but your brother Ranma hasn't shown his face all day. Are you sure he'll be ready?"

"Hey! My... 'brother'... ain't hiding from nobody. He's just... training in secret, yeah, that's it! When he gets back, he's gonna be as good at skating as me!" Ranma smirked at the taller boy, proud of her cleverness. "In fact, you'll probably think he's at good a partner to Akane as I am!"

Akane elbowed her. "You're not getting THAT good, 'Ukyo'. Don't let a couple of hours of skating with me make you think it's easy..."

"Well, no, but all we gotta do is stay together, you know?" Ranma looked down at her, and at the arm that Akane was using to help support them both. Akane noticed her gaze, and met her eyes, startled. Then she smiled, at the look on Ranma's face.

"I see..." Sanzenin said. "Skating partners have to be in perfect harmony. Like you two obviously are. If you and your boyfriend Ranma are that close, then I think I should warn you. Azusa and I are know by another name as well... the Anti-Matchmakers."

Azusa giggled. "No couple we have ever faced has NOT been split up by us."

"It's... it's not like that," Akane protested, her face turning red. "Ranma and I are... just friends is all. But GOOD friends. And you won't split us up!"

"Right!" Ranma unconsciously took Akane's hand, and her blush deepened a bit as she noticed. "You might as well... well you might as well say Ranma and Akane are friends like ME and Akane are friends!"

"Such bonds are fragile..." Sanzenin commented. "The friendship between girls? The bonds of romance and gossip? They last until a handsome man comes between them..."

He leaned forward, tracing Ranma's chin with a finger. Ranma's eyes widened, and she struggled to knock Sanzenin's hand away. Next to them, Akane's eyes narrowed dangerously. But before Ranma could even move, Sanzenin shifted his grip, embracing Ranma around her lower back. Ranma flailed as she lost her balance, and Sanzenin bent over her, as he dipped her over backwards.

"The bonds of two girls can never compete with the desire for true love's kiss..." He said. Ranma's eyes widened as his lips descended towards hers.

"Get over it!" Akane shouted, and her fist suddenly knocked Sanzenin's face aside. Ranma felt herself falling towards the ice, but Akane caught her, as she knelt down at her side. She sat Ranma up, not noticing the look of shock and terror that had come across the other girl's face. She was too busy scowling at Sanzenin.

"As if anyone would want to be kissed by a womanizing, egotistical jerk like you!" Akane yelled, as Sanzenin stood back upright, running his comb through his hair.

"How you protest," Sanzenin commented. "To think that you would strike me, rather than push your pretty friend aside. All you needed to do was ask, and I would have been happy to share your kiss instead..."

"Keep dreaming. Are you okay, Ran... I mean, Ukyo?"

Ranma had managed to recover her composure, and her earlier look of shock was gone. Now she only looked angry. "Yeah. When you and... you and Ranma take on this guy, I wanna see Ranma kick his ass."

"I'm sure he will, Ucchan," Ukyo commented. "I'm sure he's not going to be happy about this guy trying to kiss his sister."

"Yeah, right," Ranma's expression turned even darker. "That too."


	25. A Kiss In the Rink

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 25

The next morning, Akane made her way to the breakfast table, and noticed that Ranma was running a little late. She had been awakened by his usual battle with Genma, which had seemed to take a little longer than it normally did. It ended, as always, in the koi pond, and the now female Ranma had been extremely upset, yelling at her father, and then stomping off to the furo. He seemed to take a little extra time in the bath, and then had staggered out to the table, where he plopped himself down.

Akane studied her fiance' for a moment. His eyes were a bit red, and he still looked half asleep. As he noticed she was looking at him, he snapped out, "What?" at which time she just looked away.

She muttered, quietly, "I was just going to say good morning."

"Oh. Good morning." Ranma looked down, somewhat chagrined. Then he glanced back at her, with a bit of a smile. "Thanks."

He dozed off again as they waited for Kasumi to bring out the meal, though, falling forward over the table. He sat up as Kasumi served the breakfast, but then seemed to only half-heartedly eat, although even at that he was still shoveling the food into his mouth at blinding speed. He didn't even block his father's attempts to steal his food, which Genma noted.

"You're distracted, boy," he said.

"What's the matter, Ranma?" Nabiki asked, her tone anything but sympathetic. "Didn't get much sleep last night?"

"It's nothin'," Ranma muttered, bending back over his food.

Akane watched him, worried, but then looked up as Ryoga appeared in the doorway. "I'll bet he's still thinking about what almost happened last night," Ryoga said, with a smirk.

"Oh? And what happened last night?" Nabiki, of course, was always on the lookout for information.

Ranma had leaped to his feet, shoving his face into Ryoga's. "Shut up! If I hadn't been on skates..."

"What? You wouldn't have almost gotten kissed? And by such a handsome guy, too..."

"Ranma was almost kissed by a GUY?" Nabiki asked, looking shocked, even for her. "You're kidding!"

"How do you know about it?" Akane asked him. "I didn't see you around when Ranma and I were skating. I thought you had left!"

"Uh... uh..." Ryoga panicked for a moment, then regained his composure. "I was watching from the restaurant. I saw the whole thing."

Akane clenched her fist. "Then you know nothing happened. I knocked that pervert away from him..."

Ryoga smirked as he looked back at Ranma. "Yeah... you must feel like the big man to know you had to be saved by a girl!"

"Shut up!" Ranma yelled at him. He started to swing at Ryoga, but Akane grabbed his hand.

"That's right, I punched that jerk, just as HE punched that jerk when he was about to kiss ME!" Akane said. She scowled as she looked Ryoga in the eye, and he drew back at her expression. "I'm sure Ranma could have defended himself, but I decided I couldn't take that womanizer hitting on Ukyo any more, either."

Ukyo, meanwhile, had stood up from the table, and came around to take the lost boy's arm. "Hey, Ryoga. Let's go somewhere and talk." She dragged him out of the room, as he tried to pull away from her. As soon as she was out of earshot of the others, she slid a finger under the collar that he still had around his neck. "You wouldn't want Ranma or Akane to see your little gift from Azusa, would you Charlotte?"

Ryoga blushed deeply, and put both hands up around his neck. Ukyo chuckled wickedly. "That's what I thought. I guess you're lucky you have such a fat head as a pig, or you would have strangled yourself when ya changed back." Ryoga growled at her, but Ukyo just laughed.

She poked her head back into the family room. "I'm going to take Fang Boy here on to school. That way maybe he won't get lost on the way. Why don't you two follow when you're done with breakfast?"

Soun had begun wailing, "Waaa! My little girl almost got her first kiss from a womanizing ice skater!"

"Ranma stopped him, daddy!" Akane protested. Nabiki just rolled her eyes.

Once Ranma and Akane finished eating, they headed off to school. There was no sign of Ukyo and Ryoga, but they figured they had just gone on ahead. The two martial artists walked along in silence, with Ranma up on the fence, but Akane could see that he was still upset. He just seemed to mope along, scowling angrily down at his feet.

"If... If you're upset about me helping you," Akane asked, hesitantly, "I'm sorry. It's just... I could see he was about to kiss you. You... you were just... you weren't expecting it, that's all. I could tell you weren't going to react in time."

"I was too!" Ranma protested, but he knew he wasn't. Sanzenin had caught him completely off guard.

Akane looked away from him, scowling. "Whatever. I said I was sorry, okay?" Despite her anger, her tone turned pleading. She didn't want to argue with Ranma, not like this.

After a moment, Ranma let out a breath. "It's not that. I... I had a nightmare, that's all."

"Oh." Akane wanted to ask, but kept her mouth shut. Ranma would talk about it if he wanted to.

Sure enough, he jumped down off the fence, and moved closer to her. Not touching, but close enough. "See the thing is, I had a nightmare before, when... you know... that idiot Kuno said he... he..." Ranma shuddered. "Ya know... that L-word."

"Oh..."

"It really freaked me out, ya know? I thought I was... ya know... over it. That's just idiot Kuno. I forgot about it. But... that jerk Sanzenin just brought it all up again."

Ranma was silent for a moment. "I never told nobody about that," he muttered. "Not even Sis."

"Oh..." Akane's cheeks turned a bit pink, and she hesitated, unsure what to say. "Th... thank you for... telling me."

He looked down at the ground. "I'm not sure why I'm tellin' you anyway."

Akane brushed his hand with hers. "Thanks anyway."

He smiled a little, then looked up. "Well, I'm gonna kick that guy's ass."

"WE'RE gonna kick that guy's ass... both of their asses." Ranma glanced at her, startled, and Akane felt her face grow hot. She'd been hanging around Ranma and Ukyo too long, using language like that. But she smiled at him. "There's no way we're going to lose."

He smiled back. "Yeah."

There was a moment of silence, and then Akane turned thoughtful. "I wonder what's going on with Ukyo?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well, obviously she was trying to distract Sanzenin so he wouldn't bother us. But do you think... do you think she liked flirting with him like that?"

"Sis! No way!" Ranma's eyes narrowed. "She's a macho tomboy, she wouldn't know how to flirt with a guy!"

"I don't know, she was doing pretty good at it, Ranma." Akane couldn't help grinning. "And tomboy or not, she IS a girl."

Ranma looked at her, growing angrier. "What are ya trying to say?"

Noticing his change in mood, Akane gave him a reassuring smile. "It's great that you want to protect her, Ranma, but some day Ukyo may really find a man that she likes. Do you want to stand in the way of that?"

He looked startled, as if the thought had never occurred to him. He started to fiddle with his fingertips, as if they were somehow interesting to him. "Um... well... no, but..." His fierce look returned. "No guy better EVER hurt my Sis!"

Akane giggled. "I'm sure he won't. Ukyo wouldn't be interested in a guy unless he was good to her. But she can protect herself, too. You know that, right Ranma?"

A deep blush spread over his face. "Yeah..." he said reluctantly. "I guess so..."

"Sanzenin's a jerk, though." Akane sighed, thinking about it. "She wouldn't be interested in him. Or would she? She seemed like she was enjoying flirting with him. Or was she just playing with him, like she said?"

"I dunno," Ranma said, petulantly. But his expression had become furious again. This was his sister, and Sanzenin had almost kissed him, thinking he was HER! He'd beat Sanzenin to a pulp for wanting to do that to EITHER of them.

Akane looked at Ranma, studying his expression. "I wonder... was she trying to make you jealous?"

"What?" Ranma met her gaze, then considered it himself. "Nah, she couldn't be. Sis don't feel about me like that!"

"No... I guess not." Akane looked away, thoughtfully. "She wouldn't want to do that to you..."

* * *

The day of the tournament finally arrived, and Ranma dropped Akane and his sister off at the girl's dressing room at Kolkhoz High School. He then made his way over to the boy's dressing room, where he was disgusted to see Sanzenin already waiting for him. He was admiring his own reflection in the mirror, while combing his hair.

"Ah, Ranma Saotome. I was wondering if you would even have the guts to show up."

"Yo, Molester the Sex Freak," Ranma greeted him snidely.

"That's Mikado Sanzenin," he snapped back. "And that's strong talk from someone who's been too afraid to confront me face to face."

"Like my Sis told you, I've been training. I just didn't want you to see any of my new moves."

"New moves, huh?" He ran his comb through his hair again, and then turned around. "We shall see if they're good enough. I personally would much rather face your sister. She is quite beautiful."

Ranma growled, trying to fight the nausea that rose up in him, at the memory of Sanzenin's lips coming so close to his own. "Listen, jerk, leave my sister alone! I'm not gonna let you touch her."

To his surprise, however, Sanzenin held up two fingers. "Two more women. That is all I need."

"Wh... what?"

"Two more, and I shall have kissed one thousand girls. Your beautiful sister, or even that petite redhead, would be perfect as my 999th. And then all I will need will be one more to set my new record."

Ranma really had to fight not to be sick, now. "Is that all you can think about?" He asked. "Kissing?"

"What else is there worth thinking about?" Sanzenin responded, his expression serious. Ranma shuddered. This guy really WAS crazier than Kuno!

"Forget it!" he said, turning away. "There's no way you're kissin' Sis! She wouldn't let you, and I won't let you either."

"No?" Sanzenin asked, looking back at the mirror. "But there is also your charming partner... What's her name? Akane Tendo? She has so far rejected my... 'formal greeting'. But surely she cannot resist me for much longer."

"No way! No way! There's no way yer kissin' Akane!" Ranma clenched his fist. "Just you forget it!"

Sanzenin turned and pointed at him. "Then I shall make this a proclamation! Today, during our match, I shall steal Akane Tendo's lips! And then I shall be but one kiss away from my dream of kissing one thousand girls!"

"You... you..." Ranma struggled to control his anger. "If you do... it'll be the LAST thing you ever do!"

"One thousand girls..." Sanzenin said, as if he had not even heard Ranma's interruption, "And perhaps even your lovely sister shall be number one thousand."

In the girl's locker room, Akane sneezed. She had stripped down to her underwear, and was helping Ukyo get changed as well. They had both decided that Ukyo should be ready in a skating costume of her own, even though it was unlikely that she would be able to skate better than Akane.

Ukyo looked back at her. "Somebody's talking about you."

"Hopefully it's not Ranma making fun of me," Akane said, at which time Ukyo sneezed as well. They stared at each other for a moment, and then started giggling.

As Akane was helping Ukyo get into her tights, they heard a squealing from out in the hall. The squealing of a pig. "P-chan!" Akane said, worried. "I thought I left him at home."

Ukyo sighed. "He must have followed us. That idiot... it's just like him to end up right where he can cause the most trouble..."

"Ukyo, he's just a pig," Akane said. "Although he CAN be a lot of trouble sometimes. I just hope Azusa doesn't find him, if she gets hold of him again, who knows what she'll do!"

They then heard a familiar childish voice calling down the hall. "Charlotte! Oh, Charlotte, come back to Azusa!"

"Wait here, Akane," Ukyo said, glancing down at Akane's state of undress. "I'll go get him away from Azusa."

She hurried out into the hall, where she found the little black pig racing up and down, followed closely by his excessively cutesy pursuer. P-chan tried to avoid Ukyo, at first, but finally leaped into her arms.

"Oh, give me my Charlotte!" Azusa cried. "Azusa needs to take her to the judge's stand!"

"Look, you haven't won 'Charlotte' yet. For right now he still belongs to Akane. So he should stay here with us."

"No!" Azusa stomped her foot. "Charlotte is the prize in the Charlotte Cup! Azusa wants to put her next to her pretty-witty cup!"

Ukyo rolled her eyes at the girl's cute talk. "You'll get Charlotte soon enough, if you win. I don't want him locked up in some cage or something. Come on, we'll turn him over when the match is over. IF you win." She was quick to add this, as P-chan was starting to squirm and snap at her.

"Cut it out!" She muttered to the pig. "I'm trying to save your bacon, here..."

P-chan growled at her, and Azusa was still pouting. "Azusa wants her Charlotte NOW!"

The door to the dressing room then opened, and Akane came out. P-chan squirmed free of Ukyo's grasp, and leaped into her arms. Ukyo was glad to see that at least she was wearing her costume, although P-chan snuggled just a little too firmly up against her breasts.

"You haven't won Charlotte yet!" Azusa protested. "Give her to me!"

Akane shook her head. "Look, Ukyo's a neutral party, right? If she holds him, then neither you nor I have him, right?"

Azusa looked angry, but she reluctantly nodded. "All right then. Until the match is over, Ukyo holds him." She handed P-chan to Ukyo, and he was so stunned that he didn't even struggle. "Is that okay with you?"

"All right. But Azusa will win her little Charlotte!" She stomped off down the hall.

Akane scratched P-chan behind the ears, while he stared at her with his round eyes. "It'll all be okay, baby, you'll see. I won't let that horrible girl take you. But you stay with Ukyo for now, okay?"

P-chan looked up at Ukyo's face, and she frowned, suspicious. But then he looked back at Akane and nodded his head. Akane giggled. "I knew you'd understand. I'll protect you, and Ranma and I, we'll make sure she doesn't take you. Don't you worry."

Akane turned and headed down the hall, towards the school's gymnasium. P-chan, meanwhile, continued to glower at Ukyo. She leaned over him, speaking softly. "Look, Ryoga, I know you don't trust Ranma. But come on. He's not going to let you down. I think he likes you as P-chan, he's kind of fond of you... because... well... Akane is fond of you. And neither one of them is going to give you up."

P-chan growled his disagreement. Ukyo glanced after Akane, making sure she was out of sight, then lowered her voice a bit more. "And if that's not good enough, I've made sure that Ranma won't give up until he defeats Sanzenin. It's personal now, he's protecting me, and Akane. There's nothing that can stop Ranma when he's protecting someone he cares about. So he's the best chance you've got right now."

"After the match starts, I'll see what I can do about getting away and getting you some hot water. But I don't want any more trouble out of you. If you know what's good for you, you'll keep quiet and just watch the match."

She met the pig's eyes. "Don't forget, I stuck up for you. I could have just let that girl have you, and you'd be out of my hair. Don't make me sorry that I didn't..."

* * *

Kolkhoz High School was well known for the talents of its 'Golden Pair' figure skaters, and thus it had its very own skating rink, set up in the gym. As Ranma and Akane got into position to wait for their introduction, the announcer began to call out the match. "Ladies and Gentlemen! The competition between Kolkhoz High School and Furinkan High is about to begin, for the Charlotte Cup. This is a no holds barred match over a pet pig!" As Azusa had mentioned, there was a huge trophy set on the judge's table, as a secondary prize for the winners.

Portions of the crowd had been divided off as cheering sections for the two skaters, with Sanzenin's section made up of smitten teenage girls, and Azusa's of young boys. A section had been set aside for Furinkan students as well, although only a small group had even heard about the match. Sayuri and Yuka could be seen among the crowd, though, ready to cheer their friend on.

"And now, the Golden Pair of Martial Arts Figure Skating, Azusa Shiratori and Mikado Sanzenin, making a grand entrance." The couple made their entrance lit by a spotlight, to the thunderous applause of the watching crowd.

"Feh," Ranma commented. "Look at those two. They sure know how to put on a show."

Ukyo had come up behind the two of them, and put her hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Okay, Ranchan, try and keep your focus, and don't do anything too flashy at first. Give yourself time to get comfortable with it and..."

"Come on, Akane," Ranma said, ignoring his sister completely. "They want a show, let's give them a show!" He lifted up Akane onto his shoulder, and stepped out to make his entrance onto the ice.

"Ranchan! Don't do anything..." Ukyo stopped and put her palm to her forehead. "What am I saying? This is Ranchan. Of course he's going to do something stupid..."

Sure enough, Akane struggled, yelling out "Ranma! Wait!", as her seating was anything but steady, and then Ranma's feet slipped out from under him. For a moment, the pair went spinning out of control, with Ranma bent over double, and Akane sitting on him awkwardly. "And here come Akane Tendo and Ranma Saotome," said the announcer, "with an entrance to knock your socks off!"

"Ranma, put me down!" Akane yelled, and somehow Ranma managed to flip her back to her feet. With her support as she slid across the ice, Ranma was able to right himself, before he completely fell onto his face. The two of them slid to a stop in the center of the ring, facing their opponents.

"If those were the 'new moves' you were talking about, Saotome," Sanzenin said. "I'm not impressed." Azusa burst out giggling.

"We just got off to a bad start is all!" Akane yelled back. As they waited for the bell to ring to signal the start of the match, she turned to snap at Ranma as well. "What do you think you're doing, baka? This is no time for you to be showing off!"

As the announcer called out the start of the match, Akane grabbed Ranma's arm and started skating forward. "Just follow my lead!" she said.

"Follow YOUR lead?" Ranma protested. "Whaddya mean by that?"

He was unable to complain any further, however, as Akane swung him out in front of her, sending him flying at the Golden Pair. They had charged towards Ranma and Akane as well, with Azusa up on Sanzenin's shoulders, and her legs trailing out in the air behind them. Ranma kicked, aiming at Sanzenin's head, but he ducked under the attack, sending Azusa sailing upward above them.

As Sanzenin's momentum carried him past Ranma, he shot straight into Akane's arms, which were still holding on to Ranma's hands. In her hurry to dodge him, she leaned backwards, which put her in the perfect position for Sanzenin to put an arm around her back. Akane grimaced as he bent down to kiss her, a "specialty attack" which was announced by the commentator even as he was making it. He was stopped as Ranma clamped his skates to either side of Sanzenin's head.

"I told you, there's no way I'm gonna let you kiss Akane!" Ranma shouted.

Akane, who was looking up at both he and Sanzenin, looked startled. "Ranma, behind you!"

Azusa came flying back down at Ranma, the momentum of her leap having carried her over the couple and into exactly the right position to make her attack. She kicked Ranma off of Sanzenin, and he went flying several feet before landing on the ice.

"He's such a nuisance..." Sanzenin bent down to try at another kiss, but Akane was ready for him now. She tipped over backwards and planted her foot in his stomach. Grabbing Sanzenin's shirt to give her more leverage, she flung him back over her head and away.

Ukyo watched as Akane got to her feet and skated over to Ranma. She shook her head, worried, as P-chan began to scream, "Bwee! Bwee!" at her. "They'll do fine!" Ukyo protested, "they just need to calm down and concentrate on the fight," but she could not make herself sound confident. She could see that Ranma and Akane weren't working as a team. There was no sign of the support and cooperation that she had seen in the two of them during practices that week.

"Bwee! Bwee!" P-chan repeated, and then leaped up and bit her on the hand. Ukyo turned away, raising a hand to ward off any further attacks, but then she finally relented.

"All right, all right. I'll get you some hot water. Let's check the ladies room... and don't you dare peek until I've had a chance to make sure it's clear!"

P-chan just scowled at her.

"Brace yourself, Akane Tendo! I WILL have my kiss!" Out on the ice, Sanzenin had begun spinning Azusa around him in an impenetrable defense. The two of them were moving quickly towards Ranma and Akane, who skated to confront them. As they neared, Akane was surprised as Ranma again lifted her off of her feet.

"Akane, get ready to fly!" Ranma threw her upward and over their opponents, in a similar maneuver to the one Azusa had used. He skated past Sanzenin, nailing him with a punch in the ribs as he passed. Akane sailed high over their heads, and then Ranma caught her on his back on the other side.

"If you hadn't thrown me so hard, Ranma, I could have made an attack, too!" Akane told him.

"I don't need you gettin' in the way," Ranma replied. "They were goin' too fast."

"Getting in the way? This is supposed to be a couples match, Ranma, we're supposed to be working together!"

"Yeah, yeah, at the moment I'm a little more concerned about that fence we're about to hit."

Akane looked up, to see that they were shooting right at the wall of the ice rink, with rather frightening speed. "Stop!" She shouted.

"I can't!"

"Well then put me down!"

"What?"

"Let me put my feet on the ice, Ranma!" Akane was starting to panic. "NOW!"

Ranma let her slip off of his back, linking his arm in hers, and as her skates cut into the ice, she banked off to one side. Ranma was pulled off of his feet, and went sliding along on his side, but then Akane circled around him and pulled him back upright. They slowly slid to a halt, glancing at each other nervously.

Azusa, meanwhile, had noticed that Ukyo and P-chan were no longer sitting beside the rink watching. "Charlotte! Oo, where has that bad girl gone with my Charlotte?"

Ukyo checked the stalls in the ladies' room, but found no one there. She set down P-chan and Ryoga's clothes in one of the stalls, then filled a wash bucket that had been left in the room with hot water. She splashed the water underneath the stall door, and then waited for Ryoga to come out.

"Those two are going to get me trapped with that crazy nut job of a girl!" was the first thing he said.

"Look, they need to get comfortable with each other, but they can do it!" Ukyo said. "They're both a bit stubborn, but once they remember what's at stake, they'll start working together!"

"You're crazy!" Ryoga shook his head. "Ranma's being an arrogant, self centered jerk, like always, and he's going to make Akane lose! You had your chance, now I'm going to go out there and I'M going to win this match with Akane!"

"Akane is every bit as stubborn as Ranchan!" Ukyo yelled back. "She's not listening to Ranma either. But they can work together, I've seen it! They just need to calm down, and stop trying to outdo each other!"

At that moment, a couple of girls walked into the bathroom. They saw the boy standing there in the yellow shirt and bandanna, and began squealing. "A pervert! There's a pervert in the girl's room!"

"Do you mind?" Ukyo said, turning to them. "We're trying to have an argument here!" The girls just stared at her, shocked.

Ryoga took advantage of the distraction to grab the bucket, and filled it with cold water from the sink. "I'm going out there. I'll be the one pairing with Akane today, and no matter what it takes... we will win!"

He charged out of the bathroom, and Ukyo started to run after him. "Ryoga! Ryoga!" Realizing he was already out of her reach, she turned back to the sink. "Excuse me ladies," Ukyo said, turning on the faucet and splashing her face until she changed. Adjusting her skating costume to better fit her smaller form, the red head left the bathroom, leaving the bunch of girls standing there in confusion.

Ukyo came running out of the bathrooms just in time to see the lights go out in the gym. There were shouts of confusion from the audience, as the building was plunged into darkness. Ukyo picked up the sound of water splashing, and then she heard Ryoga saying "Sit back and watch, Ranma, like a good little girl."

Then, a moment later, his voice came again. "Akane! Pair up with me! I'll help you win this!" There were protests from Ranma and Akane, as they struggled with him in the darkness.

The lights came back on, and Ryoga was revealed standing in the middle of the rink, holding the hand of a pony tailed girl with brown hair. She was wearing Ranma's costume, which was a little baggy on her slender frame. She looked up at Ryoga and said, "Bandanna Brain, you're an idiot."

"What's this?" the announcer cut in. "Furinkan High has slipped in a substitute pair! But this can't be right, both of the skaters appear to be male..."

"I AM NOT A MALE!" Ukyo shouted. She began running towards the rink, grabbing her skates as she passed their seats.

Akane, meanwhile, had stepped back up to the couple. "Ryoga, it's very nice that you want to help me, but this is my fight. And I want to skate with Ranma."

Ranma looked a little startled by this, but Ryoga didn't notice. "Ranma's ruining everything! He won't cooperate with you, and he's lousy at skating!"

"What about you, Ryoga," Ranma asked, noting the lost boy's bowlegged stance. "Have you had any time to practice skating at all?"

"No, but at least I can help Akane instead of tripping her up!"

Ranma was about to respond, when Azusa suddenly stuck her head in between them. "Charlotte!" she cried, looking at Ryoga. "You're my widdle Charlotte, aren't you?"

Ranma and Akane both stared at the girl, wondering if she had perhaps gone even crazier. Ryoga just looked terrified and leaned away from her. Fortunately, at that moment Ukyo came skating up, and grabbed Ryoga's hand.

"Heh heh heh..." Ukyo laughed uncomfortably. "You're calling him Charlotte too? That's really silly, Azusa, you've already used that name before."

"No, no! Widdle Azusa gave him widdle collar to her widdle Char-wotte!" She pointed at the collar, and Ukyo pulled him away before Ranma and Akane could notice.

"Come on, CHARLOTTE," Ukyo said in a growling voice. "Let's leave Ranma and Akane to finish their skating match." She led Ryoga away by the arm, the both of them skating for the exit on the far side of the rink. Their own entrance was closer, but Ukyo wanted to put as much room between Ryoga and her two friends as possible.

Azusa, however, followed right behind. "That collar, that collar! That proves you're my widdle Charlotte!"

Ukyo glanced back at Ranma and Akane, who were watching curiously, but not following. "Don't be silly," she said, lowering her voice. "A man can't turn into a pig."

"But that girl was supposed to watch my Charlotte, right?" She pointed at Ranma, since he was now in Ukyo's body. "But now she doesn't have my Charlotte. But him has my widdle Charlotte's collar, which Azusa locked with her key! Azusa's widdle Charlotte can't take it off. So he MUST be my Charlotte!"

"Listen," Ryoga cut in, growing upset. "My name is Ryoga! Stop calling me that!"

"Is my partner causing you trouble?" Sanzenin asked, skating up to join the conversation. "I am sorry that this keeps happening."

He took Ukyo's hand and kissed it, which Ukyo answered with a coy smile. But she glanced back at Ranma, who was suddenly trying to pull free of Akane and charge towards them. Akane was holding her back, and Ukyo met her friend's eyes and gave her a nod of reassurance.

"Not at all," she said to Sanzenin. "There is just some confusion is all. Ryoga and I will let you two finish your match."

"What about my Charlotte?" Azusa demanded.

Ukyo looked at her. "Look, Azusa... Charlotte is going to sit over there and watch the match, right?"

"My name is not Charlotte!" Ryoga repeated, turning red.

"Nothing has really changed," Ukyo continued, as if she had not been interrupted. "Neither you nor Akane have Charlotte right now, right? After the match, IF you win him, then you can talk to Charlotte about whether or not you can keep him. If you DON'T win him, then it doesn't matter anyway."

"Okay," Azusa said, with a overdramatic sigh. "As long as Azusa knows where her Charlotte is." She smiled at Ryoga. "We're going to have so much fun in my widdle home! But Azusa thinks you're cuter as a pig."

Giggling, the girl turned and skipped off. Ukyo turned back to Ryoga. "Go sit down, P-chan." She gestured at her neck. "I've just about had it up to here with you."

"You are not turning me over to that girl!"

"Wait until the match is over. If we still have something to fight about, then we'll fight about it."

She turned to leave the ring, but Sanzenin stopped her. "Before you go, my dear, I must give you a proper goodbye. I was never able to thank you for skating with me the other day."

Ukyo shook her head. "You just never give up, do you?"

"Never, with a woman as cute as you. Not to mention as shapely." He took Ukyo into his arms, and she just looked up at him, tiredly.

"Hey!" Ranma pulled away from Akane. "Cut it out!"

"Seriously, Sanzenin, it's been a lot of fun, but I'm just not in the mood. Let's get back to finishing this fight."

"There will always be time for the match later. But I will always make time for an attractive woman. Perhaps we could go on a date later..."

"That's it!" Ranma shouted, putting a hand on Sanzenin's shoulder to spin him around. "You've got this coming!" The ponytailed girl drew back her hand to punch him in the face.

"Ah, but you are jealous," Sanzenin told her, as he took Ranma in his arms. "But as I told your pretty companion, if you wish to share my kiss you need but ask." He leaned over her, his face moving closer.

"Don't you dare!" Ranma said, putting her hands against his chest to try and push him away. Surprisingly, she didn't seem to be able to move fast enough. Was it Ukyo's lesser strength? "I'll give you a fat li..."

And before Ranma could do or say anything else, Sanzenin's lips pressed against hers.


	26. The Couple Cleaver

Author's Notes:

Although so far I have been fairly consistent in my use of pronouns for Ranma's gender, referring to his external appearance, in this chapter there is a great deal of internal dialog, and characters referring to Ranma by the gender they perceive for him. Thus, the pronoun usage may switch from paragraph to paragraph. Hopefully, it should not be too difficult to follow.

* * *

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 26

To his horror and disgust, Ranma realized that he could feel everything that was happening as Sanzenin kissed him. His mind had shut down, and he was totally unable to move or fight, or even do anything, and yet that somehow made the sensations more clear, not less. He could feel Sanzenin's lips against his, even the way Ukyo's lips were fuller and more sensitive than his own. He could feel the arm wrapped around his back, Sanzenin's fingers coming dangerously close to something Ranma did NOT want him touching.

After a moment, Sanzenin stood her up, perhaps a little concerned that the girl he had kissed had gone rigid. Ranma just stood there, still unable to move. Ukyo, too, was frozen in place, her arm up in an attempt to knock Sanzenin away that had come a half second too late. Ranma could see Ryoga, as well, over by the exit a few feet away. Like Ukyo, his eyes were as wide as saucers, an expression of shock on his face that matched Ukyo's exactly.

Ranma was glad that he couldn't see Akane's face. Was she shocked? Disgusted? Relieved? I don't think I want to know, he told himself.

The announcer, meanwhile, seemed to be confused. "Has Mikado Sanzenin just kissed the male substitute for Ranma Saotome? Or is this substitute actually a woman in a man's costume? Has the Furinkan High team tried to make a substitute of a female for a male skater?" The audience, meanwhile, seemed just as unsure, and murmurs spread quickly around the gymnasium.

There was a moment where the ability to think returned, and the intensity of the emotions that flooded Ranma were overwhelming. And then she burst into tears, and turned to run from the rink. The other entrance was further away, but Ranma turned away from Ryoga and Ukyo, without even thinking about it, her skates digging into the ice as she ran. She threw both arms over her head to hide the tears, but she could not stop herself from wailing, loudly.

"Oh... that she would be so moved as to weep like that. How pure and innocent she must be."

Ukyo cut a glance at him, her eyes narrowing. "Sugar... when Ranchan gets back here, you are SO dead..."

As he passed Akane, Ranma felt the black haired girl's hands grab for her, and he shoved them away. "No, no," he muttered. "Akane... She can't see... I can't let her... see..." But Akane's hands gripped his arms, and he was pulled back. "Don't look at me!" He fought, hard, trying to get away.

"No, no!" Ranma continued to try to escape, as Akane pulled him back to her. Akane could see how upset Ranma was, and part of her was scowling at the part-time girl acting so overdramatic. It was just a kiss, after all! But another part of her was really worried. She had never seen Ranma cry like this, and he really seemed hurt.

Suddenly, before Akane could even register what was happening, Akane found Ranma in her arms. Ranma was hugging her fiercely, almost crushing her. The girl's body was shuddering, violently, and she started to cry even harder. She was still trying to look away from Akane, wiping her tears against the fabric of Akane's blouse, but she had almost collapsed against her, her weight pulling at Akane's arms.

"It's okay..." she muttered. "Let it out. Don't try to hold it in." Akane stroked Ranma's back, reassuringly. She was still shaking, so intensely that Akane could feel it making her own body tremble. She had stopped trying to control her tears, and just sobbed into Akane's chest.

Ranma had begun muttering, over and over again. Akane realized that she was saying, "How dare he. How dare he. How dare he!" She was shocked, for a moment, as she considered this. Could she... could she feel... ? Akane felt her mind balk at the thought. Of course not. Ranma is a man. Something like this wouldn't mean anything to him.

But that didn't match with her... his reaction. Akane held him a little tighter. Maybe it was just the shock. The humiliation and embarrassment, of being kissed by another man. Of course, that's all it is. He wouldn't be... he couldn't be... he couldn't feel... like that... like...

Like you did, when those boys were coming at you every morning? The question came out of nowhere, as if from some dark recess of her mind.

Even as the thought crossed her mind, she found herself shoving it aside. A martial artist faces any challenge, without fear. There's no room for worrying about such things. Besides, Ranma's upset, and that's all that matters. Guy or not, he needs me.

Ranma's sobs had stopped, and she felt the lanky girl's grip tighten around her waist. Her embrace tightened even further, and then Ranma looked up, her face twisted into a grimace of anger. "He won't get away with this!" she said.

Now that was the Ranma she knew. She helped Ranma back to her feet. "Would you like to get some hot water?" Akane asked.

Ranma glanced at her, and gave her a grateful smile, but then her glare returned as she looked back at Sanzenin. "No. I'm going to tear him apart, with these two hands." She grasped Akane's hand, and stood up a little straighter. "This is the body I'm going to use to KILL him!"

"Do you hear me, Sanzenin!" she shouted. "For what you've done to me, I can't let you live!"

Sanzenin seemed surprised by this declaration, but then he noticed Ranma's hand in Akane's. "Ah... of course. I see, I have misjudged. I should have seen, by the way Saotome and Tendo acted, that they were not truly a couple. They do not have the harmony between them... that you two do."

"Shut up!" Ranma yelled back. "You don't know nothin'! You're about to see some 'harmony'!" She grasped Akane's hand tighter.

Akane looked down at Ranma's hand, startled. "Ranma..." She swallowed as she looked up into her eyes. "If you really want my help, then I'm here for you. But... I know this is your fight. I... I won't get in your way."

Ranma turned and smiled at her, and Akane's eyes widened at the look in her eyes. "That's okay, Akane. This is OUR fight, now. I do want ya to help. Just like before. All we've gotta do is stay together..."

"Stay together, huh? Azusa..." Sanzenin looked at his partner.

She grinned wickedly. "The Couple Cleaver?" Sanzenin nodded. "Oo, how naughty!" Azusa giggled. "Two girls, in the Couple Cleaver. That's so cute... but what will people think?"

Azusa leaped onto Sanzenin's back, and like before, held onto his shoulders as they charged towards Ranma and Akane. Ranma wrapped her arm around Akane's waist. "Not that again," she commented. "Looks like they're going to try that move to kiss you again."

"We're ready for them," Akane said. Ranma nodded, and then the two took off skating towards the Golden Pair. As soon as they were in range, they both aimed a jump kick at Sanzenin's head. Just like before, Azusa pushed off of him, shooting up over the others, as Sanzenin ducked the blow.

This time, though, instead of reaching for Akane, he grabbed Ranma's foot. She was stopped in midair, while Akane continued past, whirling as Ranma's arm was pulled from around her. She slid to a halt, just in time to see Azusa drop from above them, and wrap her arms around Ranma.

"Asuza has never kissed a girl before," she giggled. "But Azusa's just going to kiss you on the nose anyway." With that, she did just as she said, kissing Ranma on the tip of her nose.

"What do you think you're doing?" Akane yelled, her jealousy erupting despite Ranma's current gender. Ranma, meanwhile, looked stunned, and Akane rolled her eyes at his naivete'. She turned around and charged, intent on making that bimbo Azusa pay for her actions.

Azusa, meanwhile, rolled under Ranma, and flipped her forward. Ranma's eyes widened as she realized she was about to land face first on the ice. Akane leaped to save her, extending out her body to grab at Ranma's hands. She made contact just before they hit the ice, and their elbows took most of the impact. Then, they suddenly slid across the ice as they were pulled upward. Azusa had hooked Ranma's feet over her shoulders, and Sanzenin lifted her over his head, where he went into a spin.

"This is it!" The announcer shouted. "The terrible Couple Cleaver; the Good-bye Whirl!" As Sanzenin spun faster and faster, he and Azusa upright like the hub of a wheel, Ranma and Akane were flung out horizontally, the centrifugal force pulling at both of them. Akane grunted as the speed increased. The forces were beginning to tear at her body, and she could tell by the strain in Ranma's face that she was feeling it, too.

"If you let go of her, I'll stop spinning!" Sanzenin said.

"Ignore him!" Akane countered. "Just let go, I'll be fine!"

"No way!" Ranma said, but she could see her grit her teeth in pain. Ukyo's body wasn't as strong as Ranma's, and the stress had to be incredible on her slender arms. One of her hands slipped slightly, and then Ranma pulled her forward and held on even tighter.

"Any couple that is caught in the Goodbye Whirl is doomed!" The announcer shouted. "If Furinkan's substitute lets go to save herself, then Akane Tendo will be dashed into the walls! Yet, no one can hold on forever! The more they trust each other, the greater the betrayal when one of them lets go!"

"Don't listen to him!" Akane shouted. She had to raise her voice over the wind blowing past them, as the twirling grew even faster. Her arms were wracked with pain now, and she knew it had to be much worse for Ranma. "Just let me go now, before it gets any worse!"

"You think I'd let go, after hearing that?" Ranma looked up at her. Although her expression was determined, tears had started to form in her blue green eyes. Akane heard a popping noise, and Ranma lost her grip on one of Akane's arms, sending Akane flailing as she tried to hang on with one hand. Ranma's shoulder had popped out of its joint. Despite the pain, Ranma reached forward, and grabbed Akane's hand, ignoring her dislocated shoulder.

"I can do this all day," Sanzenin commented, almost mockingly. "As two women, you are much lighter than we are used to, and I can go much faster still..."

"Wittle Azusa isn't getting tired either," commented his partner.

The pull on them increased further, and Ranma screamed. Akane cried out as well, both from her own pain, and fear for Ranma. "I'll be fine, Ranma! I can take it if you let me go! I won't be mad at you! I will be mad at you if you DON'T let me go!"

"IDIOT!" Ranma yelled back. "You think I'm gonna let a stupid klutz like you fly off an' get hurt!"

"What did you call me?" Tears sprang to her own eyes, as Akane stared at her partner. How could he say that? How could he put her down like that, call her weak, after all they'd been through? She gritted her teeth, preparing to snap back with an insult of her own, when suddenly there was another loud crack. Ranma shut her eyes tight in agony, tears rolling down her face.

And then it hit her, like a blinding light behind her eyes. Ranma wasn't insulting her to belittle her or make her feel weak. It was to remind HIM of how hard HE had to fight to protect her. He was so afraid of seeing her hurt, so terrified of failing her and letting her down, that he HAD to see her as weak, or else he would let down his guard. He couldn't afford to trust her to fight on her own. Because he might lose her.

But Akane couldn't stand to see him suffering like this either.

And then she knew, Ranma was never going to let her go. Ukyo's lesser strength or not, he would pull his arms out of their sockets before he let her go. His knuckles were turning white, and his arms were shaking with the strain, but he would pass out before he let her go. He would hurt himself, if this continued, he would be hurt terribly, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Nothing... except fight.

"Hang on, Ranma. This is going to hurt." Her tears were coming freely now, but she knew what she had to do. "Just hang on. Just endure it for a few seconds more." Hating what she was doing to Ranma, she pulled back against the girl's lanky arms, wincing at her cry of pain. She curled her body up, bringing her knees to her chest, increasing the force on Ranma's arms, as they both struggled to hang on.

Then, pushing with all the strength she had left, against the incredible force of the spin, she shoved both of her legs forward. The counterforce made her legs feel like they weighed tons, but she still kicked with all her strength. Her feet went back alongside Ranma's body, back against the force of the Good-bye Whirl, and right into Azusa's face.

Azusa let out a cry, and then they were flying through the air, sailing towards the wall of the rink. Akane drew Ranma to her, her body seeming limp in her arms, but then Ranma seemed to stir. Ranma began moving; the slender girl wrapped her arms around Akane, and then turned, her body flipping over as she put herself between Akane and the path of their flight. And then they slammed into the wall, with enough force to leave a huge crater at the point of impact. She and Ranma slid down onto the ice. Ranma slid out prone and lay still.

One of Ranma's hands still gripped hers, tightly. "And they did not let go!" The announcer shouted, obviously excited. "Akane Tendo and her unknown substitute have defeated the Good-bye Whirl! But at what cost...?"

"My face! My face!" Azusa had put her hands over her face, which was bleeding profusely. "She cut Azusa's pretty face!"

"Ranma... Ranma..." Akane shook her, trying to get her to wake up. "Come on, you did it. You saved me. Come on, get up!"

There was no response. Sanzenin stood watching from the middle of the rink, while Azusa had run to get a towel to wipe her face. "Every bone in her body must be crushed," he said, somewhat sadly. "I have never seen the Good-bye Whirl go that fast before. Nothing human could have withstood that."

"Oh, no!" Akane put her hands on Ranma's chest. She still was not moving. She was breathing, but slowly, raggedly. "Ranma, you... you didn't have to do it. You didn't have to protect me. So what if I would have been a little hurt? As least you wouldn't be... wouldn't be..."

She collapsed on top of her. "Stupid! Stupid! You FOOL! Why did you have to be such a jerk and a show-off! You... you... you fool..."

I'm a fool... she said to herself. I was trying to help... and I only made it worse. I'm so stupid. I only made it worse...

Akane lay there, sobbing. Ranma was still, unmoving. Finally, Akane felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, Akane," came Ryoga's voice, quietly. "Let's finish this. Ranma can't continue. Let's finish these guys off."

There was a moment's silence. Ryoga knelt next to her. "I know you're worried about him, but... we'll get Ukyo to take care of him. She can get him to a hospital. We've got to finish this match."

Akane finally spoke, her voice low, dangerous. "Get away from me..."

"What?"

She looked up, and Ryoga drew back at the look of fury in her eyes. "Get away from me! This is MY fight! I'm taking these guys down myself!"

"But Akane, you need..."

Akane shoved him away, and Ryoga went sailing backwards, his feet scrabbling under to try and find some kind of purchase. Akane turned her gaze on Sanzenin and Azusa, her fists clenched, her teeth grinding. Ukyo came skating up to the two of them, stopping Ryoga and pulling him back upright.

"Come on," Ukyo said. "I don't think this is a good place for either one of us to be. Let's leave Akane to do this for herself." Akane did not seem to notice her, as she led Ryoga out of the rink.

"You're going to pay, Sanzenin!" Akane yelled, her eyes flashing with scarlet fire. She gestured at Azusa as well, who was still trying to wipe away the blood. "And you, too. I don't need anybody to fight my battles for me! I'm going to win this all on my own!

"YOU HURT MY RANMA! And now you're going to pay!"

Akane charged forward, and Sanzenin set himself to meet her charge. But suddenly, Azusa burst out laughing. "Azusa gets it! Azusa gets it! She called her Ranma! She was always calling her Ranma!"

Sanzenin looked down at her, irritated. "What are you talking about, you ditz?"

She grabbed him by the arm, laughing hysterically. "It's just like my Charlotte! Don't you get it? And you know what that means? You kissed a boy!" She pointed at him, laughing even harder. "Miky kissed a boy, Miky kissed a boy!"

"SHUT UP, YOU ANNOYING, WHINY, CHILDISH, SPOILED, SELFISH, MANIPULATIVE BRAT!" Akane punched Azusa in the face, and laid her out flat.

As Akane circled around to make another pass, Sanzenin sized her up. "You are truly more formidable than I at first realized. To take out my partner with one blow like that. I cannot afford to underestimate you any longer. But I am too much of a gentleman to strike a woman. I will instead, honor you with my kiss."

"DREAM ON!" Akane yelled, as she shot past him. He simply evaded her strike, skating off sideways. She circled, and came around for another pass. This time, as he tried to catch her in an embrace, she planted her knee in his groin.

Sanzenin fell to the ice for a moment, but then managed to stand up and evade Akane as she passed by again. Finally, he skated to the center of the rink.

"I can see that normal strategies are not going to work. Very well, I do not like using this technique, and I have never used it on a woman. But rest assured, I do not intend to harm you. I will go easy on you. You will not be hurt, as long as you do not press your attack."

With that, Sanzenin began to spin, holding his place on the ice. The announcer gasped. "The Dance of Death! As Sanzenin said, he has never used this technique on a female opponent before! It's rare that it is seen at all, this is a rare treat!"

Akane narrowed her eyes, skating faster towards the spinning Sanzenin, but from the side of the rink, Ukyo called out. "Akane! He can attack in any direction from that position! There's no way you can get near him! You're not fast enough!"

Her advice went unheeded, however, Akane continuing to skate forward as if she had not heard. She leaped as she neared, and rose into the air, raising her fist as she sailed towards Sanzenin. Her momentum carried her forward, and she let out a scream of power.

She fell just short of Sanzenin, however, her arc carrying her straight to the ice at his feet. Her fist hit the ice, and it shattered, sending a spray of frozen shards right into Sanzenin's spinning form. He tried to deflect the projectiles as they came at him, but there were too many of them. They flashed past him, leaving deep slashes in his costume, and dozens of shallow cuts across his face.

Then, as Sanzenin's spin slowed, his technique disrupted, the ice began to crack, spreading out radially from the point of Akane's impact. One of the cracks spread right under his feet, and Sanzenin tripped, spinning out of control through the air. He landed on his bottom on the ice, still slowly twirling before he came to a stop.

Akane watched him, breathing heavily. Her brows were still furrowed in an expression of intense hatred, but she just stood, waiting for Sanzenin's next move. He got to his feet, running his comb through his hair.

"You foiled the Dance of Death. I definitely should not underestimate you. But I shall have my kiss! You have inflamed my interest, and you will be my one thousandth kiss! I will not be denied!"

"You... will... not... touch... her..." Both Sanzenin and Akane turned to see Ranma painfully rising to her feet. Her head was down as she pushed against the ice, apparently only barely able to support her own weight. But despite her shaking, she still managed to stand.

Ranma lifted her head, and her expression was as enraged as Akane's. "Akane is my fiancee! I'll DIE before I see another man's lips touch hers!"

Akane gasped, her heart leaping into her throat. Did he mean that? She could only stare, incredulous, as Ranma glared at Sanzenin. But... we're just friends, right? Then why is my heart pounding in my chest? Does he really mean that he... that he...?

But then, she suddenly realized that Ranma was still in Ukyo's form, and her heart sank. Ranma had made that pronouncement, in front of this whole gymnasium full of witnesses, while he was a GIRL! All of these people just saw another girl call her her fiancee! She quickly glanced around at the audience, her face growing hot with embarrassment. Most of them seemed confused, and were murmuring amongst themselves.

The announcer spoke up, giving voice to the audience's confusion. "Is Furinkan High's mystery substitute a man after all? He claims to be Akane Tendo's fiance'. But does this mean... Mikado Sanzenin kissed another boy after all?"

"Although, now that I think about it," the announcer added, "I can understand Sanzenin's mistake. He does look awfully Bishonen..."

Among the Furinkan portion of the crowd, Akane spotted Yuka and Sayuri, and her blush grew even deeper. Yuka was staring at her, open mouthed, totally in shock. Sayuri was studying her and Ranma carefully, though, her gaze darting back and forth between them. Suddenly, she leaned over and whispered something to Yuka. Yuka looked surprised and turned back to Akane, her expression turning thoughtful, like Sayuri's. Then Sayuri pointed at Ukyo, down by the entrance to the rink. The red headed girl was holding her face in her palm, and looked like she might be blushing, too.

Akane looked back at Ranma, but she was neither embarrassed, nor holding anything back. "There is no way I'm letting you do to Akane what you did to me! I'd rather die first!" She clenched her fist, and a blue aura erupted around her body. "And if I die, I'M TAKIN' YOU DOWN WITH ME!"

At that moment, Azusa came to as well. Still giggling, she pulled herself up and darted over to Sanzenin. Then she pulled him down by his arm, and whispered in his ear.

Sanzenin suddenly straightened up, and stared at Ranma, his eyes wide. "You're kidding..." he muttered.

Azusa blinked her eyes, cutely. "Nope. You've still only kissed 998 women. Tee-hee."

Ranma suddenly darted forward. "Akane, now!" Sanzenin and Azusa looked up, Sanzenin still turning a little green. But they took hands, preparing themselves for Ranma's charge. Unsure what the plan was, Akane came skating up beside her partner.

"Grab Azusa's hand," Ranma said to her, with a sly grin. "We're gonna do a little Couple Cleaver of our own."

As Akane nodded, Ranma split off from her, and shot at Sanzenin. The boy backed away a little, suddenly no longer so eager to put the moves on his pretty brown haired opponent. Ranma grabbed his hand, and pulled as she shot past them, and Sanzenin and Azusa were pulled along behind her. Akane grabbed Azusa's hand, and pulled her in the other direction, and suddenly the Golden Pair were skidding around the ice, at the mercy of their opponents.

Ranma reached the middle of the rink, and began to spin. Akane, meanwhile, still holding Azusa's hand, skated around them in a circle, going faster and faster. Sanzenin tried to pull away from Ranma, but her grip on his arm was too strong. "Unhand me, you... freak!" He yelled. His opponent just smirked at him.

The foursome began to spin faster and faster, the momentum pulling at Sanzenin and Azusa. Ranma also couldn't hold her position very well, and so the spinning formation began to skitter all over the ice, coming uncomfortably close to the walls. Sanzenin and Azusa continued to try to pull away, but they couldn't strike out at Ranma and Akane as long as they were holding each other's hands.

"Hey, Azusa!" Ukyo yelled out from the sidelines. "If you let go, they'll stop spinning! And what do you care about Sanzenin anyway? He's always chasing after other women, he doesn't care about you, he's always yelling at you! If you let go, you'll have a hand free to fight Akane!"

"Do you think we are fools?" Sanzenin called back at her. "To be caught by our own trap? We are the Golden Pair, we skate as one!"

Azusa stared at him for a moment, and then her eyebrows turned down in a fierce glare. "She's right. Look out for yourself, Miki." Azusa let go.

Grinning, Ranma and Akane drew the Golden Pair away from each other. Then they began spinning, as fast as they could. As one, they let go of their charges. Just by coincidence, this happened to send them both flying into each other. Sanzenin and Azusa crashed into each other, and collapsed onto the ice, unconscious.

Ranma, of course, immediately fell down on her bottom. But Akane quickly skated up to her, and pulled her back onto her feet as she passed. The two put their arms around each other, and smiled widely.

"And Furinkan High has won the Charlotte Cup competition!" The announcer shouted tearfully. "What an upset!"

Ranma and Akane skated over to join Ukyo at the side of the rink, but Akane could not help staring at her fiance'. She was saying nothing about it, and Ukyo said nothing as well, but did Ranma really mean what he said out there on the ice? And did she want him to mean it? If not... why did it make her feel so happy?


	27. Loose Lips

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 27

Ranma shivered as he poured the rinse water over himself. Right now, the last thing he wanted to be was female, but unfortunately, that came with the territory. For a moment, he considered washing with warm water as his sister did, but then decided against it. Despite not wanting to be female at all, right now what he wanted was to be CLEAN.

He set about washing those body parts that he knew he had no right to have. Normally, he would just do what he had to do, and keep his eyes to himself, out of respect for his sister. But now, out of respect for his sister, he made sure to wash every trace of that womanizing pervert off of her body. He paid particular attention to his face, scrubbing his face and lips until they tingled.

Only then did Ranma get into the furo, and return to his normal form. At least this was over and done with, and he could forget about it. Except for the few nightmares that would come over the next few days. He expected that, after the last time with Kuno. He settled back into the hot water, trying to relax. The battle on the ice had been a tough one, and he still felt sore. He rubbed the shoulder that had been dislocated, and he had fractured a couple of bones in his leg, but they would heal.

His mind kept coming back around to Akane. He didn't want to think about it, but he had broken down in front of her, she had seen him crying. But she didn't seem to judge him or be to disappointed in him. She just held him. And she hadn't mentioned anything about it during the walk home. He had to admit, it had made him feel better to be held by her, although he would never tell anyone that. He didn't NEED to be held, certainly, he was a man, but if Akane just happened to hold him, and it just happened to feel good, well that was okay, right?

And then when she kicked that Azusa girl in the face - Ranma couldn't help grinning at that memory. That was an awfully tough and uncute thing for her to do; it was just like a tomboy like her to do that. And taking on Sanzenin on her own, although he had been out for most of that. And the look on her face when he called her a klutz. She really was the toughest girl he had ever met, even tougher than Sis.

He had to sigh at that. If he had been in his male body, Akane wouldn't have had to do that. He would have been stronger, and the Good-bye Whirl wouldn't have been as fast. On the other hand, playing Crack the Whip at the end, Ucchan's body had been a big help. He could feel it, as long as he had hold of Sanzenin's hand, Sis's body had perfect balance, able to twist about and snap Sanzenin around like nothing. And he and Akane just seemed to mesh, to think as one, once they got past the fighting. She was so uncute when she was trying to lead him around, but then, when he got hurt...

His mind kept coming back to Akane, and as it did, his words to Sanzenin. "Akane is my fiancee." He couldn't believe he'd said that. Much less in Ukyo's body, while surrounded by people. It's crazy, I mean, he liked the tomboy, but...

But what?

Ah, she doesn't feel that way about me, he told himself. But, she did say it was okay to hold her, he said in reply. And she didn't want to break off the engagement. Yeah, but that doesn't mean she LIKES me. Well, of course it means she LIKES you! No, but... you know... she doesn't... you know... like, like me.

Shaking his head violently to clear it, he got out of the furo. No sense thinking about that. He dried himself off, and put back on his clothes. Walking down the engawa towards the family room, he could hear laughter ahead of him. The whole family seemed to be gathered there.

As he came closer, he scowled as he recognized Ryoga's voice. "So then he said, 'Akane is my fiance'! I'll die before I let you do to her what you did to me!'" Another wave of laughter followed his gleeful statement.

"Don't tell them that!" Akane shouted.

"Oh, happy day! The schools will finally be joined!" Soun yelled. This was then followed by the sounds of dancing, and the growfs of a panda. Ranma couldn't read his sign from here.

"Daddy!" Akane protested. "I'm sure he didn't mean that! It was just the heat of the moment! He was trying to protect me, to keep Sanzenin from kissing me, that's all!"

"Besides, from what the whole school heard, it was Ukyo that proposed to Akane, not Ranma!" Ryoga said. He was obviously enjoying this far too much. "Sounds like you should be planning to join the Tendo and Kuonji families instead!"

"Very funny, Charlotte!" Ukyo drawled.

At that moment, Ranma came around the corner, and Akane gasped. The others looked up at him as he glared at them. The room fell silent.

Ryoga, on the other hand, could not resist a few more digs. "Hey, Ranma old pal. Here to congratulate the happy couple?"

Ukyo and Akane both turned beet red. "Ryoga! Cut it out!"

"Leave me alone," Ranma growled, pushing past Ryoga. "You can say whatever you want to say, I don't care."

Kasumi stepped up to him, wearing her best "Everything is going to be all right" smile. "Don't worry, Ranma-kun. I'm sure that nobody knows that another boy kissed you. Everyone saw Ukyo, not you..."

"That's right," put in Nabiki. "It doesn't even count if it's with another boy. And it's not like that was your first kiss or anything..."

Ranma turned even redder, and Soun did not help anything by yelling at Genma, "Saotome! My future son-in-law kissed another boy! What do you have to say for yourself?"

The panda help up a sign. "Yeah, well, your daughter is engaged to another girl!" Both broke into a tearful chorus of "Now the schools will never be joined!"

"Stop it, Daddy!" Akane yelled. "And it wasn't Ukyo that said she was my fiance', Mr. Saotome, it was Ranma!"

"I am not your fiance'!" Ranma yelled back, and Akane looked at him, startled. He had turned to look at Soun and his father, though. "I never accepted this engagement, and I ain't gonna marry Akane! Why would I wanna be married to some violent, pushy tomboy anyway?"

"Ranma..." Akane gasped, her eyes wide. Ranma had to turn away from the look on her face.

"I woulda been just fine if you hadn't gotten in the way," he muttered, half regretting what he was saying already. "How am I supposed to fight when I'm always havin' ta look out for you..."

"How dare you!" Ukyo grabbed Ranma's shoulder, spinning him around. "Akane put her life on the line for you! She faced Sanzenin on her own for you! She beat his Dance of Death! If you had worked with her, instead of being such an arrogant, macho jerk..."

"I didn't ask her to help me!" Ranma yelled.

"Ukyo, stop..." Akane said. She took Ukyo's hand, trying to pull her back. "It's okay."

Ranma felt his anger flaring again. "I wouldn't have gotten kissed at all if it weren't for you! Out there playin' kissy-face with Sanzenin... I bet you WANTED to kiss him! Well, you got your wish then, didn't you? He kissed you! There, are you happy now?"

Ukyo stared at him. "Ranma... Ranma, you JACKASS!" She shouted. Akane put an arm around her, holding her back, while Ranma stormed out of the room.

"I should have known... they're all laughing at me!" Ranma grumbled, as he stomped along, not caring where he was going. He found himself in the dojo, and plopped down on the floor, wrapping his arms around his knees. "None of them care about me. Not even a little. Ryoga, that jerk, he just loved this. And the rest of them... Sis and Akane seemed to be backin' me up, but I bet they were laughin' on the inside..."

"They just don't understand how I feel..." He wrapped his arms more tightly around himself, not sure why he felt like just curling up until he totally disappeared. "Nobody cares about me. Not one of them."

"You're wrong," came Akane's voice from the doorway. "Your sister cares. She cares a lot." She came over, and sat down next to Ranma, not looking at him. "She didn't mean for you to get kissed, by a guy thinking you were her. You know that."

Ranma looked away from her, still grumbling to himself. "If that's so, then why ain't she here, insteada some annoying tomboy who can't mind her own business?"

He felt Akane tense next to him. He sensed her struggling to keep her temper under control, while she put a hand over her face to hide the tears. When she spoke again, her voice was calm. "Do you know what Ukyo told me? She told me that I should leave you alone for a while. That you needed to be alone, to be by yourself and work through this on your own.

"I told her she was wrong." She looked up at him, and he could feel her brown eyes boring into him. "I told her that you needed someone to talk to, even if it was to lash out at them. You needed someone to listen, even if it was to complaints and insults.

"So tell me, Ranma. Which one of us was wrong? Which one of us cares about you the least?" Although her gaze was steady, she still could not keep all of the hurt out of her voice.

When Ranma didn't speak, she looked up at the ceiling. "That wasn't your first kiss, you know." Akane said, almost casually. "Your first kiss was with Shampoo."

"Ha, ha, very funny!" Ranma snarled. "Laugh it up, why don't you?"

"I'm not laughing," Akane said, thoughtfully. "Anyway, I don't think it's a laughing matter."

There was a moment of silence. "Your first kiss in female form was with Shampoo too," Akane finally said. "The Kiss of Death, in China."

"It was my first kiss, in female form, ON THE LIPS!" he countered.

She looked at him. "Does that make any difference?"

"I dunno! Should it?" He looked away.

"I suppose it shouldn't," Akane said, turning to look up again.

Silence fell over them again, and then Akane timidly glanced back at Ranma. "Would... would you like to kiss me?"

"What?"

"Well, I thought..." Akane looked away, her face a deep red. "I thought you might feel better if... if you kissed someone that... you weren't forced to kiss."

"No! No way! I ain't gonna kiss you! I..." He wanted to call her uncute and say he didn't ever want to kiss her, but somehow the words wouldn't come out.

"It's okay. It was just a thought." Akane looked away, but her face was still flaming red. "Forget I said anything."

Yeah, right, as if I can forget that, Ranma thought. All of a sudden I can't stop thinking about it. I don't wanna kiss her, do I? Do I?

"Ranma..." Akane seemed even more hesitant than before, and she paused for a long moment. Then she bit her lip. "Did you mean... what you said?"

Ranma swallowed. "W-whaddya mean?"

"About being my fiance'." She was quick to reassure him. "You don't have to say for sure, it's just... well... I told you that I wasn't sure if I wanted the engagement. I don't feel like I'm ready to be married and I..." she blushed a bit, "I'm not sure how I feel about you. But... I'm not ready for you to be out of my life just yet." Tentatively, she put out a hand and put it on top of his. "I want you to stay here with me."

He said nothing, so Akane gathered her courage and continued. "I never asked you how you felt, though. If you... if you want this engagement, too. I know it's a bother, it bothers me too, when the fathers are getting all stupid about it, but..."

She looked up into his eyes. "Do you want to be my fiance'... just for now?"

Ranma thought for a moment. "Yeah... yeah I guess so." He glanced at her. "Sorry for what I said back there."

She squeezed his hand. "It's okay. I think I'm starting to tell the difference between when you mean something, and when you REALLY mean it." Then she giggled. "Anyway, I was about ready to tell our fathers to call it quits too."

He smiled at her, and then they fell silent again. "Ranma..." Akane said. "I know you worry about me, and I know you don't like me getting hurt. I'm going to try and listen to you a little bit more from now on. You know I don't want to get in your way..."

"Listen Akane," Ranma interrupted. "What I said back there, I..."

"Hush, Ranma, let me finish." Akane put a finger to his lips. "You wouldn't have been hurt so bad if it weren't for me. I tried to break Azusa's grip on you, but all it did was send us both flying into the wall. I put extra strain, on your body, kicking her like that. If I had waited, maybe they would have gotten tired and had to let go."

"But maybe they wouldn't have," Ranma countered.

"But maybe they would. The thing is, I know you don't want me to get hurt. And I don't want you to get hurt. But Ranma..." She took his hand. Then she looked into his eyes, her expression fierce. "From now on, if you get hurt, then *I* get hurt. That's just the way it's going to have to be."

Ranma studied the intensity of her expression for a moment. Then, he reluctantly nodded. "Okay, Akane. Geez, you're so uncute," he muttered. But he smiled.

Akane put up a hand, as if to touch his face, and then, realizing what she was about to do, quickly pulled her hand away. Akane turned away, blushing, and Ranma did as well. Akane looked back at Ranma, staring at his lips, where she had just put her finger a moment ago. As if they had both had the same thought, they reached up and touched their fingers to their own mouths.

"So... um... would you like to kiss me?" Akane asked again.

"Well... I dunno... I mean..."

"It's okay. You can if you want." She pursed her lips slightly, and Ranma noticed. He gulped.

"Um... um..." What to do? What to say? "Um, only if you close your eyes!"

"Okay." Akane closed her eyes, and leaned her head back, her lips pursed a bit more.

No way! He was sure she would argue with that! Now what was he supposed to do? Ranma stared at her lips, trying not to think about how inviting they looked. She was just waiting, with her eyes closed. Did she really trust him that much?

For a moment, Ranma leaned forward. But then he stopped. He continued to stare at her, until she opened her eyes. "What?" She asked him.

Ranma looked away from her. "I guess... isn't this something you should save for... um... someone you really like?" He sounded almost disappointed.

Akane looked surprised, and then she looked away as well. "Oh... so you don't really like me, is that it?"

"That's not what I meant!" Ranma yelled. Then he gulped and looked down. "I just mean, you shouldn't want to... you know... unless you like ME..."

"You think I don't like you? You jerk!" She slapped him. "Do you think I'd put up with you if I didn't LIKE you?"

Ranma looked up at her, startled, and she looked down again, her blush spreading to her whole face. Ranma found something interesting to study on the floor. "Oh, uh, well, I suppose I wouldn't put up with a violent chick like you if I didn't like you, either."

Akane felt a smile come over her face, despite Ranma's insult. She wrapped her arms around herself, still unable to meet his eyes. "I'm... I'm sorry, Ranma. I didn't mean to hit you."

"Naw, it's okay..." Ranma rubbed his cheek, where it stung. Like before, it wasn't really all that hard. "That's just one of those things that makes you so uncute."

The way he said it made her look up at him. Back when she got her hair cut, she had had the same thought before. He almost made it sound like... "Do you like... uncute?"

He grinned, mischievously. "Do you think I'd put up with it if I didn't like it?"

Akane blushed again and looked down. But she could not stop the silly smile that spread over her face. "And when you kicked Azusa in the face?" Ranma continued. "Now THAT was uncute! And I REALLY liked it."

"So... you like me, and I like you, so it's okay then, right?" She still couldn't look at him. Her heart was fluttering in her chest, and she didn't think her face could feel any hotter.

"Um... yeah, but you know... Shouldn't you kiss someone you... really LIKE, like? You know?"

Akane finally managed to meet his eyes. Did she want to ask? Did she want to know? Her heart was pounding. "Well, Ranma, I like you... well enough, I guess."

She paused a moment. Then she took a deep breath. "As long as you're not just kissing me because you just want to kiss a girl... you know, like Sanzenin, well, that's okay. As long as you want to kiss ME... even if you're not sure... or I'm not sure...

"As long as you WANT to kiss me, Ranma... I don't mind. I'll let you."

Do I want to kiss her? Ranma asked himself. He had no idea why that question was so hard to answer. He just stared at her, uncertain. She moved a little closer to him, settling down on her knees in front of him. She looked up at him, expectantly, and Ranma found that he was anticipating it as well.

Was this it? Was he really going to kiss her? Ranma's heart was pounding as intensely as Akane's, although he had no way of knowing that. He leaned forward, and she looked up at him, her expression softening. Ranma tried to think of any reason why he shouldn't, why Akane would want him to stop. She had said she wanted him to, it was okay. And he could tell by the way she gazed up at him that she meant it. Her eyes fluttered, and then closed again. All it would take was for him to lean forward a little more, and then...

Something attracted Ranma's attention, and he turned to see a video camera pointed at them. Somehow, the panda was holding it, and the rest of the family was arranged behind him, watching from the door to the dojo.

"Well, go on," Nabiki said sourly. "We've been waiting long enough."

Akane's head snapped around to look at them as well, and Ranma's mouth fell open. The fathers were waving encouraging signs, including the panda's telling his son, "That's the way to go, boy!" Soun was weeping, while muttering something about, "You make me so proud!"

"They grow up so fast..." Kasumi commented sweetly.

Ukyo just shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. "I TOLD them to stay out of sight and be quiet, but did they listen to me? No!"

* * *

Outside in the darkness, a lone figure skulked towards the Tendo koi pond. He was about to step into it, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Ukyo regarding him, with only half a smile.

"Hey, P-chan," she said. "Getting ready for bed with a dip in the pool before you turn in?"

Ryoga growled at her. "I've got nothing to say to you. Akane is waiting for her P-chan, and I'm tired." He paused a moment. "I guess I will thank you for getting that key and getting that collar off of me."

Ukyo grabbed him by the shirt, and flung him away from the pond. He fell sprawled in the grass. "Hey!" He called out.

"I've got some things to say to you, and you're not going to escape by turning into a pig!" Ukyo snapped. "You're going to sit there and listen to me!"

Ryoga sat in the grass and folded his arms, scowling. Ukyo looked down at him. "I have had enough of you! This latest little escapade is the last straw! If you hadn't dumped water on Ranma, he wouldn't have been in my body, and he wouldn't have gotten kissed, and he wouldn't have been injured by that Couple Cleaver!"

"Hey! You can't blame all of that on me!" Ryoga stood, shoving his face into hers. "Like 'Ranchan' said, it's as much your fault for flirting with Sanzenin in the first place!"

"That wouldn't have been a problem if you hadn't dumped water on him!" Ukyo said, although her cheeks had turned more than a little red. "I admit I made a mistake, but the one time before the match he tried that, Akane stopped him.

"Besides," she continued, "if I hadn't been on the ice trying to drag your interfering ass back out of the rink, Ranma wouldn't have been distracted trying to protect me. And don't think I've forgotten how you tried to muscle in on Akane while Ranchan was lying there hurt..."

Ryoga smirked at her. "So what are you gonna do about it?"

Ukyo snarled. "You've got twenty-four hours. That's it. I'm not going to let you put this off any longer. You've got one day to tell Akane the truth."

"What...? You're kidding!"

"I'm serious, Ryoga! By this time tomorrow, I want you to have told Akane the truth about her P-chan. If not..."

"If not, what?"

Ukyo paused a moment. "If not, then I'm done with you. I won't help you with this farce any more. I won't help you get to school and back, I won't help you hide your curse from Ranma and Akane, and I DAMN SURE won't let you sleep in my bed. And if you try to sneak into Akane's bed, I SWEAR, I will tell her on the spot!"

"You wouldn't dare." Ryoga looked sure of himself.

"Just try me. Twenty-four hours, Ryoga. This is your last chance. I won't be giving you another one. Do the right thing. Otherwise... whatever happens, it won't be on my head."

She turned on her heel and left, but Ryoga just continued to smirk confidently. He snorted, and then dove into the koi pond.

* * *

The next day at school, word got around quickly about "Ukyo's" announcement at the skating tournament. Before long, Ukyo and Akane were being deluged with questions. Ukyo did her best to silence the rumors, admitting that she didn't know why she had called Akane her fiancee, claiming that she remembered nothing after being knocked out by the Couple Cleaver.

"This is Nabiki's fault," Akane said, and Ranma nodded his agreement. "She's got to be the reason word got around so quickly. We've got to get her to stop!"

Ukyo shook her head, though. "We'll just go to Nabiki and get her to spread the story that we want her to spread," she said, and then her expression turned sheepish. "Just as soon as I can figure out what that is..."

As the girls were heading for their second period class, they again found themselves surrounded. Sayuri and Yuka elbowed their way in, just as one of the more catty girls called out, "Aren't you two going to hold hands?" Akane was just about to turn and chew the girl out, when Sayuri spoke up.

"It's okay, Ukyo," she said, loudly enough that it was obvious she wanted to be overheard. "Yuka and I know your secret."

Ukyo turned to her, startled. "You... you do?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Akane hissed, leaning closer to her friend.

"Trust me," Sayuri whispered back. Then, louder, she said, "Sure, Ukyo. The rumor has been going around the school for some time. It's just... no one's had the nerve to mention it to your face, before."

"What rumor?" Ukyo asked. She looked more nervous, not less.

Sayuri blushed a little. "That you and Ranma are engaged. The word's been going around, that Ranma's father engaged the two of you when you were little." She put a hand on Ukyo's shoulder. "It's okay. I know you think of Ranma as your brother, but from what I've heard, that father of his is pretty stupid. Imagine... to engage his son in an arranged marriage to two different girls... while he was still just a child!"

"Um... uh..." Ukyo was turning an interesting shade of pink. "I dunno where you heard that, but..."

"It's okay," Yuka echoed. "It's not your fault. Like Sayuri said, we know your real feelings for Ranma are that of a sister..."

"Yeah," Sayuri continued. "But you really love him a lot, of course, and you look out for him. So when Sanzenin was fighting with Akane, you probably woke up and thought it was Ranma fighting him. You had been knocked out, and you were kind of dazed and maybe a little out of it, and Sanzenin had been shouting that stuff about how he was going to break you and Akane up with that Couple Cleaver. So you just, you know, you kind of got confused, and shouted out that Ranma was your fiance' without meaning it. Only, everyone thought you were talking about Akane."

Ukyo studied Sayuri for a moment. Akane was regarding her friend with a bit of a smile as well. "Yeah... yeah, you know now that I think about it, that WAS what I was feeling. I was so disoriented that I couldn't really think straight, but I remember thinking that Ranma was my fiance', as well as my brother, and I care about him so much. And HE cares about Akane, and she is HIS fiancee. So I think what I was trying to say is that Akane is the fiancee of my fiance', and I was going to protect her as he would try to protect her."

She shrugged. "I guess I was just so out of it that it didn't come out that way."

Sayuri put her arms around Ukyo. "Of course. Yuka and I, we were there! So we know what really happened." She turned and glared at the girl who had made the rude remark. "You shouldn't listen to rumors from people who weren't even there..."

"Well, if that's all it was..." one of the girls gathered around them commented. Within a few minutes, the crowd had thinned out, each heading on to their own classes.

"Thanks, Sayuri," Akane said. "That was pretty smart."

"Well, you looked like you were about to start beating people up," Sayuri said with a grin. "I figured I had better step in. Yuka and I talked about it last night. We figured you guys would want us to cover for you."

"We've been trying to get the story around," Yuka added. "But it looks like someone beat us to it."

"Nabiki," Ukyo said. "But now that we have a story to tell her, we'll get her to start spreading it around instead. I'm sure she'll do it for the right price."

Akane cracked her knuckles. "Well, she'd better make it a reasonable price, or I'm going to have some words with her."

"I'm sure she can see reason," Ukyo said with a smirk.

The girls walked on for a short while, before Sayuri looked up at them. "That was Ranma, wasn't it?" she said, her voice lowered. "His curse turns him into Ukyo, doesn't it?"

Akane and Ukyo stopped for a moment, startled, but then continued walking. "Yeah," Akane finally said. "PLEASE don't tell anyone..."

"So it's true?" Yuka sounded surprised, as if she hadn't wanted to believe it. "How can you put up with that?"

Ukyo looked at her. "What, Ranchan knowing what my body looks like? We grew up together. He's seen me in pretty much every way he can see me."

Yuka had begun blushing, deeply. "Yeah, but that was when you were kids! Surely, as you... you know... grew up..."

"Look, Ranchan and I spent most of our lives on the road, sleeping in tents and bathing in mountain streams. The Old Man never had money for 'amenities'. We slept together, in the same tent. And we bathed together. That didn't stop just because we went through puberty..."

"That's gross!" Yuka said. "Ranma got to see you naked and stuff! That's so perverted!"

"Your father should have at least had some consideration for your privacy," Sayuri cut in. "I can't believe you're this calm about it."

Ukyo scowled. "First of all, that man is NOT my father. He's Ranchan's father, and a pitiful excuse for a father at that. Second of all, it is NOT my brother's fault. He was always very careful not to look at me when we were bathing, and before you ask, no, I never looked either. We simply had no choice, but we made the best of it. I trust my Bro."

Akane seemed to be studying her carefully. Ukyo looked upset, but apparently at Genma, not his son. "As for the panda, that's only one of many things that I owe him for. Thank heavens HE never seemed to be interested in peeping on me. He was never interested in me at all, though, as a woman I was just a weakling and a distraction to his son. He would have been glad to be rid of me, if only Ranchan had let him leave me behind."

"That's awful," Yuka said, a little chagrined.

"Yeah, but what's past is past." Ukyo sighed. "We're living with Akane and her family now, and I've got plenty of privacy. In fact, I hadn't really thought about it, but Ranchan and I haven't bathed together since coming to the Tendo home..."

She looked wistful for a moment, but then grinned impishly at Akane. "I think the last time was that first day, in the furo. Eh, Akane?" Akane's face turned bright red at the memory, which made Ukyo chuckle.

"So that was Ranma calling you his fiancee, right Akane?" Sayuri asked. She had missed Akane's embarrassment, as the other girl had her face turned away. "How do you feel about that?"

Akane was still blushing a little as she turned back to answer. "Well, Ranma and I talked about that. And... It's not like we want to give in to our fathers or anything. We still don't want to be forced to get married. But... I kind of like Ranma, and he kind of likes me. I guess we just want to see how it goes."

"That's so romantic!" Yuka gushed happily. "And I really thought Ranma was a jerk. But I thought that was pretty cool - once I realized that wasn't Ukyo calling you her fiancee, anyway." She giggled.

"Yeah, well, Ranma is a jerk." Akane said. "But that's just his way of showing that he likes me. That's the thing, though, that was just the sort of thing Ranma does. He makes this big announcement that I'm his fiancee and he's going to protect me, and he does it in Ukyo's body, and in front of this whole crowd of people yet! He's a baka!" But she smiled.

"Yeah, he's a baka," Ukyo said with a laugh. "But I think he meant what he said. He just speaks without thinking, sometimes. I think sometimes even he doesn't know what's going to come out of that big mouth of his."

There was a moment of silence, and then Sayuri hesitantly asked, "Um... I hate to even ask this but... how do we know Ranma hasn't snuck into the girl's room, or the showers, as you?"

Ukyo looked insulted, but it was Akane that spoke up. "No, Ranma would never do that. His sister means too much to him. It's like she said, Ranma was always respectful of her. I don't think he would sneak into a girl's shower like that."

"Are you sure?" Sayuri seemed a little suspicious of Akane's reaction.

She nodded though. Then her smile grew malicious. "Besides, even if Ranma does try to pose as Ukyo, he gives himself away every time. All you've got to do is wait for him to open his mouth. Then he can't hide who he is."

Akane laughed to herself as she considered it. The truth was, she DID know when Ukyo was Ukyo, and when he was Ranma in Ukyo's body. It had gotten to the point where it was easy to tell them apart. And she remembered that first night, in the bath, when Ranma walked in on her for the second time.

He could have lied to her and pretended to be Ukyo. But he didn't. He was honest with her. And, she was surprised to realize, she did trust him.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Yes, it was GeshronTyler's review that suggested to me the use of the word "kissy-face". So thanks for that. :)


	28. The Ultimatum

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 28

Lunchtime came, and Ranma and Ukyo set out looking for Akane. She hadn't met them at their usual place. As they headed outside, Akane came running up to them, with Ryoga right behind her.

"P-chan's gone missing!" she called out. "Ryoga told me he wasn't in the equipment shed, and I looked all over for him, but he's not there!"

Ryoga had a smug look on his face, and Ukyo eyed him suspiciously as they came up. "Geez, that porker has disappeared again?" Ranma said, with a hint of irritation. "Why should I look for him? Even if I do, he'll probably just bite me."

Akane looked distraught. "Come on Ranma!" She said, irritated at his insensitivity. "He's usually good about staying in the shed! What if he's wandered off and gotten lost, or that Azusa girl grabbed him again?"

Ranma smirked at her. "I'm just kiddin', Akane. Of course I'll help you find the little guy. I'm sure he's just wandering around somehwere."

Ukyo crept up to the lost boy, trying not to make it obvious. "What the heck are you doing, Ryoga?" she hissed, keeping her voice low.

"Don't you want to help Akane find her P-chan?" Ryoga answered, with a vicious grin.

"You know we're not going to find him, unless you find some cold water first. Just what are you up to?"

"I don't know what you mean," Ryoga said. "Why don't we look around and see what shows up?"

The four of them spread out across the schoolyard, with Akane calling out desperately for her pet. As they searched more and more of the school grounds with no sign of P-chan, Akane's voice became filled with worry and concern. Finally, they had covered every inch of the school, and met up back near the front gates.

"He must have left the schoolyard totally," Ranma guessed. "Maybe he's trying to head back to the house."

"We've got to find him!" Akane said, almost in tears.

"Akane, we'd have to skip school," Ranma reminded her. "Lunch is almost over."

"I don't care! We've got to find P-chan!"

They set off out of the gates, and began to search the streets around the school. Again, Ukyo pulled Ryoga aside. "This has gone on long enough. You're worrying Akane, for no reason!"

"Are you getting scared, Ukyo?" Ryoga asked her. "Worried that I'll get splashed and give away the secret to Akane?"

"I wanted you to TELL Akane, not show her!" Ukyo told him. "I want you to break it to her gently! Now you've gotten her upset, and if she sees you change, who knows how she'll take it!"

"Why don't we find out?" They had come to a park, and there was a fountain in a small square, surrounded by some benches. Ryoga jumped up on the rim of the fountain and started walking around on it.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ukyo shouted at him.

"Hey, Fang Boy," Ranma commented snarkily, as he walked up. "You think the porker's decided to go for a swim?"

Ryoga hopped around on the edge of the fountain, then feigned flailing his arms, as if he were about to fall in. "Nah, but maybe I will." Ukyo cried out as he pretended to trip, but he only stuck a foot in the water, and then hopped back out.

Ukyo tried to get her heart started again, thanking whatever deity was watching over them that Ryoga still wore his watertight leggings. "Ryoga, cut that out right this minute! We need to look for P-chan!"

Akane had come running up as well, noticing the commotion. "What are you two idiots doing?" she asked angrily. "Quit playing around when I need you to help me find my P-chan!"

"I'm not doin' nothin'!" Ranma protested. "Umbrella Boy is the one playing around... HEY!"

Ryoga had stuck his leg back in the fountain again, splashing Ranma. He jumped aside, the small amount of water hitting him not quite enough to trigger his change. "Cut it out, Ryoga!" Ranma said. "What are ya tryin' to do?"

"Maybe you'll find P-chan better if you're in girl form," Ryoga said. He splashed Ranma again. This time, enough of the water hit him that he shifted into Ukyo's form. "You're pretty girly as it is, helping your girlfriend look for a pet pig."

"Hey, shut up! Akane's not..." Ranma paused a moment. "Well, it's none of your business anyway! You're supposed to be helping us, not making fun of me."

"That's right!" Akane added, staring at Ryoga with a stern look. "If you don't want to help us look for P-chan, then go on, we don't need you. Go on, if you think it's too girly..."

Ryoga looked caught off guard for a moment, but then his smile returned. "I'm just kidding around, Akane. I just got a little bored, and thought I'd take a break, that's all."

He hopped down off the fountain. "Why don't you ask Ukyo where P-chan is? I'm sure if she knew where he was, she'd tell you. Right, Ukyo?"

Ukyo looked startled, and Akane stared at her. "Do you know where P-chan is, Ukyo?"

"Uh... Ryoga! What are you talking about?" Ukyo tried her best to school her features. "I'm helping look for P-chan, just like you are!"

"Did you find P-chan?" Akane asked her. She was starting to look worried, now. "Do you know something about what happened to him?"

Ukyo stared back at Akane, trying to figure out what to say, when she heard a splash from the fountain. She looked up to see that Ranma had jumped into it. "Hey, Umbrella Boy, if you like playing in the fountain so much, let's see if you like getting splashed by it!"

"No!" Ukyo called out, as Ranma swept her leg to kick the water at Ryoga. Ukyo leaped at Ryoga, and knocked him aside, the water hitting her instead, and turning her to redhead form. She stood and turned to yell at Ranma, while Ryoga grinned wickedly. "What are you doing, Ranchan?"

"What? It's just a little water. You act like Umbrella Boy's allergic to water or something."

Ukyo blushed a little, but didn't hesitate a moment, an excuse already forming in her mind. She gestured back at the boy, who was getting to his feet behind her. "He's only got the one outfit to wear! What's he supposed to do if it gets dirty?"

"It just so happens I have a change of clothes in my backpack," Ryoga said with a smile.

"Shut up!" She yelled back at him. "What is wrong with you?"

"I know what's going on here..." Ranma grinned at her.

Ukyo looked back at her, her eyes growing wide. "What do you mean?"

Ranma grinned even wider. "You've got a thing for him, don't you?"

"What... I do not!" She glanced back at Ryoga. His own mischievous grin had disappeared, and he was now blushing and looking shocked. "I DO NOT!" Ukyo repeated, blushing herself.

"Well, I sure don't like her!" Ryoga protested, as soon as he found his voice. "I wouldn't go out with her if she was the last girl on Earth!"

"Jackass!" Ukyo shouted back at him. "I feel the same way!"

Ranma and Akane were both trying to hold back laughter. "Sounds like I've heard this before somewhere," Akane commented.

"Yeah, it sounds familiar, but I got no idea why," Ranma agreed, but she and Akane were both grinning widely.

Ukyo just stared at them, while Ryoga became angry. "I do NOT like Ukyo!" he protested. "She's made my life Hell!"

"That sounds familiar too..." Ranma's grin just made Ryoga madder.

"Come on, Ranma, maybe we'd better look for P-chan and leave these two alone," Akane suggested. Ranma laughed as they started to walk off.

"Don't you walk away from me! Ranma, you come back here and face me!" Ryoga looked like he was about to attack, but Ukyo grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Hold on there, Charlotte," Ukyo told him. "We need to find P-chan, and we can't find him with those two around."

"Let go of me!" Ryoga pulled his arm away. "This is all your fault! Why can't you just let me be happy! Why do you have to ruin everything!"

"Ryoga, you need to calm down." Ukyo eyed him carefully. "I don't need you throwing your temper tantrums..."

"Temper tantrums! You've made my life Hell! You've made me..."

Ukyo grabbed him by his shirt, and tossed him into the fountain. Ryoga flipped in midair, and came down on his feet, leaping back out of the water as quickly as he landed. Even as he looked up, Ukyo tackled him again, and they both submerged under the water of the fountain. A few moments later, the redhead surfaced with a small black pig in her hand.

She glanced over to make sure Akane and Ranma were well out of sight. Then she turned back to the pig, who was struggling and snarling. "Like I said, you need to calm down, and if you don't, I'm going to dunk you again. Now, let's find Akane and make sure she finds her P-chan."

* * *

Akane was unwilling to let P-chan out of her sight for the rest of the day, and so she kept him in her bag during classes. Ranma and Ukyo managed to find some hot water and returned to their classes with just enough time to spare. P-chan was eating up all of the attention, but Ukyo was worried. She still wasn't sure what Ryoga had been trying to accomplish with his little stunt. Finally, the school day ended, and Ranma, Akane and Ukyo headed for home.

The family gathered for dinner, and then as darkness fell outside, the Tendos and Ranma's father took their turns taking their evening baths. Ranma and Ukyo sat around in the family room watching TV, and P-chan wandered in and began watching the show himself. Akane was the last to take her bath, and smiled as she came into the room.

"Oh, good. I'm glad you two and P-chan seem to be getting along."

Ranma looked around, and saw the pig sitting near them next to the low table. "Oh, yeah. I didn't even notice him."

"Well, I'm done, so the furo is free."

"I think I'll wait and take my bath in the morning." Ukyo said. "What about you, Ranchan?"

Ranma was distracted by the TV show. "In a minute..."

"All right then, I'm going to bed. Ukyo, I'll see you in a while."

Ukyo looked over at P-chan, and noticed him staring at Akane. "I'll bring P-chan when I come up."

Akane smiled brightly. "Thanks Ukyo. Good night." She headed up the stairs.

P-chan glanced at Ukyo for a moment, then turned back to watching the show. Ukyo turned to look at Ranma. "Hey, Ranchan, don't you have homework to do tonight?"

"Oh, geez, I forgot! Well, I can take care of it tommorow."

"Ranchan, you know you won't have time. Between fighting the Old Man in the morning, and likely having to take another bath, you'll have to run to school as always."

"Yeah, you're right..." Ranma looked back at the TV, disappointed. "Ah, well, I guess I better go on and do it."

Ukyo chuckled. "I bet you don't get halfway through it, and then give up."

"I ain't that bad!" Ranma said. Then he got up and went up the stairs.

Ukyo seemed to sit at the table for a few minutes, as if waiting for a specific amount of time. Then she got up, and went into the kitchen. She came back with a kettle, which she carried back into the family room. She walked over to the TV to turn it off, then poured the water in the kettle over P-chan.

"Yow!" Ryoga complained. "That water's boiling!"

Ukyo continued emptying the kettle over the lost boy, while he curled up on the floor to try and shield himself from the scalding water. Then she tossed him his clothes.

"Time's up, Lost Boy," Ukyo told him. "You've got a confession to make to Akane."

Ryoga regarded her smugly. "Forget it. I'm not telling Akane anything."

"I'm not playing games here, Ryoga!" Ukyo threw the kettle down, and it hit the floor with a clang. "You're going to tell Akane, or I'm telling her!"

"You won't tell her. You had plenty of opportunities to reveal the curse today, and you helped me hide it. You don't want Akane to know about the curse any more than I do."

"I didn't want you to just spring it on her without warning!" Ukyo argued. "If you'll just go upstairs and explain it to her, gently, then she'll probably take it okay. She'll probably get mad, I'm sure, but she'll get over it..."

"If I tell her, she'll hate me! But that's what you want, isn't it?" Ryoga snarled at her, baring a fang.

"Of course not! Look, Ryoga, if you want me to, I'll go with you. If you're not sure what to say, then I can talk to her. But I want YOU to show her! You're the one that's got to tell her!"

"Forget it." Ryoga waved his hand, dismissively. "The truth is, you're not going to tell Akane anything. You want me to do it, because you know you can't do it yourself. I already called your bluff today, so I know the truth. You swore, on your honor to keep the secret, and you're a martial artist, like me. You can't break your word as a martial artist."

He sneered wickedly at her. "The truth is, you're as deep in this as I am. If you tell Akane, she'll hate you as much as she'll hate me, and you know it. You're the one who misled her and lied to her about me. You arranged for her to take me to school with her every day, and made sure my clothes and the hot water was available so I could change back and forth. You helped me to stay in her room, and you didn't say anything when I slept in her bed. You even bargained with me for that picture!"

"That's why I want you to explain it to her!" Ukyo countered. "I didn't want you in her bed, but there was no way to explain why without giving away your curse."

Ryoga just got up and walked out to the engawa. "You just want me to tell her so she'll blame me and forgive you. I'm not falling for it, and I'm not listening to you. Do whatever you want, but you're not going to tell either Ranma or Akane."

"Ryoga, I am not trying to trick you!" Ukyo ran after him, and grabbed his arm. "I'm willing to accept the consequences of my actions, but I want this to STOP! And I think you should take responsibility for what you've done as well..."

"Responsibility! For what I'VE done!" Ryoga shoved her away. "What about what YOU'VE done? This is the one thing in my life that has worked out for me, the one good thing that has come out of my curse, and you want to take it away from me? You did this to me!"

"I know, Ryoga, and I'm sorry! But it's not fair to Akane to keep her in the dark like this! And it's only going to get worse. They almost discovered the truth when Azusa noticed your collar. Next time, I might not be able to cover for you..."

"Well, you better," Ryoga said. "Unless you want Ranma to get hurt. Remember, we had a deal. You keep my secret, and I don't hurt Ranma."

"Are you threatening me?"

"What do you think?" Ryoga snarled at her, then turned toward the koi pond.

Ukyo leaped at him, and kicked him over the pond. He landed on the other side, rolling in the grass. "You won't stop me!" Ryoga yelled back at her. "I'm turning into P-chan, and I'm going to bed. WITH Akane!"

He struck out at Ukyo as she attacked again, and she was knocked toward the pond. She flipped over, catching herself with a hand on one of the rocks in the pond, and her momentum carried her over the water as she cartwheeled to the other shore. Her ponytail dipped into the water, but she avoided getting wet otherwise. As she came up on her feet, she wrung the water out of her ponytail, but it wasn't enough to trigger her curse.

Ryoga leaped at her, and soon a fierce battle was engaged over and away from the koi pond. Ukyo leaped and dodged, avoiding Ryoga's attacks easily, but it was a lot harder to keep from getting soaked in the pond. Ryoga kept trying to drive her back into it, and finally she just kicked him into the water, where he landed with a splash.

Ukyo frowned as P-chan climbed out of the pond. "Well, I hope you're happy. You're P-chan, like you wanted. But this isn't over. What you're doing is wrong, and I'll put a stop to it. If I have to... I'll make sure you get lost and stay lost. I'd rather have Akane grieving over her lost pet than let this continue."

The pig stuck his snout in the air, and headed into the house. Ukyo stomped past him, again wringing out the small amount of water left in her hair.

"Gah!" she exclaimed, angry. "I'm never going to be able to sleep with pond water in my hair, and I'm all sweaty from fighting. Now I need a bath. Thanks a lot, P-chan! And don't you even think about following me!" Then she snorted. "But I'm sure you will anyway. Pervert pig." She stomped off down the engawa, towards the furoba.

The pig grunted at her. He walked over to the teakettle, which was laying on its side on the floor. He shoved at it with a hoof, but it was empty. He thought about it for a moment, then looked up in the direction Ukyo had gone.

* * *

P-chan trotted into the furoba, noting that the door had been left slightly ajar, as usual. He grinned to himself, thinking that apparently old habits die hard. He walked into the entry room, which doubled as the laundry room, and then up to the sliding divider. Using his hoof to nudge it open slightly, he slipped into the furoba proper.

Ukyo was in there, of course, sitting on the stool washing herself. She looked up at the pig's entry. "P-chan," she said coldly. She had lathered up her body, and was just finishing washing her hair. P-chan waited a moment as she got the rinse bucket, and raised it over her head, to rinse herself off. As the water splashed over her, and she didn't change, P-chan smiled, reassured. He knew Ukyo bathed in warm water, and so he had expected that she would not turn into her cursed form.

He skipped confidently over to the furo. Crouching down on his back legs, he jumped up onto the side of the furo, and splashed down into the hot water. As Ryoga surfaced in the tub, Ukyo turned to look at him, shocked. But then she scowled and turned her body away from him. Ryoga just smirked at her. "Like I told you before, you don't have anything I'm interested in seeing."

He walked past Ukyo as she stared at him. He had a change of clothes available in the laundry room, but just grabbed a towel, which Ukyo had hung up nearby. "I just came to tell you, you wouldn't do anything to hurt Akane's 'P-chan'. If he were to disappear or something, it would break Akane's heart. She'd miss her little pig, just like she did today. So that was just another empty bluff."

"We're in this together, 'Ucchan'," Ryoga said mockingly. "You don't want your Ranchan to find out that you cursed me, and you don't want Akane to find out you've been hiding the curse from her. This isn't just my secret, it's your secret, and you wouldn't dare tell anyone about it..."

Ryoga slid open the divider. On the other side was Ukyo, smiling at him wickedly. He looked back at the Ukyo sitting on the stool, nude, with the look of shock and astonishment on her face. Then he looked back at the Ukyo in the doorway.

"Wrong Ucchan... JACKASS!" Ukyo punched him in the face, and Ryoga hit the floor.

She stood there and studied him for a moment, while Ryoga lay there, unmoving. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist getting in the last word. Moron."

"S... Sis? You... you knew about this?"

Ukyo looked up at her twin, and her look of satisfaction faded. "I'm sorry, Ranchan. He made me promise to keep his secret. Or... or he would hurt you." She smiled sardonically. "But he still hurt you anyway. Some deal..."

Ranma looked down at the lost boy, unconscious on the floor. "He... he slept in your room? In Akane's room?" Her voice rose, becoming angry.

"I swore on my honor I wouldn't tell. You... you didn't swear anything, though, so you can tell Akane." Ukyo turned away, hiding her face in her hands. "Would you... tell Akane? Please, tell Akane. And tell her... I'm sorry.

"I... I'll be sleeping in the dojo. If you would bring me my futon... I'd appreciate it."

Ukyo's voice then choked with her tears. She ran from the room.

* * *

Ranma knocked on Akane's door. "Akane? You still awake?"

"Yeah," Akane put down her book. "Come on in."

Akane noticed as Ranma entered that he looked very uncomfortable. He wouldn't look at her, and was wringing his hands nervously. "Ranma? What's wrong?"

"Um..." Ranma glanced at her for a moment, then looked away, as if he was thinking hard. "I just found out somethin'... and I'm not sure how to tell ya."

Akane got up and pulled him back over to the bed. She sat down, as he sat next to her. "Just go ahead and say it."

"I guess I got to. I dunno what else to do." He paused a moment, then tensed, as if unsure of what her reaction would be. "Ryoga is P-chan. I just found out."

"What?" Akane giggled a little. "What do you mean?"

"He's cursed, Akane. Apparently he got cursed at Jusenkyo, just like Sis and me. He turns inta P-chan."

"This is a joke, right?" Akane smiled, but her smile quickly faded at the serious look in Ranma's blue eyes. "Ranma, you're kidding. This is a joke."

Ranma shook his head. "Nah, Akane. I saw it. He changed right in front of me."

At that moment, Ryoga charged into the room, fully clothed. "Akane! Don't listen to him! He's lying to you!"

Akane stood up, facing Ryoga as he drew up short in front of her. "Are you saying you don't turn into P-chan, Ryoga?"

"He does!" Ranma yelled. "I was right there!"

Ryoga put a hand behind his head. "Well... um... the truth is I am P-chan... but it's not like they're saying! It's not what you think!"

"What is it then, Ryoga? If it's not what I think."

"You've gotta believe me!" Ryoga gripped Akane's arms, staring into her eyes. "Ukyo is the one who told me not to tell you. She didn't want Ranma to know she was responsible for me being cursed! She made me promise not to tell anyone about the curse, and to stop fighting with Ranma. In return, she would keep my secret! It was her idea!"

"That's not true!" Ranma yelled. He stood and shoved Ryoga away from Akane. "Sis said that you made her swear on her honor not to tell!"

Ryoga started to come back with a punch at Ranma, but Akane stepped between them. She put a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "It's all right, Ranma. I want to hear him out."

She turned back to Ryoga. "Go ahead."

Ryoga knelt in front of Akane, taking her hands. "Akane, you've got to understand. I never meant to hurt you. I didn't want to... you know... sleep in your bed... but you were so insistent. You wanted your P-chan to sleep with you and I... I just wanted you to be happy!"

"Why didn't you tell me this, Ryoga? Why didn't you tell Ukyo that she could tell me this?"

"Ukyo wouldn't let me tell you!" Ryoga's expression turned more desperate. "This is all her fault! She cursed me, that day at Jusenkyo, she was chasing Ranma's father around, and she pushed me into one of the springs! And then she, and Ranma's father, they pulled me out of the spring, and took me back to the guide's shack to serve me as sweet and sour pork!"

"Sis wouldn't never do nothin' like that!" Ranma protested.

Ryoga grabbed Akane's arms again. "Akane! Ranma and Ukyo are just using you! They don't really care about you, they're just using you for a place to live, and free food! They don't care about you at all!"

"That's not true!" Ranma said, but Akane glanced back to look into his eyes. He clenched his fists, seething.

Ryoga ignored his protests, though. "They don't want you to know what they've done to me! They've made my life a living Hell! I never had any happiness until I came here, and you took care of me, and now they want you to send me away! You've got to believe me!"

Ranma started to protest again, but Akane put up a hand to stop him. "Ryoga, do you mean to tell me that I should believe you, instead of Ukyo, my best friend. You want me to believe your word over hers?"

"Ukyo isn't your friend! She doesn't want to be your friend, she's just a freeloader who wants to live in your house! Ranma too!"

Akane's eyes narrowed. "Ryoga, Ukyo has been my best friend since she came here. She has trained me, helped me learn to focus and work on my speed. She's taught me how to cook, she's been patient with my temper. She's fought at my side, shared her secrets with me, and listened to my fears and worries. And you say that she's just been USING me?"

"I know it seems like she's a friend, but if you could see her as I see her..."

Akane pulled free of his grip. "SHE TOOK YOU INTO HER BED, RYOGA! She let you share her bed to keep you out of mine! She... she took your dishonor, the way you tried to dishonor me, and took that dishonor on herself. She SACRIFICED herself, her body, for me! The one who has been using me, Ryoga, is YOU!"

"No, no! I never did anything to dishonor you, Akane, I swear! I wouldn't. I... I love you, Akane!" He tried to take her hand again, but Akane pushed him away, her eyes beginning to flash with familiar anger. "You were the first person to give me affection, to care for me and look out me! I would never have done anything improper in my human form! I was always in P-chan form, you can ask Ukyo, she knows!"

"You say you love me? You don't know what love is!" Akane was angry, now. "You say you wanted affection, someone to take care of you? You HAD that, with Ukyo! She was always there for you, always taking care of you! She offered you her friendship, tried her best to make up for you getting cursed! But you threw all that back in her face! YOU'RE the one who used HER, Ryoga, YOU'RE the one who threw all that away for food and a place to live!"

"Ukyo cursed me!" Ryoga snarled, his own anger building out of control. "I don't need her pity! I don't need her taking care of me like some baby just to alleviate her guilt! And I sure don't need her interfering in my fights with Ranma! I love you, Akane, but she just wants me out of the way, so she can set you up with her brother! She ruined my life..."

Akane interrupted him. "You need help, Ryoga! You're so eaten up with guilt and hatred that you can't even see what you're doing to yourself! You're so caught up in your paranoia and your desire for revenge that you think EVERYONE is like that!

"Believe me, I know what anger can do to you. I know all too well! I know how it can build up inside you, eat away at you, until it turns you against the people you love the most. If it weren't for Ukyo, if she hadn't taught me to control that anger, I don't know where I would be right now! I wouldn't be able to trust Ranma, I wouldn't be able to trust the boys at school, I would just be... angry, frightened, and alone!

"You need to talk to someone, Ryoga, about your feelings, the way I did with Ukyo. And you need someone to help you find your focus and control, like Ukyo did for me. Maybe Dr. Tofu can help you, or maybe he knows someone else. But you're never going to get any better as long as you keep blaming Ranma and Ukyo for your problems."

"But Ranma IS the cause of all my problems!" Ryoga waved a hand at Ranma, who looked as if he wanted to cut in, but said nothing. "All because he wouldn't fight me man to man!"

Akane regarded him, evenly. "Ryoga, the only one who ruined your life... is you. No one forced you to follow Ranma to China, you chose to look for him, and ended up at Jusenkyo. Maybe Ukyo pushed you into the Spring of Drowned Pig, but you chose to blame her for that, and reject her offer to make it right. You chose to follow Ranma here, you chose to stay here as my pet, and YOU CHOSE TO VIOLATE ME AND MY BEST FRIEND!"

Ryoga fell to his knees. "I'm sorry, Akane! I'm really, truly sorry! But I swear, I was P-chan the whole time! I would never do anything like that to you! I swear it!"

"You still don't even understand what you've done!" Akane's voice broke, but there was no sign of even a single tear in her eyes. "You still can't understand how this hurts me! How this humiliates me! I TRUSTED YOU!"

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry. Forgive me, please..."

Akane was silent for a moment. "Do you want me to forgive you, Ryoga? Fine... I can forgive you." He looked up, with a look of hope in his eyes. Ranma looked startled as well. "I can forgive you for what you've done to me. I'm hurt, and I'm very, very angry right now, but I know that you didn't mean to dishonor me. Ukyo tried to warn me. She didn't want you sleeping in my bed." Her cheeks turned very pink. "It was MY choice to insist on it."

"But I can't forgive you for what you've done to Ukyo." Her expression was stern. "What you did to me... was a mistake. What you did to her was on purpose. If you want me to forgive you, there is only one way that I will ever forgive you."

Akane took a deep breath. "If you can look Ranma and Ukyo in the eye, and you can tell them that you forgive them - whether for what they've really done to you, or just what's in your head, driven by your hate and fear - then I will forgive you.

"Until then... I want you out of my house. I don't want to see you here again. I don't want to see you at all. Until you can tell Ranma and Ukyo that you forgive them, and REALLY MEAN IT, I want you to leave."

Ryoga stared at her, his eyes wide. "Akane... I..."

"I mean it, Ryoga. Don't think you can fool me. I'll want to see that you really have given up your anger. That you really have changed."

The lost boy stared at her for several minutes more. Then his expression hardned. He rose to his feet, and glared at Ranma. "This is all your fault. You've turned her against me!"

"RYOGA!" Akane's eyes lit up with her fury again. "Stop blaming all your mistakes on Ranma! This is YOUR FAULT! No one else's!"

"I'll get you for this! Ranma Saotome, prepare to..."

"I told you to stop it! RYOGA YOU BAKA!" Akane kicked Ryoga, and he smashed through the ceiling of her room, leaving a sizable hole. The force of her blow actually sent him flying off into the distance, until he disappeared entirely from view, a mere speck in the night sky.

Ranma stared up at the hole Ryoga had left behind, his mouth hanging open. Then his mouth twisted in a wry grin. "Wow, tomboy... remind me never to make you that mad at me."

As he turned to look back at her, Akane collapsed to her knees. She began to weep loudly, her body shaking.

"Akane! Aw, geez! I didn't mean ta call you... I'm sorry... Hey, come on, Akane..." Ranma knelt down next to her, unsure what to do. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, he won't hurt you any more. You're safe now... I mean, I can kinda understand... um, it's gunna be okay. Come on, quit crying, you don't have ta..."

He kept stammering and stuttering, until he finally realized that there wasn't anything he COULD say. He hesitated for a moment more, then took Akane into his arms. Akane began crying even harder, and he felt her arms go around his back, pulling him close.

Ranma cradled Akane in his arms while she leaned against him. Then, after about a minute, he lifted her up into his lap. Her arms tightened around him, and she laid her head against his chest. With her held tightly against him, Ranma stood, and carried her over to the bed. There he sat down, and held her, as she continued to cry.

"It's okay," He muttered. "Just let it out..."

Akane cried for several minutes, with Ranma biting his lip, still not sure if he should say or do something more for her. But finally, Akane's tears slowed, and she wiped her eyes. She let go of him, but looked up into Ranma's eyes. "Thank you," she said, sniffling.

"I guess that's what ya meant by needin' ta be held every now and then, huh?"

Akane giggled, and leaned her head against him. "Yeah. That was exactly what I meant, Ranma. Thank you... so much."

"It's okay. I can't believe I didn't see it," Ranma said. "Charlotte. Geez."

There was another giggle from Akane. "And I was wondering who was helping him get to school every day. All this time it was me."

"I wanna kill that Pig Boy."

"I know, Ranma. But... I know you. After a while, you'll forget all about it, and be ready to forgive him again."

"I will not!" Ranma hugged Akane tighter. "I won't ever forgive him for what he did to you!"

"Yes you will," she said gently. "I know you. Friends mean too much to you." She stared up into his eyes. "But Ranma, I want you to remember that for now, he's not welcome here. Not until he can forgive you. If you want to go meet him somewhere else, that's fine. Just... I don't want to see him here."

"I won't, Akane. I won't."

She settled back into his arms. "Go ahead and see him, if you can. I hope he does forgive you... He's... so unhappy."

There was a moment of silence. She sighed, and held him tightly. "You feel better, Akane?" Ranma asked.

Akane nodded. "Yeah. But I think I know someone else who needs a hug as much as me. Where is she?"

"She's in the dojo."

"I see." Akane crawled out of his lap, then stood up. She took Ranma's hand. "Let's go get her. Let's tell her to come to bed. In my room... in OUR room... where she belongs."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I'm sure Ryoga fans will hate me for this chapter, but he really had to go through this before my version of him could be redeemed. He and Ukyo really could not find their way out of it as long as he remained Akane's P-chan, Ryoga was not motivated to change, and Ukyo was just building up guilt. So this is sort of Ryoga's version of what Chapter 13 was for Ranma and Akane; this is the low point where everything falls apart. Now Ryoga can start trying to put the pieces back together, if he's got the strength to do it.

I am not done by any stretch of the imagination, and Akane has told Ryoga exactly what he has to do to be forgiven. Ryoga will continue to come into the story, and play a major part. I'm not going to say whether he will make it to the end by the time I wrap up the story. But at least now he can start to head in the right direction.


	29. Ranma's Greatest Fear

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 29

On the Furinkan school grounds, Hikaru Gosunkugi was nailing up a voodoo doll to one of the trees. "That fool, Saotome! That fool!" His ranting had attracted the attention of a few of the girls, who took one look at the creepy occultist and hurried away, muttering amongst themselves.

Gosunkugi ignored the interruption. "They just don't understand," he muttered to himself. "Coming out of nowhere, and winning my beautiful Akane's hand. Akane..." He stared off into space a moment, thinking wistfully of his one true love - or the girl he was obsessively stalking, depending on how you looked at it - and then turned back to his voodoo dolls. "That fool!" he shouted again, and hit his thumb with the hammer.

As he was nursing his self inflicted injury, he heard a rustling from the bushes around him. He turned toward the sound, only to hear more rustling. "Come out! I know you're there. And it's not like I could be any threat to you!" Not unless I can get a strand of your hair, he thought. "You might as well show yourself."

A small figure slunk out of the bushes, but stayed in the shadows. He was a short, somewhat ugly fellow with a wide face, dressed in a ninja outfit. "It is only I, Sasuke, servant of the mighty Tatewaki Kuno."

Gosunkugi nodded as he recognized him. "Ah. Come to buy more pictures of Akane for your master?"

"No, the pictures that Akane Tendo's sister has provided for Kuno have been fine for the moment. I thought that I might ask for your help with another matter."

"Another matter?"

"Yes. My master, like you, wishes to rid himself of the fiend Ranma Saotome. I daresay he hates Saotome as much as you do."

"I know of it! Even though I was content to worship my Akane from afar, I knew of Kuno's pursuit of her! But even Upperclassman Kuno shares in my indignity! That fool Saotome!" He shook his voodoo dolls and his stakes in the air dramatically, holding them in a tightly clenched fist.

"Yes but... well... it seems that your techniques are not... ah... all that effective." The little ninja winced apologetically.

"So what do you suggest?"

"Well... actually I was hoping we might pool our resources. My master has had no more luck overcoming Saotome than you have, and he has given me the task of trying to find a way to defeat him."

"And what can you do?" Gosunkugi eyed the ninja suspiciously.

"Not much, I am afraid. I am quite good at stealth and surveillance, but I know well that I would never be able to face Saotome in direct combat. It would be a waste to even suggest it."

"True, but perhaps surveillance is exactly what we need," Gosunkugi suggested thoughtfully. "Every man has a weak spot. The power of the occult is in harnessing people's fears and the power of the unknown. There must be some power we can gain to defeat him."

"Perhaps that is it," Sasuke said. "Perhaps it is weakness itself that we must find. As you said, everyone has a weak spot, surely Saotome has one as well."

Gosunkugi smiled. It wasn't a very pleasant smile, mainly because it was so sickly and weak that Gosunkugi looked like he might keel over dead just from attempting it. "Yes, yes... if we watch Ranma long enough, maybe we can discover that weak spot."

"That sounds like a good idea. Should we attempt taking shifts to watch him? That way we can be sure to cover his movements twenty four hours a day."

"Yes, yes..." Gosunkugi offered his hand to the little ninja, who shook it. "I think that would be a perfect idea."

* * *

Ranma met Akane at the front gate as the school day ended. He had expected Ukyo to be with her, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Hey, Akane!" He called out. "Where's Sis?"

"I think she said something about wanting to pick up some supplies." Akane looked a little uncomfortable. "I think she wants to fix that hole I made in the ceiling. I said I'd go with her, but she said she wanted to do it herself."

"What for? She didn't make that hole, tomboy, you did."

"I know that!" Akane punched him in the arm. "But I think she feels responsible... you know... for Ryoga."

Her expression turned sad, and Ranma sighed as well. "Is she... doin' okay? I mean... she was avoiding me all day. I wanted ta talk with her about it, but..."

"I know. She avoided me today too, but I talked to her last night. I think she really feels guilty, but I told her that she shouldn't feel that way. It wasn't her fault, what Ryoga did."

Ranma was silent for a moment. "Why couldn't she tell me about this? I shoulda done somethin'..."

Akane put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you start blaming yourself too, Ranma. You didn't know what was going on any more than I did."

"But I should have!" Ranma clenched his fist. "He kept goin' on about how you were takin' care of him, and he how loved you, and he was going to protect you from me! An' he always seemed to know about what was goin' on! Why didn't Sis tell me?"

There was a moment's silence. Akane bit her lip, and then sighed. "I guess it can't hurt to tell you. Ukyo was worried that if you knew she had cursed Ryoga, and that he wanted to get revenge on her, that you would attack him. She didn't want to see you hurt."

"But she's my sister! I'm SUPPOSED to protect her!"

"And she was worried about protecting you! And protecting me! And I worry about both of you, baka." She smiled at him. "But it's not your fault, any more than it's her fault." She frowned. "It's Ryoga's fault, nobody else's."

They walked along a little further, and then Ranma glanced over at his black haired fiancee. "How did it happen, anyway? Ryoga gettin' cursed, I mean?"

"She said she was chasing your father. She threw Ryoga into him. He must have bounced off and fallen into one of the springs."

Ranma snorted. "So it's actually Pops' fault. Figures."

He fell silent again, and Akane ran her hand down his arm. She grasped his hand, her fingers entwining in his. "Well, I told her, Ranma, that however she might feel for getting Ryoga cursed, she's already paid for that. Way more than paid for that. It was Ryoga's own fault that he wouldn't accept her help, and she doesn't owe him anything anymore. And neither do you. From now on, he can deal with his curse on his own, if that's the way he feels about it."

"Yeah, I guess so." Ranma had not noticed Akane was still holding his hand, and he squeezed it slightly. "What if he comes back for her? What if he comes for you?"

"I don't think he'll do that. If he comes anywhere near me, I'll pound him." She brandished her book bag as if holding a weapon. "And Ukyo didn't seem to think he would attack her. She was more worried about you."

Akane looked up at him, studying the expression on his face. "Don't worry, Ranma. Ukyo said that Ryoga was pretty clear that he wouldn't fight her, since she was a girl. He might have tried to mess up your lives, and he and Ukyo might have gotten into a fight every now and then, like that time in the dojo, but she said she was pretty sure he would never actually hurt her."

"He better not..." Ranma growled.

They fell silent, walking along down the street, when something seemed to catch Ranma's attention. He looked down, and finally noticed Akane was holding his hand. He pulled his hand back, almost knocking Akane over, and shouted, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."

A bright crimson blush spread over Akane's face, and she couldn't meet his eyes, but she still put up a hand to stop his apology. "It's all right, Ranma. It's my fault... I didn't even notice..."

Ranma stared at her for a moment, swallowing. Suddenly he turned and ran past her. He ran into an alley, and Akane followed along behind. "Ranma! Ranma!" She yelled. "What's wrong? Where are you going?"

He ran straight to a trash can in the alley, and kicked it over. Gosunkugi tumbled out of it, holding onto a camera. Ranma snarled as he looked down at the boy. "Give me the camera!"

"Hikaru Gosunkugi?" Akane asked, looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

The frail boy had been cowering in terror as Ranma shouted at him, but at Akane's words he looked up at her and swooned. "She spoke to me!" He said, putting both hands up to his face. "I've finally spoken to Akane!"

"This jerk has been taking pictures of me all day," Ranma told her. He then turned his attention back to Gosunkugi. "Give me that camera!"

"No!" He answered, holding the camera against his chest protectively. "You'll not get this camera away from me again!"

"Gosunkugi," Akane said. "Please give him the camera. I don't want to think what our fathers will do if they see that picture."

"She spoke to me!" Gosunkugi said again. As Akane reached out for him, he keeled over, unconscious. She took the camera.

"What a weirdo," Ranma said.

"Do you think he... you know... got a picture of us... holding hands?" Akane blushed deeply again.

"Probably. I heard a click just then. Just as I noticed."

Akane sighed. "Well, just as well we got it away from him then. What do you think he was doing?"

"I dunno." Ranma shrugged. "Like I said, he's been takin' pictures of me all day. Whenever he did, I'd just grin at him or whatever. I didn't think nothin' of it until just now."

Akane's blush grew a little deeper. "Well, let's leave him his camera." She took out the film and put it in her pocket, then placed the camera on Gosunkugi's limp body. She and Ranma then walked out of the alley, and continued down the street towards home.

"Um... I'm really sorry," Ranma said again, putting his hand behind his head.

"No, I told you. I was the one that took your hand." Akane was looking away from him again. "I didn't even think about it. Sorry."

"Well, I guess it's not like ya haven't grabbed my hand and dragged me off somewhere's before. Right?"

Akane stuck her tongue out at him, although the blush hadn't quite gone away. "Baka. If you didn't make me late for school every day..."

There was a momentary pause, and then Akane spoke up again. "So why are you down here next to me anyway, and not on the fence like usual? You show off."

"Well..." He swallowed, and then Ranma glanced at her, out of the corner of his eye. "Maybe like Sis said... the company's better." He turned to look back ahead. "So... um... you don't mind, then?"

Akane turned redder, and seemed to suddenly be concentrating on where to put her feet. "Uh... no... I guess not..."

They continued to walk along, and then Ranma swung his arm back. He was still looking forward at where he was going, and so he missed her by a large margin. He reached out for her again, almost as if just swinging his arms while he was walking. Then an irritated expression came over his face, like he wasn't expecting this to be so difficult.

Finally, Akane just giggled to herself, and moved her hand forward, so he would make contact with her. Ranma's hand wrapped around hers, and Akane felt her whole body grow warm at the contact. Ranma, too, seemed to look down at the ground, as if he couldn't meet her eyes either. They walked along in silence, and Ranma's grip tightened on her hand. Akane moved a little closer, so they were walking side by side.

Ranma said nothing, but his mind was anything but quiet. I guess this does mean she likes me, he thought. He could feel his heart begin to race, but this wasn't terrifying like Shampoo. Well, not that terrifying, anyway. In fact, it seemed totally natural, like when he had been holding her hand before, and didn't know it. He knew he was holding her hand now; there was no doubt about that. And she was still not looking at him, but the huge grin she had on her face made him feel all goofy and giddy inside. He wondered if he was going to start acting like Dr. Tofu now.

And here he was thinking that any guy who would act like that around a girl was really lame. As he was considering the impact to his masculine pride if he were to suddenly start ripping up things and asking Akane how strange it was meeting her here of all places, she suddenly pulled her hand out of his. He looked up at her, shocked, but she was looking off to one side, as if something had caught her attention.

"Gosunkugi again?" he asked her.

"I... I don't know." She stared off down that side of the street, turning around to look behind her. "I don't see anyone, but... I could have sworn..."

"Maybe you're just worried that someone will see a tomboy like you holdin' a guy's hand."

"Hmph." Akane turned up her nose, although she was smiling. "No one would believe it anyway. Me, hold the hand of an arrogant jerk like you? That'll be the day..."

"Hey!" Ranma frowned as she continued to smirk at him playfully. "I didn't take your hand. You're the one that took mine!"

"So you say. You sure you want a pushy tomboy leading you around by the hand?"

"As if! You're about the most uncute..."

Before Ranma could finish whatever it was he was going to say, a shadow fell over the two of them. In an instant, Ranma had wrapped his arms around Akane, and leaped aside. A diminutive, round-headed fellow in a ninja outfit appeared, in a blur of motion. He dumped out a cardboard box, from which snakes, spiders, lizards and all manner of creepy animals poured out.

Although Akane found herself pushed away from the creatures, she still felt them falling onto her and Ranma's legs. "Ahhhh!" she screamed. "What are those things?" She scrabbled away, getting to her hands and knees in the street.

Ranma grinned at her. "What's the matter, tomboy? Afraid of a few snakes?"

"Ranma!" Akane looked shocked, and then her eyes narrowed. "I'm not scared! Just a little surprised, that's all!"

Ranma pulled his legs underneath him, picking up one of the reptiles. He held it out to Akane waving it. "You sure?"

Akane shuddered, but held her ground. "I'm sure I'm not afraid of a few snakes!"

"What about spiders, then?" Several of the spiders had begun crawling away from Ranma, just to get away from him, and scattered in front of Akane. She leaped to her feet, backing away.

Ranma laughed, but Akane clenched her fists. "I am not scared, I'm just cautious. I don't want to get bitten. I suppose the great Ranma Saotome doesn't worry about being bitten by snakes!"

"I've been bitten by a few snakes. They never hurt me much." He stood up, though, brushing off the few critters that were still trying to hang onto his legs.

"Not afraid of snakes, then," Sasuke commented. Ranma turned to look at him.

"What's this all about, anyway? And who are you?"

"Who am I? Why, I am the fifteenth generation servant to the great and noble house of Kuno! Sasuke Sarugakure!"

"Ah, so you're with Kuno, then? Is that why all the snakes?"

"Just a little experiment. I thought it might help my master, the next time he faced you."

"What, Kuno was thinking of throwing snakes at Ranma?" Akane asked. "Even for Kuno, that's a little crazy."

Ranma glanced at her. "Did ya think maybe I was scared of those snakes? Maybe looking for something I'm afraid of?"

"Could be, could be..." Sasuke looked smug.

"I bet that's it, Ranma," Akane said. "He's looking for a weakness, something they can use against you. And Gosunkugi, too, with all those pictures. He's got to be in on it!"

Ranma laughed. "Well, they're not gonna find my weak spot, because Ranma Saotome ain't afraid of anything!"

"Anything?" Sasuke asked. "Surely you must fear something..."

"Don't even bother trying," Ranma looked confident. "There's nothing that can faze me."

"Except being led around by the hand by an uncute tomboy," Akane teased.

"Hey! I ain't scared of that!" Ranma turned a little red, glancing down at Akane's hand. Then he looked up and away from her. "It's just, a MAN wouldn't be seen letting some woman boss him around."

"Oh, is that so!" Akane started to snarl at him, but then she grinned wickedly. "Well, we'll just see about that!" She grabbed Ranma's hand, and in a flash, she was dragging him down the street, away from Sasuke. Ranma began to complain, but Akane just pulled him along behind her. They continued down a couple of streets, and Akane finally stopped.

"Whatdja do that for!" Ranma yelled, pulling his hand away.

"First of all," Akane said with a smile, "You do have a weakness, and it's an obvious one."

Ranma looked worried for a moment, but then Akane said, "You're too predictable. Especially when it comes to that 'A MAN wouldn't do that!' stuff." She giggled. "Second, I didn't want to talk while Sasuke was around. Think about it, Ranma. First Gosunkugi was taking pictures of us. Then Sasuke showed up here. What would their next step be?"

"I dunno. You think maybe Sasuke is still spying on us?" Ranma looked around the street for anyone hiding in the shadows.

"No, I think we scared him off. But now that we're onto them, they may try to talk to someone else. And if anyone would know about your weaknesses, it would be your sister."

"I told ya, I ain't got no weaknesses!" Ranma protested. "But do ya think they'll try and hurt Sis?"

"Well, maybe not hurt her," Akane said. "But they might ask her some questions. Maybe your father or my sisters, too. We should warn them."

"Yeah, you're right." He started to walk along with her, but then stopped. "Um... am I really that predictable?" Ranma asked, fidgeting a bit.

"Yes, you are, but I can understand why," Akane smiled gently. "With your curse, that's bound to be a sore spot."

"Well, I still oughtta work on that anyway. It IS a weakness, being too predictable."

"You might work on being an arrogant jerk, as well."

"You're one to talk," Ranma shot back, although he was also grinning. "All I've got to do is say your thighs are too thick, and you lose it."

"Ran-maaaa!"

"See what I mean? Way too predictable."

Akane began swinging her book bag at him, and Ranma ducked. Then he darted in and took Akane's hand again. She froze in place, as Ranma's fingers stroked their way down her wrist, and then she looked up into his eyes.

"If I'd known that was all it took to shut you up," Ranma said, laughing, "I'd have done it long ago."

"Baaaa-ka." Akane growled. But her eyes never left his.

Ranma continued to stroke Akane's hand, staring at it thoughtfully. After a moment, he looked up at her and grinned. Akane maintained her irritated expression for a few seconds more, but then a smile stole across her face as well. The two then turned and continued on towards the Tendo home, hand in hand.

* * *

At the Tendo home, Ukyo arrived with an armload of building supplies, primarily several boards that were longer than she was tall. She handled the pile effortlessly, though, alternating between holding them at their middle, and standing them up on end so she could maneuver them around corners. She leaped over the Tendo compound wall, instead of wrestling the materials through the gate.

"What's going on?" called out Genma as he approached. Kasumi had noticed Ukyo's arrival as well, and had come to meet her.

"I've got some supplies for that hole in the roof," Ukyo told him.

"Oh, my," Kasumi commented mildly. "I think we also have a few boards left over from the last repairs, and a saw and some other tools. I'll show you where they are."

"Where is that ungrateful boy of mine?" Genma asked. "Shouldn't he be repairing his fiance's roof?"

"Can it, Old Man," Ukyo said, waving a hand at him. "This is something I want to do. If Ranchan wants to help, he can, but I'm not gonna ask him."

She stacked up the boards against the dojo, just as a temporary place to put them, but then suddenly started and began looking around. Genma noticed her expression, and glanced around as well. He saw nothing, so he looked back at Ukyo.

Ukyo pursed her lips, as if thinking, and turned back to Kasumi. "Where were those supplies again?" she asked. Kasumi started to lead her around to the back of the house, but suddenly Ukyo turned and plunged her hand into a bush. She came up with Sasuke held firmly in her grip.

"I thought I sensed a rat scurrying around here," she said.

"I am no rat! I am Sasuke Sarugakure, loyal servant of Tatewaki Kuno! He has asked me to come here and find out more about you, the lovely Ukyo Kuonji!"

Ukyo put him down, and stared at the little man, crossing her arms. "Kuno, huh? Well, the first thing you should know about me is that I don't like people sneaking around. You'll never get onto these grounds without me knowing about it, so don't even try peeping in my window or something like that."

"Oh, I would not. I was just gathering some information before I spoke with you." Sasuke grinned pleasantly, which is to say that it didn't look very pleasant at all. "You must be skilled indeed to detect me, I was sure that I had masked my presence totally."

"Like I said, there's no way you can sneak around here without me knowing. So if you've got something to ask, then ask it."

"What is the point of this, girl?" Genma cut in. "Why don't you just get rid of this pest."

Ukyo glanced behind her. "Well, for one thing, I'd like to know what he's doing here. For another, I'd like to know why Gosunkugi is over there, taking pictures of us."

One of the bushes over by the wall suddenly shook, and then Gosunkugi scrambled out of it. He tried to make his way over the wall, but didn't come close to being able to scale it. Within a few seconds, Genma had run over and grabbed him, and dragged him back over to Ukyo.

"What's goin' on?" Ukyo asked the little ninja, still staring at him calmly. "Does your Kuno want some more pictures of me?"

"Oh, of course," Sasuke lied. "Your radiant beauty has entranced him, and he wishes to know more than the meager pittance that you have shared with him of your history so far."

"Oh, please," Gosunkugi muttered. "She's going to see through that easily. Why don't you get on with it?"

"I am trying to be subtle and devious," Sasuke snapped back at him. "Leave me to my masterful plans!"

Ukyo frowned. She wouldn't have been taken in by the flattery even if Gosunkugi hadn't said anything. Sasuke was far from a handsome man, and his attempt to be charming merely left her nauseated. Plus, he sounded a bit too much like Kuno. "What exactly do you two want?"

"Well, the noble Kuno wishes to know more about his rival Ranma Saotome. He is clearly a skilled warrior who has vexed my master on many occasions. But in what areas might my master be more of a challenge to him? Where might he seek to even the odds somewhat?"

"Oh, just ask them," Gosunkugi said tiredly. "We want to know... What is Saotome's greatest fear?" Ukyo jerked back, as the boy's drawn expression and dark rimmed eyes gave his demand a sudden sense of ghastly horror.

"Ah, that's it!" Genma declared. "You want to know my son's weakness? I raised my son to HAVE no weaknesses! He is a man amongst men, a martial artist without fear!"

"So nothing frightens him, then?" Sasuke asked, his tone subtly prodding.

"Nothing!" Genma answered.

Ukyo regarded him with a scowl for a moment. Then she turned back to Sasuke and Gosunkugi. "My brother is an arrogant, insulting, uncultured blowhard with little respect for the people around him - but those are the very things that make him as great a martial artist as he is. None of Ranchan's 'weaknesses' will help you against him in a battle. In fact, they only make him stronger. So you might as well give up now.

"If you're thinking of striking at me, or someone he cares about..." Ukyo's expression was calm, but her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Forget it. For one thing, I'm quite capable of taking care of myself. For another, endangering me is one sure way of making sure Ranma takes you down."

She sneered, her lip curling in defiance. "And endangering Ranchan is even worse - because then I'LL come after you..."

Ukyo then turned back to Kasumi, smiling as if she didn't have a care in the world. "Kasumi, you want to show me where those supplies are now?"

Sasuke and Gosunkugi scurried away from the Tendo household, while Ukyo and Kasumi went off around the back of the house together. Genma, meanwhile, stood scratching his chin thoughtfully.


	30. Weakness: Cats

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 30

Ranma and Akane arrived home to find Ukyo hard at work on the roof above Akane's room. Ranma called up to her. "Hey, Sis, you need any help up there?"

"No, I think I got it." She looked over at him, as he seemed to be coming around to join her on the roof. "Don't you have homework to do? You never did finish last night's, did ya?"

Ranma snorted. "Don't you have homework, too?"

"My grades won't go down if I miss a day or two. Yours, on the other hand, need all the help they can get."

"Hey! If you can skip your homework, then I can too!"

Akane took his arm. "Ranma, why don't I help you with it. Then we can get finished with it faster, and we can both help Ukyo."

Ranma agreed that was a good idea, and they headed into the house. A couple of hours later, Akane decided he had done enough of his homework, and told him they could go help Ukyo. Actually, Akane was starting to get irritated with trying to coach Ranma through the lessons, and decided she needed a break herself, before she started hitting him. So they checked with Kasumi, who informed them that there was a couple of hours before dinner, and headed outside.

When Akane tried to help as well, both Ranma and Ukyo protested. "No way," Ukyo said. "This is something I want to do, for you. You go sit down and relax while we take care of this."

"But I'm the one who made the hole!" Akane argued in return.

"No, that pig Ryoga made the hole. You just provided the push," Ukyo said, and Ranma chuckled. "It's not your fault he has such a hard head."

"It'll go a lot faster if I help," Akane said, her tone coaxing.

"No, now go sit down!" Ukyo shot back, firmly.

"Might as well do it," Ranma said. "Ain't no arguin' with Sis once she makes her mind up."

"Okay," Akane said. "But I'm bringing the supplies up to you so you don't have to go get them."

The three of them settled into a comfortable rhythm, with Akane finding time to go upstairs and finish her homework between trips up to the roof. Unfortunately, before too much could be done, Genma came out of the house.

"Boy! Get down here, we need to do some training!"

"What?" Ranma leaned over the roof's edge to stare at his father. "What are you on about, Pops?"

Genma leaped up onto the roof, and kicked at Ranma. His son dodged the first strike, but Genma caught him with his second attack, and Ranma went flying into the koi pond. She stood up, shaking the water out of her pony tail. "Geez, Pops! Can't we do this later?"

Ukyo considered for a moment striking at the old man herself, but he had leaped off the roof before she could reach him. "Come on into the dojo, boy!" he said. "I'm going to start your training over from the beginning!"

"From the beginning?" Ranma leaped at Genma, and he ducked under her kick. "Have you lost your mind, Old Man? You wanna teach me how to talk and potty train me all over again, too?"

"Don't be so ungrateful, boy! I heard about that Sasuke fellow coming around here looking for your weakness. I didn't raise you to be fragile! So it's time we put that behind us, once and for all!"

"Aw, Pops, not that again!" Ranma's eyes widened, but then she snarled. "Ain't nobody gonna find out about that, so it ain't no weakness!"

Ukyo stuck her head over the roof's edge. "That's right! Don't you dare start that crap up again! I'll come down there and beat your ass right now!"

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Akane asked. "Are you saying Ranma does have a weakness after all?"

Ranma looked at Akane, startled. It was obvious she had totally forgotten Akane was there. Ranma looked worried for a moment, and her concern only increased as her father started shaking his head sadly.

"It's a sad, sad story..." Genma began. "Even now, the shame of it haunts me..."

There was a loud clang as a hammer ricocheted off Genma's head, and then Ukyo shouted, "Shut your trap, Old Man!" Genma shook his head, to try and quiet the ringing sound.

"Yeah, I ain't got no weaknesses!" Ranma cut in, recovering her voice. "I don't need nobody ta protect me! I can take care of myself!"

Akane studied her face for a moment. "Ranma, I know that you like to appear tough and don't want anyone to think you're weak. And I don't think it makes you weak, really. But if you have a weakness that Kuno can take advantage of, then I want to know about it!"

"It's none of your business!" Ukyo shouted down at her. Akane looked up at the brown haired girl, a little startled by the anger in her voice. "It's nothing that you need to be concerned about!"

"Ukyo!" Akane shouted back. "Don't you trust me? You know you can trust me!"

There was a long moment of silence. Ranma finally broke it by shaking her head. "It's got nothin' to do with trust."

"Then what, Ranma? What is it?"

"It's... THIS!" Ranma suddenly darted over to the engawa, and reached underneath it. She pulled out a handful of wires, and suddenly there was a snapping, springing sound. The sound of bells were heard ringing faintly, from inside Akane and Ukyo's room.

Ranma continue to pull, and finally she dragged a snarl of wire out from under the house. Sasuke was wrapped up in it. Ukyo peered down over the eaves. "Is he back again?"

"Yeah. You got tangled up in Sis's alarm system, didn't ya?" She shook her head as the ninja shrugged sheepishly. Then she looked over at the wires still trailing from under the engawa. "Sorry, Sis. It looks like a real mess."

"I'll get it straightened out. You need me to come help you?"

"Nah, I think I've got this moron." Ranma shook the tangle of wires until Sasuke fell out of it. Then, as the ninja tried to run for it, she grabbed him. Lifting him over her head, Ukyo's twin booted Sasuke over the wall and off into the distance.

Ranma sighed heavily. "I'll be back ta help ya, Sis, just as soon as I get some hot water."

Ukyo disappeared back onto the roof. "Sure thing, Ranchan." Akane watched the two of them for a moment, but then headed inside after Ranma. It's obvious he's not going to talk to me now, Akane said to herself, but maybe I'll talk to Ukyo later. She wondered, though, about how defensive Ukyo had become. It might not be any easier to get any answers out of her.

* * *

The next day at school, Akane noticed that both Ranma and Ukyo seemed reluctant to talk to her. She decided not to pressure them about Ranma's weakness, figuring they needed time to think it over. If it looked like Kuno was going to find out about it, she figured they would tell her, otherwise, she would just wait. She couldn't help fidgeting, though, wondering what could frighten someone like Ranma. And what could frighten him so much that Ukyo would act so protective.

Thus, Akane was keeping a close eye on Ranma as he headed across the school yard on his way between classes. She jumped up and ran to the window, as Kuno suddenly leaped out of the bushes, yelling, "Ranma Saotome, prepare yourself!". Ranma dodged his attack easily, but Akane didn't wait to see his next attack. She rushed out of the school room, on her way to join Ranma outside.

Ranma didn't seem to be having any trouble handling Kuno, though. "Hey, where have ya been lately?" He asked. "All I've seen around is that weird little ninja that works for you. Maybe you should get him to fight me for you. He'd do better than you."

"Do not attempt to goad me, scoundrel, for I know that your skills are too much for my manservant. Faithful though he is, I am afraid that as a sparring partner he is quite lacking."

"That's funny, Kuno, that's what I was just thinking about you."

"Laugh while you can, Saotome, but soon enough I will have the advantage. No man is invincible, and I will find your weak spot. When I do, I will not strike it from the shadows like some cravenly coward, no. I shall defeat you in full view of the whole school, so that they may know that you are but mortal! And all shall rejoice that I have defeated you, foul sorcerer!" He burst into overblown laughter, not quite as shrill as that of his sister, but no less insane.

Ranma glanced aside at a rustling from the bushes, and he went white as something peeked above the leaves. It was a set of pointed ears. He quickly realized Kuno was pushing him in that direction. "Ah-heh... got something hiding in that bush for me, eh Kuno?"

Despite the fact that Ranma was keeping his voice calm, Akane could tell that he was nervous, very nervous. His eyes began to dart towards the bush, and then away again, as if he didn't want to confirm what was there. She could see the shaking of the branches, that told her something was moving around in there. Cautiously, she started towards the bush. If whatever was in there frightened Ranma, she had to be ready to help him.

Kuno had made another swing, though, and Ranma somehow hesitated a half a second too long to avoid it. It slammed into his side, knocking him into the bush. "Ranma!" Akane yelled, but Ranma had already turned a backflip to get away from the crazed Kendoist's next attack. He winced a bit as he landed, but otherwise did not appear to be injured. He glanced at the bush, though, clearly expecting whatever was hiding within it to make an attack.

There was then a wild howl that sounded like nothing that either Ranma or Akane had ever heard before. A dark shape leaped out of the bush, and Ranma jumped back in surprise. Then, his eyes widened even further in shock.

It was Sasuke, that much was obvious. But he looked absolutely ridiculous, dressed in a gaudy costume, and wearing a mask with a large muzzle and fangs. He had claws on his hands, and horns were apparently glued all over his head. And stuck on top of his head were a pair of cat ears, complete with a wire frame to hold them in place, running down under his chin.

"Baaaa!" Sasuke yelled. "Graaaa! I am a scary dog demon! Grooowr!"

Ranma stared at the apparition for a few moments, and then burst out laughing. "I'm supposed to be afraid of that? Oh, man, Kuno, that's a good one. That's about the best laugh I've had in weeks."

"No?" Sasuke looked sincerely shocked that his disguise had not had the desired effect. "But I am a horrible demon!"

Akane came up behind him, smacking him on the back of the head. "That's the silliest demon I have ever seen. It looks like a bad Halloween costume. And what kind of dog demon has cat ears?"

The little ninja put a hand to his ears. "I thought they looked like dog ears." Because all the attention was on him, no one noticed Ranma shudder.

"Enough of this!" Kuno shouted, pointing his bokken at Ranma. Ranma had recovered, and met his gaze coolly. "I will find out your weakness. You must fear something, and I will find it!"

"Dream on, Kuno. Look all you want. You'll never find it." Akane studied him. His expression was sure, confident, but she had seen his uncertainty before. And she knew he had taken a serious hit. He wasn't letting Kuno see it, but Akane noticed the slight catch in his breathing that showed he was in pain.

Kuno seemed just as certain, though. "Do you care to make a wager, Saotome? If I find out your weakness, you will release your hold on the helpless Akane Tendo."

"Helpless!" Akane suddenly stomped forward, intent on pounding Kuno into the pavement. Kuno quickly panicked and began looking about wildly, but then smiled again.

"No, no, I have a better idea. The lovely Ukyo, your fair sister. If I find your weakness, you will allow me to date with her."

Ranma snorted. "I don't have any say over who Sis dates. If you wanna ask her out, you do it."

"Very well, if I find your weakness, you will allow me to ask your fair sister on a date. And you will not use your foul enchantments on her to make her refuse, or change her form to confound me. You will not interfere in any way."

"Sure, Kuno, if you find out my weakness, I won't interfere. I'll just let Sis beat you into a pulp, all on her own."

Kuno struck a pose of triumph with his bokken, gazing longingly off into the distance. "Without your interference, I am sure that she will fall into my arms, and declare her undying love for me. I look forward to that day!"

"And you'll keep looking forward to it," Ranma quipped, as Kuno walked off pontificating to himself. Sasuke scurried along behind him. "What a nutcase."

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Akane asked him. "Ukyo can handle him, but are you sure you want to leave her alone with him like that?"

Ranma smirked at her. "Ain't you been listening, Akane? I ain't got no weaknesses. He can look for it forever, but he ain't gonna find it."

"I hope so, Ranma," She said, her expression serious. "I just worry about you, that's all."

He stared at her for a moment, biting his lip uncertainly. Then he smiled, a genuine smile this time. "Maybe someday I'll tell ya some things about me, Akane. Some things that... maybe might be a little bit of a hassle for me." The smirk came back. "Not much of a hassle though. After all, I'm Ranma Saotome."

Akane smiled back at him. "Yes, that you are. And you're also a macho jerk that's not willing to admit Kuno hit him." She poked him in the side. "Let's take you to Dr. Tofu."

Ranma winced at the contact, but tried to cover it up. "I ain't hurt! I don't need ta see no doctor!"

"You are too. Should I go tell Kuno that he hit you? That he got through the great Ranma Saotome's defenses?" Akane smirked at him.

"You wouldn't dare!"

Her grin widened. "You know, refusing to admit to an injury is a serious weakness. It could get much worse because you didn't properly take care of it."

Ranma scowled at her. "You are so uncute, you know that?"

"So you keep saying." She took his hand. "Come on, let's go see Dr. Tofu."

She wasn't sure whether it was because she held his hand or not, but somehow Ranma didn't seem to want to complain as they headed for Tofu's clinic.

* * *

"Hello Ranma, Akane," Dr. Tofu called, as they entered his office. "What brings you two here?"

Ranma glanced at his father, who was sweeping the sidewalk outside, in panda form. Akane noticed his gaze. "Oh, it's not much," she said. "Kuno is still going on about trying to find Ranma's weakness, and they got in a fight. I'm sure he's not hurt, but I thought it best to come by just to make sure."

This brought a look of surprise from Ranma, who turned to look at her. Akane smiled back at him. Tofu gestured them into one of the examination rooms. "Well, why don't we take a look then?" He asked pleasantly.

Once inside the room, Dr. Tofu examined the wound. "Well, this is fairly serious after all. But it will be fine." He bandaged Ranma's side, while Akane watched him carefully. Ranma kept glancing at her, seemingly confused. After a moment, the doctor declared his task done, and pulled Ranma's shirt down over the bandage.

"Thanks a lot, Doc," Ranma said. "Whether it's bad or not, it's important to treat an injury as soon as possible. I wouldn't want it ta get any worse because I didn't take proper care of it." He grinned at Akane, who blushed a little.

There was a chime from the door, and the sounds of a rather uncomfortable young man speaking outside. "Um... I have a delivery... um... ah, for somebody. Uh... somebody, ya know, human..." The cause of his discomfort became obvious as Genma-panda's growls and grunts answered him, as if he was trying to make conversation.

Dr. Tofu laughed to himself. "Just a moment, you two." He stepped out of the room, and was heard addressing the delivery boy. A few minutes later, he rejoined Ranma and Akane as they returned to the outer office.

"Well, this is interesting," he said, studying the box. "It appears to be from China."

"China?" Ranma asked, startled. "Why would someone send you a package from China?"

"I don't know." Tofu studied the address even closer. "It appears to be from... 'Joketsuzoku', it says. I've never heard of it."

"That's Shampoo's village!" Ranma said, his eyes growing wide.

Akane gave a gasp. "Shampoo? Why would she be sending something to Dr. Tofu?"

"I... don't know." Dr. Tofu's expression had turned worried. "But there is something... living in this box."

"What?"

He held the box carefully, not willing to put it down, but it had shifted slightly in his hands. "It is very light in weight, but whatever it is, it's definately alive."

Ranma looked between Tofu and Akane. "Sis. Sis gave Shampoo Tofu's address."

"Perhaps it is a... gift of some sort? She's trying to... make amends?" Even to Akane herself, this sounded unconvincing.

"I hope it's not P-chan again," Ranma growled.

At that moment, there was another chime from the door. Kasumi walked in, beaming at the three of them with a bright smile. "Hello, Dr. Tofu. I've come to return this book I borrowed."

Tofu's glasses fogged up. "K-K-K-Kasumi! Imagine meeting you here of all places!" He began to wring his hands, which as he was still holding the box, caused him to crush it. The box began to wriggle about in his hands, as whatever was inside it tried to break out of his grip.

A high pitched screech came from the box, followed by hissing and spitting as Dr. Tofu continued to squeeze whatever was inside it. Finally, the creature managed to squirm its way free, and the box fell out of Tofu's hands. A claw ripped open the box from the inside, and something leaped out of it into the room. It was a small white cat, with purple markings on its paws and tail, and on the tips of its ears.

"Why... it's only a cat," Akane said with a smile. She sounded greatly relieved.

Ranma, on the other hand, reacted very differently. He sprang back from the cat, as if it was the most horrible creature in existence. He began to back away, putting up his hands, and trembling in fear. The cat stepped towards him, as if curious about his reaction, and Ranma cried out. He backed up against Tofu's desk, and then stumbled around it, still trying to get further away from the cat.

"Ranma? Ranma! What's going on?" Akane could see that Ranma was terrified, and looked back at the cat, but it seemed perfectly normal. The cat took another tentative step towards Ranma, and he skittered away from it, following the wall down toward a corner of the room. His eyes were locked on the cat, wide with fear, not even blinking, watching for the slightest move. Every time the cat did move, he would cry out again, and try harder to get away.

"Oh dear!" Kasumi exclaimed. "Ranma... Ranma doesn't like cats! I... Ukyo told me to keep them away from him."

"Ukyo?" Akane glanced at her. "Ukyo told you about this?"

Ranma darted to the other side of the room. The cat playfully pounced after him. Akane looked at him, and then back at Kasumi. Her sister looked at her apologetically. "This was a while ago," she said. "I had almost forgotten about it. I think... I think that she said that I should call her. And get the cat and keep it away from Ranma."

"Okay, I'll get the cat, you call Ukyo." She glanced at Dr. Tofu, but he was still staring at Kasumi blankly, his glasses fogged. "Use the phone there," she pointed at Tofu's desk.

While Kasumi picked up the phone, Akane headed for Ranma. He had been backed up against the wall, and the cat was about to step onto him. He had frozen in place, unmoving. "Ranma? Ranma, don't worry. I'll get the cat. Everything's going to be all right..."

As she spoke, Ranma looked up at her. His eyes met hers, but for a moment they weren't seeing her. They were staring straight ahead, filled with mindless terror. Then, all of a sudden, he focused on her, and a look swept over his face, as if he had been searching for her and hadn't seen her in years. He leaped forward, and slammed into Akane, throwing them both down to the ground.

Akane pulled herself up onto her elbows, at first irritated, but then her mind froze in astonishment. For the second time since she had met Ranma Saotome, she found him holding her tightly, his body shaking violently, almost crushing her as he drew her against him. And this time he was in his male body, his greater strength almost squeezing the life out of her. "Ranma..." she gasped. She put her arms around him, stroking his back. "Ranma, I... I can't breathe."

"I'm... I'm sorry," He muttered breathlessly, his voice almost a whisper. His hold seemed to loosen on her, but he would tighten his grip again whenever the cat made a move towards him. "I can't... I... please don't be mad." She could feel the struggle going on within him, that he wanted to let go of her, but couldn't. "Please don't think I'm... I'm..."

"It's okay. It's okay, Ranma." Akane relaxed, drawing Ranma into her embrace. She spoke soothingly, trying to keep her voice comforting. "I don't think you're weak. I'm not going to hit you, Ranma. It's all right..."

The cat meowed, stepping close enough to put up a paw to try to touch him. In response, Ranma trembled and squeezed her even tighter. Akane waved her hand at the cat. "Shoo! Shoo! Go away!"

The cat jumped back, hissing and spitting at Akane. Akane hissed herself, in frustration. "Stupid cat! I just want you to get away!" Ranma yelped as he heard the cat's hissing, and his death grip on Akane increased. She began trying to comfort him again. "It's okay, Ranma. It's okay. Don't think about the silly old cat. I won't let it get near you."

On the phone, Kasumi spoke up as Ukyo finally answered. "Ukyo-chan, there's a problem. Ranma-kun has seen a cat."

Ukyo's response could be heard right through the receiver. "What! Where are you?" Kasumi lifted the phone away from her ear, wincing at the volume.

"We're at Dr. Tofu's clinic. Yes. You're on your way? Good." She then looked down at Ranma and Akane, huddled on the floor. "I think I can get the cat away from him, but Akane is holding him right now. Yes, she's holding him." Kasumi paused a moment, as Ukyo said something. "No, he isn't hurting her. She seems to be keeping him under control. Yes, really."

"All right then. Get the cat away from him, and keep it out of his sight? And you'll be here in a few minutes? Okay." She hung up the phone, and started towards the cat.

"There, Ranma," Akane told him. "You see? Kasumi's taking the bad old cat away. Everything's going to be fine." Ranma was still holding tightly to her, and wouldn't lift his head from where he kept it hidden against her chest. He would flinch from time to time as he heard the cat meowing, but wouldn't look at it.

"Come here, kitty," Kasumi said, coaxing the cat to her. The cat didn't seem to want to come to her, and kept trying to avoid her. It kept glancing back at Ranma as if confused about his reaction. Finally, it let the Tendo sister pick it up. Kasumi took the cat into one of the back rooms of the clinic, and Ranma's shivering seemed to slow.

At that moment, Ukyo burst through the door, looking wild and out of breath. "Ranchan!" She shouted. "Are you okay?" The panda had been standing at the door watching all this, but hadn't said anything. At Ukyo's frantic entrance, he snorted a little.

Ranma didn't move, still clutching tightly to Akane. She looked up at Ukyo. "He's fine... I think. He just jumped into my arms. But it seemed to help somehow."

"Really?" Ukyo looked the girl over, obviously astonished. "Well, whaddya know..." She managed a small smile. "Guess it was a good thing you were here, huh?" She put her arms around Ranma as well, drawing both he and Akane into an embrace.

Akane stared at her. "Is this Ranma's weakness? The one you didn't want to talk about? He's afraid of... cats?"

Ranma suddenly stirred in their arms, and then grumbled to himself. He pulled away from Akane, and then pushed her off of him, hard. Akane went sailing across the clinic floor and landed a few feet away, on her bottom.

"Ranma! You baka!" Akane came back, punching him hard in the shoulder. "That hurt!"

"I didn't need your help!" Ranma screamed at her, his face red with anger and shame. "I ain't afraid of nothin'!"

The panda snorted again. Ranma stood up and rounded on him, but Ukyo grabbed his arm. "Settle down, Ranchan. It's all over now."

"I don't need you takin' care of me, and I don't need Akane either!" Ranma snapped at her. "I DON'T NEED NOBODY!"

"I was trying to help you, you jerk!" Akane yelled back at him. She was getting a little angry, but mostly Akane just felt hurt. It had felt so nice to hold him...

"Just all of you, leave me alone!" Ranma stomped out of the clinic, and leaped off across the rooftops. Akane ran out after him.

"Come back! Ranma! I'm sorry I yelled at you! Ranma, don't be mad!" Now Akane felt really bad about how she had treated him. She knew Ranma well enough by now to know that what had just happened to him must have been terribly humiliating. Why did she hit him?

"It's all right, Akane-chan," Ukyo said, coming up beside her. "Ranchan just needs some time to calm down. I'm sure he'll be fine after a good night's sleep."

Akane sighed. "Was that really his weak spot?" she asked again, looking up at her friend. "Why would he be scared of something like a little housecat?"

Ukyo bit her lip. "It's a long story... and not really my place to tell it. Ranchan should tell you. But I think I can get him to agree to it."

There was a moment of silence, and then Akane glanced back at Kasumi, who had walked out of the clinic with the cat still in her arms. "Why did you tell her, Ukyo, and not me? I thought we trusted each other."

Ukyo turned a little pink. "I do trust you, Akane. But Kasumi was just... there, and you weren't. And I didn't tell her anything about the Neko-ken either, just to keep cats away from Ranchan."

"The Neko-ken?"

"Like I said, Akane, it's not my story to tell. Ranchan will tell you." She took a deep breath. "Come on, let's go home."

As the two girls started down the street toward the Tendo home, the white cat suddenly started to struggle in Kasumi's arms. She dropped it, and it hit the ground running, disappearing from sight. "Oh my," Kasumi said.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Yes, Ranma's reaction is very similar to his reaction to Sanzenin's kiss, and that was intentional.

Note also how quickly Ukyo gets from the Tendo home to Dr. Tofu's clinic. Although it is on the way to their school, so it should be fairly close.


	31. The NekoKen

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 31

The Tendo home was empty as Ukyo and Akane walked in the front door, but Akane called out a greeting anyway. Kasumi was back at Tofu's clinic, after all, and Nabiki had not yet gotten home from school. She glanced around for Ranma, but didn't see him in the genkan or family room. "He's probably upstairs", Ukyo commented.

"You'd better let me talk to him," she then added.

"I am not going to get mad at him," Akane said crossly, although her tone seemed to contradict that. "It was rude of him to push me like that. But I understand why he did it. I'm just going to make sure he knows that he can't just tell me to get lost and I'll let him off the hook. He'll talk to me whether he wants to or not."

"Okay," Ukyo said, "But you wait for me to ask him about it. I won't let you pressure him."

"I know, Ucchan." Akane put a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me."

The brown haired girl regarded her sternly for a few more moments, but then nodded. They headed up the stairs.

As they came into Ranma's bedroom, though, they found him sitting cross-legged on the floor, as if meditating. He looked up as Akane marched up to him. She stood there, giving him time to collect himself, but to her surprise, Ranma stood and bowed deeply to her. He met Akane's eyes, looking pained.

"I'm sorry, Akane. It was wrong of me ta say those things to you. You were tryin' to help, and I appreciate it."

Akane stared at him, a smile slipping over her face. "It's okay, I understand. It's very important to you that you're able to protect the people you care about." She bowed as well, blushing a little. "I'm sorry I hit you."

Ranma took her hand, and then Akane wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She wasn't surprised to feel him stiffen a little, but then he relaxed into it, hugging her back. She released him, and he walked over to his futon, sitting down. Akane sat next to him.

Ukyo walked over and hugged him as well. Then she stepped back and sat next to Akane. They both stared at Ranma, silently. He looked down at the floor, collecting his thoughts. "This all started when I was eight years old," he said. "The old man told me that he had this incredible new technique that he wanted to teach me. He called it the... Neko-Ken."

He looked up at Akane. "This was back when we were travellin' around Japan. Sis was there, of course." Ranma glanced at her. "Pops had found an abandoned training hall that we were stayin' at for a while, and we had a lot of time to ourselves. The training manual said that he needed to dig a deep pit, so he had dug it under the floorboards, and set it up so he could access it under a sort of trapdoor.

"Anyhow... according to the training manual, he took a bunch of fish sausage, you know, and wrapped it all around me. And then he took a bunch of... of..."

"Cats," said Ukyo, quietly.

"Yeah. Thanks, Sis... and he put them all into the pit. And then he threw me down there with them."

Akane was shocked. "He... threw you in a pit full of cats?" She could hardly say the words.

"Covered in fish sausage, yeah. And they hadn't been fed in days. The cats started clawing at me, biting me, trying to get at the sausage, and get it away from each other..."

"My God!" Akane looked at Ukyo, wide-eyed. She just looked back at her, expressionless. "That's... that's..."

"Stupid, yeah." Ukyo's face still showed no emotion, but her voice came out in a growl.

Ranma had huddled up in a ball, his gaze turned towards the floor, although his eyes were unfocused. "I honestly don't remember much, but wanting to get out of that pit, out of the darkness, away from those cats. I kept callin' out to Pop, trying to reach the trapdoor, but I couldn't see it in the dark. And the c-cats kept pulling me back down, wantin' to get at the sausage. I know it hurt, but I really don't remember that..."

His voice trailed off, and there was a long silence. Akane put an arm around him, and he shivered, but didn't pull away. When Ranma didn't say anything further, Ukyo finally finished the story. "After a few hours, when Ranchan wasn't crying out any more, the Old Man pulled him out and cleaned up his cuts and bruises."

"And what were you doing all this time?" Akane asked, turning to meet that dead expression in Ukyo's aquamarine eyes.

Her mouth quirked at the implied accusation. "What could I do? I was eight years old. I listened to Ranchan's screaming, and huddled in the corner, glad it wasn't me."

"Oh." Akane swallowed, hard. She looked back at Ranma. "So... um..."

"After the Old Man pulled him out, I tried to tend to his cuts. Tried to comfort him." Ukyo wrapped her arms around herself, looking away. "I... I held him. At first, he was out of it, just lyin' there limp. But after he woke up... I told him it was going to be okay. He was so scared." She looked down. "I just held him."

"The Old Man, of course, said I was coddling him, and slapped me away." She snorted. "Once he was awake, he asked him if he had learned the technique. The 'Cat Fist', or Neko-Ken." Her eyes met Akane's. "Ranchan, of course, didn't know what he was talking about, he didn't know any technique. So the Old Man started talking about putting him back in. And Ranchan freaked."

"The training made me terrified of... of cats," Ranma said, quietly. "At first I just didn't want to go back in there because it hurt. But after a while... after a while I just didn't want to go back in with... THEM." His voice held all of the horror that he felt, and Akane shivered.

He fell silent again. "I knew Ranchan didn't want to go back in that pit," Ukyo continued. "But that just made Genma all the worse. He kept going on about how no son of his was going to be such a sniveling coward, to be afraid of a little thing like cats. Ranchan started screamin' and runnin' around, and some of the cats got out, and they scared him even more. Genma left us alone, while he went to go round up the cats that had gotten away, so Ranchan and I went to sleep. Ranchan was still frightened so... I held him in my arms and we went to sleep."

Ukyo's face twisted in a sneer of hatred. "The next morning, the Old Man was ready to do it all again. Ranchan was begging him not to, I was yelling at him, calling him a jackass, but he wouldn't listen. He grabbed Ranchan, and threw him in with the cats, shutting the door on top of him. I could hear him screaming, and the cats yowling and hissing... and I lost it."

"That was the first time I attacked that Old Man, really attacked anyone, with the intent to kill." She glanced at Akane, and her voice was dead serious. "Up until then it had been a game, but... I didn't care about anything else. All I knew was that I had to get to Ranchan, I had to save Ranchan, I had to get him out of there. And the damned Old Man was in my way, spouting his nonsense about Ranma being a man amongst men and the best martial artist in Japan. I was just going to tear his heart out. I was going to beat him senseless with my bare hands."

She paused a moment, and Akane swallowed again. "And then what happened?"

Ukyo laughed, bitterly. "What do you think happened, sugar? He knocked me flat in two seconds."

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it away. "I woke up to find Ranchan out of the pit, and the Old Man washin' the blood off of him. I didn't say anything, and I didn't try to comfort him, because I knew what the Old Man would do. But that night I laid down with him again and held him, once I was sure the panda was asleep. And Ranchan kept waking up in the night, screaming, from dreams that I... I don't even wanna think about. I would just hold him, whisper to him, until the shivering would go away, and he'd fall asleep."

Akane found her arms wrapping tighter around Ranma. "Is... is that why he hugged me like that?" She asked, her voice quiet. "Because... you held him when he was frightened?"

Ranma nodded. His voice was even quieter than hers, no more than a whisper. "Yeah..."

Ukyo paused a moment, while she watched the two of them. "The same thing happened the next day, and the day after that. The old man would wake up, we would have our breakfast, and he would throw Ranchan into the pit. I'd attack him, we would fight, and he'd knock me out. I'd wake up and Ranchan was out of the pit, and we'd have dinner and go to bed. Sometimes I'd wake up and Ranchan was still in the pit, and I'd fight him all over again. Near the end I was getting really good. The last night I think I must have fought the Old Man for hours, never giving ground, never backing down an inch. I think he was actually impressed. He probably didn't think I had it in me.

"That was when I first started to develop my fighting style. When I first began to notice that I had an awareness of my surroundings, that went beyond the Old Man's. I was able to protect myself from him, dodge his attacks, trip him up. But I couldn't stop him. I still couldn't get past him to set Ranchan free. And eventually, the results were always the same... I'd tire, and make a mistake, and he'd catch me.

"And the next day, we'd start it all over again."

She took a deep breath. "He kept it up for almost two weeks. Near the end, I could feel Ranma starting to lose it. His eyes were becoming wild, and when he tried to get away from the cats, it wasn't just because they were hurting him. It was a full-blown phobia by now. But it would get better when I'd hold him. I'd hold him through the night, and he'd be strong enough to hold out just a little longer the next day. I thought that it might actually be helping, that he might be able to overcome it. But then, after ten days... it happened."

There was a momentary silence, and Akane looked back and forth between Ranma and Ukyo. She wasn't actually sure which of them she should be holding. Ukyo was crying, but she was smiling as well, a cynical, vicious grin that spoke of retribution, along with a strong dose of smug satisfaction. It was an unnerving combination.

"I was fighting the Old Man as always, and suddenly there was this yowl from under the floor. It wasn't one of the cats, it was Ranchan's voice, I could tell. Suddenly, the boards of the floor exploded upwards, and there were cats flying everywhere. They went sailing in all directions, those that weren't flying through the air scattering across the floor, running as if they were terrified, too. And Ranchan came leaping out onto the floor.

"The Old Man stepped forward, probably thinking Ranma had mastered the Cat Fist, and said something. But Ranchan just jumped at him, and let out this howl of anger. It was like a cat, Ranchan thought he was a cat, and he was crouched on all fours like a cat. He swiped at Genma, and it was like he had claws like a cat. He just shredded the old man's gi. Genma yelled at him, and tried to strike back, but Ranchan just tore into him."

She smiled. "He slashed him up to ribbons. When he was done, the Old Man had scratches and blood all over him as bad as Ranchan, if not worse. I was never happier to see my Bro give his old man a taste of his own medicine. But then he turned and looked at me, and for a moment I thought he might attack me. I mean... he wasn't Ranma, he wasn't my brother, he was a cat. He was acting like he was a cat, like an animal, defending himself.

"But instead, he just meowed real loud, like a cat would, and he jumped in my lap." She giggled, although tears were running down her face. "He started purring, and just curled up there. And I figured... well, before, I had held him and it made him feel better, so thought I would just hold him and let him fall asleep. And sure enough, that's what he did. He curled up in my lap, and I held him, and he fell asleep."

Ukyo shook her head, sadly. Ranma had managed to sit up, and he edged over, to take her in his arms. Akane included Ukyo in her embrace as well. "When Ranma woke up, he was fine. But ever since then, whenever he sees a cat, he becomes terrified. When I see a cat... it affects me, too. I become anxious, nervous, full of energy, in my mind I'm back fighting with the panda again, and I can't let down my guard. If I'm around... we can comfort each other, hold off the effects. I can help keep Ranchan from... losing control.

"If Ranma can't escape from the cat, though, if he's trapped and the fear gets too much for him, or I'm not around to help him, then he goes into the Neko-Ken. He becomes a cat. And I'm the only one who can bring him out of it. The Old Man was only stupid enough to try it again one time, and got clawed up so badly he was in the hospital for a week. But Ranchan's gone into the Neko-Ken a couple of times since then, when he's seen a cat, and I'm the only one that he'll trust. I'm the only one that he'll go to."

Akane looked at them. "Ranma let me hold him when he was frightened by the cat. Maybe that means he'll let me hold him when he goes into the Neko-Ken."

Ranma looked hopeful at this, but Ukyo shook her head. "We don't dare risk it. Ranchan is VERY dangerous when he's in the Neko-Ken. I've seen him claw through trees like they were made of paper. And he's incredibly fast and agile, if he comes after you, there's no way you can escape him. If he goes into the Cat Fist, just don't go near him. The best thing to do is to call me."

"Okay, Ukyo." Akane nodded. Then she looked back at Ranma. "I'm sorry, Ranma. I think it's kind of cute that you've got a little weakness, but I'm sorry that it's so frightening to you. You can't even control it, and it's got to be absolutely horrible. The way you were holding me like that..."

Ranma took a deep breath, and seemed to gather himself up. "Well, I've trusted Ucchan with this secret, and I guess I can trust you with it too." Then his voice got a little more quiet. "I just wish I wasn't afraid of somethin' so stupid. The great Ranma Saotome, and I can't... I can't even face a little cat."

Akane ran her hand down his back. Then she took his hand and squeezed it. "Don't think of it like that. As you say, it's just a little cat. It's nothing that can really hurt you or us. And it's all your idiot father's fault."

"Tell me about it," Ranma growled.

"Thank you, Ranma. For telling me about this." She hugged him, and after a second, he hugged her back. "You can trust me, Ranma, just like you trust your sister. I'll keep your secret, just like she does. And I'll make sure you don't have to worry about any cats."

"Well, we should get downstairs," Ukyo said, drying her tears. "I've only got a little more to do on the roof, and I'll be done."

Ranma gave her a look as if he was sizing her up. "You left school early so you could finish, huh? That's why you were at home when Kasumi called."

"And I'll bet Kasumi knew that," Akane added, "since she left you here when she went to return Dr. Tofu's book."

"Caught me. And since you're both here, I GUESS I can let you guys help me with it." She put a bit of a pouting tone into her voice, but she was giggling.

Akane gave her one last hug as well. "You bet."

Outside the window of the guest room, a white cat with purple markings crouched on the branch of a nearby tree. The cat watched as the three left Ranma's bedroom, its eyes studying them with a look that was almost human. Stopping to look down thoughtfully, the cat turned and leaped along the branch, and then made its way down the trunk of the tree to the ground.

* * *

As Ranma, Akane and Ukyo reached the bottom floor of the house, their mood quickly turned from somber to sour. Genma's voice could clearly be heard from the family room. He had apparently returned home, with Kasumi, after they left the clinic. Soun and Nabiki were home as well, and he had gathered them all around the table.

"And here is the tome of ancient lore that describes this technique," Genma said solemnly, holding up a small and very worn bound book. "But it contained a terrible trick."

Ranma ran up to slap his father on the back of the head. "What are you doin', Pops?" However, as Genma turned around, Ranma noticed that he was holding several cats in his lap. Ranma leaped away from him, and Ukyo grabbed him.

"Ungrateful boy!" Genma rubbed the back of his head. "You had decided to tell your fiancée about it! I thought I would take it upon myself to inform the rest of the family!"

"I didn't say you could tell anybody!" Ranma snapped back at him, although he was warily eyeing the cats.

Meanwhile, Soun was reading through the booklet. "Wrap the trainee in fish sausage, and throw him into a pack of hungry cats... How... How rigorous!"

"Good heavens, Mr. Saotome," Kasumi said kindly. "Did you really do that to your own son? That's just too much, even for training..."

"As I said, it turned out to be a trap," Genma said. "Turn to the next page."

Soun did so. Nabiki was reading over his shoulder. "This method has been banned for causing severe psychological stress. Anyone who would teach it should have his head examined." Soun read.

"Sounds about right," Nabiki commented.

"This is all your fault!" Ranma shouted, although he backed away as Genma held up one of the cats. However, Ukyo stepped forward to take his place, her arms still around Ranma, but her eyes blazing with hatred.

"I'm gonna rip you apart, Old Man!" Ukyo yelled. Akane put a hand on her shoulder, to hold her back.

Genma wisely pulled the cat back, as Ukyo continued to glare at him. Kasumi, however, had picked up the little white cat, as it bounded over the engawa and into the room.

"Don't be ashamed, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said. "We will all be better able to keep cats away if we all know about it. But surely you can't be that afraid of a little kitty cat. Maybe if you got used to them, you wouldn't be afraid of them any more."

Before Ukyo or Akane could protest, Kasumi had stepped forward, and Ranma wrapped himself around Ukyo like he was trying to climb into her arms. The white cat meowed, a bit startled at being shoved into Ranma's face, not to mention his scream in return. Genma had started hanging cats on him, and even Nabiki came over to add a few extra cats of her own. Genma had apparently gathered up a group of them on his way home.

Ukyo squirmed free of Ranma's grip. "Are you out of your mind, Old Man?" She started slapping the cats away, and Akane began pulling them off of Ranma as well, being a little more gentle so they would not hiss and scratch at him. "You KNOW what could happen! Are you insane?

"Don't EVER do that!" She screamed at Kasumi, which caused the others to back away, surprised that anyone would yell at the eldest Tendo daughter. "You do NOT want to make Ranchan confront his fear! People could get hurt! BADLY hurt!"

Akane put an arm around her, to pull her back again. "Settle down, Ukyo. She doesn't know."

Ukyo made an obvious effort to control herself. "I'm sorry, Akane-chan. It's... it's the cats." She looked up at Kasumi. "I'm sorry, Kasumi. But I'm serious. You just don't know what you're... playing with. What could happen."

Kasumi looked at Ukyo, then Ranma. Then she looked at Akane. "Let's not talk about it now," the black haired girl said to her sister. "Just get the cats out of here."

"I didn't raise my son to be..."

Ukyo leaped out of Akane's arms, and slammed her fist into Genma's face. The impact was enough to send him sailing towards the engawa. A moment later, she had flipped into his path, and caught him in midair, flinging him into the koi pond. "SHUT UP, PANDA! If you make me fight you right now, I WILL kill you!"

The panda stood up and shrugged off the water, but then crossed his arms and sat down with a grunt. Ukyo let Akane lead her back to the table. Kasumi and Nabiki finished gathering up the cats, and took them out of the house, at which time Ranma seemed to calm down, and sat down to put his arms around his sister. Once the room had quieted down, the panda climbed out of the koi pond, and shuffled down the engawa towards the furoba.

As soon as the panda was out of sight, Sasuke stuck his head out from under the wooden porch. Looking back into the family room to make sure no one was watching, he crept across the yard and to the Tendo gate. There he silently made his way into the street.

A short way down the street, the ninja began to call out. "Gosunkugi? Are you there?"

The skinny boy slipped out of the shadows of a nearby alley. "Did you find out about Saotome's weakness?"

"I did indeed," Sasuke said with a very satisfied grin. "And what about you?"

Gosunkugi held up his camera. "These pictures should call the wrath of Kuno down upon Saotome, that's for sure." He smiled wickedly, if a bit weakly.

"And they did not see you?"

"I was outside the window the whole time. They didn't suspect a thing."

The ninja chuckled. "I'm glad you called me when you found out the Kuonji girl was leaving the house. It gave me a chance to disable her alarm system. I wouldn't have been able to get so close otherwise."

Gosunkugi shook his hand. "We do make a good team." He cackled while the two continued down the street away from the Tendo home. On top of a wall nearby, a white cat watched the two of them for a moment. Then it turned and leaped out of sight.

* * *

Kuno was meditating in his room, when he heard a knocking. "You may enter," he said, at which time Sasuke popped up from under the floor. Kuno hit him in the head.

"I meant to use the DOOR, you blithering idiot!" Kuno told him.

"I am sorry, master, but I have found Saotome's weakness!"

"You have!" Kuno turned to look at him, excited. "And what is it?"

"It is cats, master!"

"Cats." Kuno considered this for a moment. "You mean, like lions or tigers or the like?"

"No, no, just little house cats. He is terrified of them."

"You seek to jest with me?" Kuno grabbed him. "Surely Saotome is not afraid of simple, ordinary cats!"

"He is!" Sasuke protested. "See for yourself!"

He handed a stack of pictures to Kuno, who looked through them. His eyes went wide, and then he bent intently over the photographs. His manner became more and more frantic as he went through them.

"He is! He is terrified of cats! But look at how he manhandles the innocent Akane Tendo! The slime! How dare he put his hands on her in such a way! Surely I, the great Tatewaki Kuno, cannot look the other way as Saotome forces himself so blatantly on my fierce tigress!

"But here, how she so tenderly holds him, like the goddess that she is! Though she is enslaved by the foul sorcerer, so pure and gentle is she that she cannot help but give comfort to her own captor! Look how she timidly tries to shoo away the cat that Saotome fears so much! She is so kind, that she would protect one that so abuses and dominates her..."

Kuno brandished his bokken, striking a pose, as he held the photographs to his chest with his other hand. "Such an angel she is! I must free her from Saotome's evil clutches!"

"Ah... yes," Sasuke said, unimpressed by this display. "Gosunkugi and I have a plan to help you do just that."

"Oh, yes! Of course." Kuno turned to look at him. "And what is your plan?"

"Do not worry, master. My ally and I shall handle all of the details. All you need to do is come to the school gymnasium tomorrow. We will do the rest."

"Yes, yes." Kuno struck a pose again. "And I shall defeat the foul sorcerer and free Akane Tendo from his clutches. And the lovely Ukyo as well." He looked at a few more of the pictures. "See, see here she runs in to comfort him as well! The foul demon, he compels her to come to his aid!"

"Yes, yes," Sasuke said, eyeing Kuno cautiously. "I have seen the pictures, master."

"Of course you have." Kuno was barely paying attention to him. "But now that I have found Saotome's weakness, he MUST allow me to date with her! And she shall be freed from him, and declare her undying love for me.

"And she shall ask me, 'Oh, mighty Kuno, were you not afraid to fight the sorcerer Saotome?' And I shall say, 'It was all to free you, my dear, but only a fool admits to no fear'. And she shall say, 'Oh, my love, it must have been terrifying. Let me comfort you', and she shall take me in her arms and..."

Kuno broke into insane laughter, but Sasuke just shook his head. He ducked back under the floor and closed the trap door. After all, he and Gosunkugi had work to do.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I realized that there was a hole in the plot last Chapter, since presumably Ukyo was at school when Kuno attacked, but then all of a sudden she was at the Tendo home. And so I added the line here to fill that hole. :) The chapter was running a little short anyway.

Way back in the Author's Notes for Chapter 1, (which have since been discarded) I mentioned that I hadn't decided when Ranma learned the Neko-Ken, or if Ukyo was there at the time. Obviously, I made up my mind. :) Their age here, eight, is an average between the Anime and manga, and also ensures that Ranma and Ukyo had enough time together to form their brother/sister bond. Note that both are affected, but Ranma has the flight reaction to fear, while Ukyo has the fight reaction.


	32. The Cat's Kiss

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 32

The next day at school, Ranma opened his shoe locker, and noticed that there was a note sitting there. He pulled out the note and studied it, not overly concerned despite its hastily scribbled contents.

"Help me, Ranma!" The note read. "Terrible villains have kidnapped me and are holding me in the gymnasium! Sincerely, Akane."

Ranma turned at looked at Akane. Her shoe locker was only a couple of lockers down from his, after all. "Hey, you're Akane, right?"

"Is that supposed to be a joke, Ranma?" Akane asked him. "Because I don't get it."

Ranma handed her the note. She studied it carefully, as he had. "This has got to be a practical joke."

"Unless you fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl with somebody and didn't tell me," Ranma cracked.

Akane shuddered. "Don't even say that."

They made their way to the gymnasium, where there was already a class of boys playing basketball. On one end of the gym, a stage had been set up, where the Drama Club performed their plays. Ranma and Akane immediately noticed that there was a figure in the shadows of the stage, crouched on the floor. As they approached, the lights above the stage suddenly came on. The figure was revealed, tied fast with ropes.

"Oh, Ranma, I knew you'd come to save me! It's me, Akane! Oh, please, save me Ranma!" It was Sasuke again, and this costume was as bad as his last one. Not that the dress wasn't a perfect match to Akane's, it was a school uniform, after all. But it looked completely silly on the little ninja, being about a size too big for him. Plus, the wig he was wearing was blonde, not black. Ranma was stunned senseless by his appearance, while Akane just scowled darkly.

Akane was the first to recover, and leaped onto the stage. "Is that supposed to be me? Just what do you think you're doing, you pervert?"

Sasuke kept up the act, even as he drew away in fear from Akane's anger. "Help, help, Ranma, my life is in danger! I, Akane, am going to die! Help me!"

"You're going to die all right!" Akane yelled. She grabbed him by the neck, which only caused him to scream even more like the helpless damsel in distress.

"I'd stop while you were ahead, Sasuke," Ranma advised him, jumping up onto the stage. As he did, the ninja grinned at him.

"Ah-ha! I have you now, Ranma! Gosunkugi, now!"

Gosunkugi stepped out of the wings, and pulled a rope which was hanging to one side of the stage. A trap door opened right under Akane's feet, and she fell into it.

The skinny boy came running up, and looked down through the trap door. "I'm sorry, Akane!" He called out. Then he looked up, thinking. "I could have sworn that was a bit more forward..."

"I thought you said you were in the Drama Club," Sasuke said accusingly.

"I am, I am. I think I just got mixed up. It's more that one." He pointed up at a rope hanging in the rafters.

"Yo, Akane, you okay?" Ranma called down.

She had landed in the space under the stage, and was looking back up at them, irritated. "I'm fine! Just what were those two morons planning, anyway?"

Ranma stepped forward and grabbed Gosunkugi, whose eyes widened in terror. "Yes, exactly what WERE you planning on doing?"

"Ha-ha! I knew you would fall for my OTHER trap!" Sasuke burst free of his bonds, and leaped for the rope that Gosunkugi had pointed out. A tanuki statue fell from above, knocking Gosunkugi into the pit as well.

Ranma looked down at the statue of the raccoon dog, then back at Sasuke. "Is that what you intended to do?"

"I don't think that was right either, Gosunkugi," Sasuke commented.

"Never mind, I wouldn't want you to strain something," Ranma said. "Like your brain." He hopped down through the trap door to join Akane. "Might as well get this over with."

"Ha-ha!" Sasuke said again, "NOW we have you!" He began patting his pockets. "Now, all I have to do... um... all I have to do..."

He leaned over the edge of the pit. "Gosunkugi, I seem to have misplaced the... well, you know."

"What? Oh!" Gosunkugi began searching himself, and apparently found what he was looking for. "Yes, here it is! Saotome, this is for you..." He chuckled evilly, holding out a string of fish sausages.

Akane took it. "Ranma... you don't think..."

Ranma scowled, but he had already turned to look behind him. From the darkness under the stage, several small shadows had begun moving, drawn by the sausage. They shied away from the light, but their eyes began to flash, and a low yowling started that revealed them to be cats.

"Ranma..." Akane put a hand up, cautiously. He hadn't said anything, but she noticed him start to shiver. She reached out and determinedly took his hand in both of hers. "I'm here..." she whispered, unsure what his reaction was going to be.

"Welcome, Ranma," Sasuke said gleefully. "Welcome to Cat Hell! Gosunkugi and I set it up just for you."

"That's right," Gosunkugi put in. "So go ahead and scream. Let it all out."

"Poor widdle Ranma," Sasuke said, his voice mocking. The effect was made doubly awkward by the fact that he was still wearing the dress, and striking a disturbingly feminine pose. "Are you scared of the kitty cats? Maybe Akane will protect you..."

Akane felt Ranma tense up, and she readied herself for him to leap into her arms. But nothing happened. He kept hold of her hand, but didn't move. After a moment, she heard Ranma give a nervous laugh. Then, his laughter got louder, and he turned to face Gosunkugi.

"You... you... idiot! Did you really think you could scare me with a few cats?"

Gosunkugi looked startled. "Uh... yes. Yes, I was sure that would work..."

Ranma drew himself up. His eyes were a little wild and unfocused, but he wasn't trembling. "So I've got a little phobia! That don't mean I can't control it! Don't expect me to hide behind some girl!"

Akane almost got mad at that, but then she noticed how tightly Ranma was clutching her hand. He began to squeeze even tighter, and Akane bit her lip in pain. He glanced back at her, though, and she could see his expression clear a little. He studied her worriedly, perhaps wondering if she was mad, and Akane put her other hand over his.

He turned back to Gosunkugi. "Ain't nothin' no little cat can do to me or Akane. And you can't do nothing either." He began to laugh nervously again. "So you're just wasting your time. All of this was for nothin'."

"Aren't you just a little scared?" Sasuke called out, from above them on the stage. "Not even a teensy-weensy bit?"

"Not even a little bit!" Ranma yelled, although he said it a bit too loudly. Akane winced at his grip again.

Akane tried tossing away the fish sausage, but the cats caught it and tore it to pieces, fighting over it in the light coming through the trap door. Ranma ignored them, keeping his gaze locked on Gosunkugi. "Are you sure you don't want Akane to hold you?" The skinny boy asked.

Ranma let go of Akane's hand. "I'm just fine," he said, although his voice started shaking. "I don't need Akane or Sis ta hold me. I still know they're there."

Akane watched silently. Ranma seemed pretty much okay, he was still talking instead of freaking out, so that was a good sign. But she could tell that he was only barely maintaining his control. She really had no idea what to look for, Ukyo hadn't really said how she might tell if he was going to go into the Neko-Ken. Akane sighed. All she could do was hope Ranma knew what he was doing.

"And I was so sure..." Gosunkugi said, sitting down morosely, with his chin in his hand.

"Come on, Akane, we're gettin' outta here." Ranma turned to walk towards the backstage area, but as he turned, he saw all the cats. He immediately froze in place. Akane took his hand, though, and Ranma forced himself to move forward, pushing through the crowd of cats.

"I'm right with you, Ranma," Akane said, more to reassure him although tried to make it sound like she was just answering him. She squeezed his hand, and she felt him give a grateful squeeze in return. They made it through the backstage area, and headed for the door up to the gym.

"You really shouldn't go that way," Gosunkugi commented, looking up from where he was sitting. "There's the door on the other side..."

"Butt out!" Akane said. She wanted Ranma away from these cats as soon as possible. And he was staring straight ahead, not looking at the cats, just keeping his eyes on the door as he reached for it.

"Yeah, you've already caused enough trouble," Ranma said shakily. "We'd don't need..."

As he opened the door, though, Ranma and Akane were both startled by a loud roar. The cats scattered as a tiger stuck its head through the door. Ranma and Akane quickly backed away, while Gosunkugi stood up and headed for the other door.

"A tiger?" Sasuke asked. He was still watching from the trap door overhead. "What in the world made you decide to get a tiger?"

"I thought it might scare Ranma," was Gosunkugi's answer.

"Who wouldn't it scare?" Akane snapped back. Ranma was just staring wide eyed, his face starting to turn a little blue, and wasn't saying anything. Akane quickly pulled him over towards Gosunkugi.

"Could you have thought of anything better?" Gosunkugi asked, as he reached to open the second door.

Sasuke looked proud of himself. "Uh-huh. A lion!" A second roar filled the room as a lion stepped through the door Gosunkugi had opened.

Meanwhile, out in the gym, the boys playing basketball had been interrupted by the two roars. They started talking amongst themselves nervously. They turned to look as Kuno entered, still in his robes, and carrying his bokken. He had heard the noise as well, and looked pleased.

"It seems that my manservant's plan is working! Saotome is surely paralyzed with fear by now, and so I shall bring the wrath of Heaven upon him. And Akane and Ukyo shall be mine!" He began to laugh crazily, and the other boys edged away from him.

Underneath the stage, Akane held tightly onto Ranma as the tiger roared again. She wasn't sure if it was helping Ranma or not, but now SHE was terrified. They had backed into the backstage area, and the two big cats had followed them, eyeing each other suspiciously, and growling warningly. Any hopes that they might start fighting were dashed, though, as the lion and tiger turned to continue stalking towards their prey. Either they had agreed who would get the first bite, or had decided that with Ranma, Akane and Gosunkugi there was enough to split between them.

What was worse, as they were forced back under the stage, they were being pushed back into the cats, and they were starting to panic as well. The cats were hissing, yowling, and darting around all over the place, and Ranma was looking back at them. Some of them were even hanging off of the three humans, perhaps thinking that if they hid behind them they would be safe. And the more they pushed back, the more they pushed into the cats.

"Ranma..." Akane didn't know what to do. She huddled against Ranma, unable to do anything but hold him. She knew what this was doing to Ranma, but there didn't seem to be any escape. The lion or tiger certainly wouldn't be any better a choice...

But just at that moment, Akane sensed a change in Ranma. It wasn't even a sound, yet, she just felt him stop trembling, and the pattern of his breathing changed. He seemed to hunch over, in her arms, and she looked up into his face. A feral, animalistic light came into his eyes, and his lips drew back from his teeth. And he yowled, like a cat.

Akane let go, as Ranma settled down onto all fours. He stalked forward towards the two cats, as they suddenly stopped and drew back, startled. The cats around them, as well, seemed surprised, but Ranma totally ignored them. He growled again, his posture intimidating and warning the lion and tiger, as they had done with each other.

The big cats seemed to consider this for a moment, and then they crouched down, ready to spring. Ranma did the same, his growl rising menacingly. Akane put a hand to her mouth. Ranma had obviously gone into the Neko-Ken, and Ukyo had told her how strong he was, but could Ranma really take on two big cats? She held her breath as Ranma leaped at them.

Outside in the gym, the boys were distracted again, as a commotion broke out under the stage. The wood of the stage floor exploded, and a stream of cats shot up into the air, like a fountain. The cats rained down on the gym, most of them falling around Kuno, who stood transfixed. As he looked into the mass of cats shooting up from under the stage, he saw a familiar girl in a school uniform.

"Akane Tendo! My love, I shall catch you!" Kuno called out. He raced to intercept the girl, only to find as she fell into his arms that it was Sasuke. Anyone else would have wondered by Kuno would mistake him for Akane, as he was still wearing the blonde wig. But this was Kuno, after all.

Sasuke blushed girlishly, which only made the effect of him wearing a wig and girl's uniform that much more disquieting. "Why thank you master. But this is so sudden."

Kuno unceremoniously dropped his manservant. "Not you, you fool." With that, he looked back up into the stream of cats for his love, only to have the tiger fall immediately into his arms. It stared back at him with a look of sheer terror in its eyes.

"I do not wish to date you, either," Kuno commented.

The lion, meanwhile, landed on Sasuke, squashing him flat. Both cats, however, leaped to their feet and raced out of the gym, as Ranma came flying out of the chaos. He slashed at the cats, leaving huge gouges in the gym floor.

"Saotome!" Kuno shouted, as he had at last spotted someone he had been looking for. "Have you gone mad!" He meant this more as an expression of his distaste than a literal question, but as he raised his sword, Ranma leaped at him, on all fours, and slashed at him with his hands. Within seconds, Kuno's bokken, his hakama, and even the floor under his feet had been cut as if with thousands of knives, and had peeled up into curled strips.

"He shredded it!" One of the boys cried. "Without even TOUCHING it!"

"My blade!" Kuno shouted. "You would defile such a weapon!"

Ranma arched his back, hissing, and for once in his life, a faint spark of understanding lit in Kuno's brain. He was in extreme danger. He looked down at Sasuke, who was lying unconscious on the floor, his outfit shredded just because he had been lying there, when Ranma slashed up the floor. A quantity of fish sausage had fallen out of the hidden pocket the ninja had been unable to find before. Kuno picked it up, and tossed it out the door of the gym. "Fetch," he said.

With a happy meow, Ranma darted after the sausage. Akane, just coming up from the stage, took off after him, calling out, "Ranma!" He was intent on the sausage, though, and as Akane followed him out into the schoolyard, he turned and ran from her. He scampered up a tree, and ate the sausage, then sat back to groom himself while sitting on a branch.

"Ranma!" Akane ran up under the tree, looking up at him. He's really become a cat, she thought. He's acting just like a cat. Blushing a little, she called to him. "Here, kitty. Come here, Ranma. Be a good kitty, and come to Akane..."

She swallowed as she noticed the other students were looking at her oddly. Ranma just looked down at her, with an aloof expression on his face. Akane stomped her foot. "Ranma, you get down here this instant!" She yelled. "I'm not going to tell you again!"

Suddenly, Ranma smiled at her, with an unexpected look of fondness and amusement. Meowing loudly, Ranma bounded across a branch of the tree, and then down to the ground. He glanced back as he landed, still giving her a look of mischief, then raced to another tree. He climbed it, and then set about scratching at the trunk as if sharpening his claws. He didn't seem to be paying any more attention to Akane.

Ukyo came running across the schoolyard, drawn by the commotion. She saw several of the students running from the gymnasium, as well as one or two of the cats. She had been afraid something like this would happen. Her alarm system had been disabled, and she was worried that it might be Sasuke or Gosunkugi. She had managed to fix the damage, but if either of them had overhead the stupid Old Man shooting off his mouth about it...

She stopped one of the boys and asked what was happening. "Saotome's gone nuts," he told her. "He clawed up the gym, and there are all these cats all over the place..."

"Oh, hell," Ukyo cursed. It was as bad as she thought. She set off running for the gym. As she ran past a tree, a small white cat with purple points watched her, and then jumped down to follow.

Ukyo arrived to find Akane standing under the tree Ranma was now in, calling out to him. "Come down, Ranma! Please come down!" He paused in his efforts to totally shred the top of the tree, and bounced across a branch to another tree. Akane called out again, growing frustrated.

Ukyo came running up to the tree. "Ranchan! Ranchan, it's me! Come on, I'm here!"

Ranma looked down, startled. He looked down at Ukyo, then at Akane. Then he meowed again, a huge smile coming over his face. He dropped to the ground landing lightly in front of Ukyo. Then he looked at her, then back at Akane, who had stopped and was looking at him, worriedly.

"That's right, Ranchan," Ukyo said with a gentle smile. "I'm here."

Ranma glanced at her, but then suddenly turned and bounded towards Akane. "Akane, look out!" Ukyo shouted, as Ranma gave out a loud, playful yowl. Akane braced herself for the impact, closing her eyes, and Ranma slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. After a few moments, Akane realized that Ranma had stopped moving, and she felt his weight in her lap. She tentatively opened her eyes, to find that he had curled up on her legs, purring contentedly.

Ukyo, still standing under the tree, stared at them, wide-eyed. She still had one hand up in a warning gesture, but was frozen in place. He was... right in front of me, she said to herself. He was right in front of me, but... he went to her.

Several of their classmates came running up, and one of the girls commented, "That's amazing, Akane! I guess he knows his fiancee!"

"What?" Akane looked down at Ranma, then back up at the girls, turning beet red. "That's not it at all!"

Ukyo seemed to have recovered her wits, and came walking up to Akane. Behind her, keeping out of sight in the shadows of the tree, was the white and purple cat. Akane began to try to push Ranma off of her. "Get off! Get off of me, Ranma, you're embarrassing me in front of the whole school!"

As she said this, Ranma looked up at her, licking a hand as if he were cleaning his paws. He gave her that look of bemused affection again. And then he leaned up, making Akane jerk back in reflex, and pressed his lips against hers.

A low murmur spread over the watching crowd. Everyone was so intent on Ranma and Akane that no one saw Ukyo's look of shock. For just a moment, her face darkened, her lips curling into a snarl. Then she looked away. The white cat, too, seemed to react, with a look of sadness in its lavender eyes.

At first, Akane was too stunned to form thoughts, but then, as a rush of emotion swept through her, she noticed her heart had begun to beat faster. She started to return the kiss, wondering as she did why she would even want to, but then she remembered Ranma's current state. This wasn't Ranma she was kissing it was... some cat. Or Ranma as a cat. Fortunately, Ranma's lips left hers at that moment, and he curled up again in her lap. Akane just stared straight ahead, unsure what to think or do.

Akane could hear the murmuring of the other students, their shocked voices confirming everyone had seen them kiss. Her first reaction was to get angry, to push Ranma off of her and deny everything, but something held her back. And more than anything else she just wanted to sink into the ground and disappear. She felt the anger churning up inside her, but didn't know what to do with it. Her fist began clenching and unclenching, unconsciously, but her face was still blank, staring off into space.

Kuno broke the spell as he burst through the crowd. "Saotome! You animal!" He brandished his shredded sword, momentarily forgetting that it looked like some sort of party favor. "How dare you violate the innocent and..."

Ukyo suddenly leaped into action, racing forward to slam a fist into the Kendoist's gut. She then flipped over onto her hands, hooked her legs around his neck, and body slammed him into the ground. As Kuno lay unconscious on the ground, she stood and faced the crowd.

"Okay, listen up!" She yelled. "Ranchan suffered a training accident when he was a child, and this is the result. Ranma hates cats, and whenever he's around cats too long, he becomes a cat himself."

She reached down and picked up Kuno's sword. "Now, before anybody gets the idea that it might be 'fun' to taunt Ranchan with a few little cats, I want you all to remember what he did to this. This is what he can do when he goes into the Neko-Ken. So no, it will not be 'fun' to have cats around Ranchan. It will not be 'fun' at all."

She took a deep breath, then looked back at Akane. "Now, what some of you that have cats may know that when a cat likes someone, he will rub his face up against them sometimes. That's what you saw here. Ranma did NOT kiss Akane. So I don't want to hear about any rumors going around that Ranma and Akane kissed. Ranma's just a cat right now, so obviously a cat wouldn't kiss anybody."

Akane turned even redder, but that seemed to satisfy the crowd. They started to disperse, muttering amongst themselves. Akane looked down at Ranma in her lap. Did he really just rub his face against me? That sure felt like a kiss... Akane put her fingers to her lips. She had never been kissed before, but she felt she would know what it felt like. Was it... just wishful thinking? Why would she wish about that?

Her confusion even greater now than before, Akane didn't even notice as Ukyo turned to look at her. She seemed to be studying the two of them closely, almost as if she'd never seen them before. Finally, when Akane didn't seem to be noticing her, she cleared her throat.

"Hey, Akane, you okay?" Ukyo asked, although somehow her voice didn't seem to show as much concern as usual.

Akane shook her head. "Uh... yeah... thanks." She looked down at Ranma. "So now what do we do about... you know?"

Ukyo shrugged. "Usually, I just let him fall asleep in my lap. When he wakes up, he should be back to normal. But if we disturb him, he'll stay in the Neko-Ken. I guess we'll have to see if we can carry him back to the house."

"He's a little heavy," Akane said, uncomfortably. "And I know he wouldn't want anyone to see me carrying him."

"Maybe we can turn him into a girl, like before. He'll be lighter that way, and we can try and make sure nobody sees us. Or sees two of me, anyway."

"I guess so." Without thinking about it, Akane began to stroke Ranma's back, and Ukyo's eyes narrowed slightly. But then she turned to go get the water.

A few minutes later, she had returned with a bucket, and splashed Ranma. As soon as she took on Ukyo's form, Ranma sat up, looking wildly around her. "What happened? Where are the cats?" She looked down at Akane. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She leaped out away from Akane, holding her hands out protectively.

"It's all right, Ranma," Akane told her. "You had gone into the Neko-Ken."

"And you just came out of it, just like that!" Ukyo said, looking startled. "That's never happened before! Do you think it's because you changed form?"

Ranma looked down at herself. "I... I guess so. I... I don't remember." She looked at Akane. "Are you all right? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Akane looked embarrassed for half a second, but then she shook her head. "No, you didn't hurt me. You knocked me over a little, but I don't think you were trying to hurt me."

"I didn't scratch you or anything?" He looked her over carefully, obviously concerned.

"You just curled up in my lap like Ukyo said you do with her."

"That's not all you did," Ukyo muttered under her breath, irritation in her voice.

"What?" Ranma asked her, worried all over again. "What did I do?"

"Nothing." Akane looked at Ukyo, who just rolled her eyes. "You didn't do anything, Ranma. I'm not hurt so... I don't want you to worry."

"Okay..." Ranma looked at Ukyo, as she still looked upset. She finally turned around and headed back towards the school building.

"Well, if Ranchan doesn't need to be brought out of the Neko-Ken, then I'm going back to class. I'll see you later." With that, Ukyo walked off.

"Did... did I do something wrong?" Ranma asked.

Akane bit her lip. "No, Ranma. I... I think she's upset because she got all worried about you, and then it turned out to be nothing. You came out of the Neko-Ken just fine, and didn't need her to hold you. Maybe... maybe she's just feeling left out."

"Oh." Ranma looked at her for a moment. "You're sure you're okay? You're not upset with me... are you?"

Akane smiled at the brown haired girl, although it was a bit forced. "No, I... I think you were playing with me. You kind of made me chase you around. Maybe that's why Ukyo thought you were going to hurt me."

She paused a moment. "You really don't remember what you were doing when you were a cat?"

Ranma shook her head. "I never remember. I hope... I hope I didn't hurt you."

"Then don't worry. You've got nothing to worry about, Ranma. I'm sure it... I'm sure it didn't mean anything."

Akane walked away, leaving Ranma to scratch her head. She just knew she was missing something, something important. Not sure what else to do, she headed into the school to find some hot water.

* * *

Ranma was headed for his last class of the day, when he heard a familiar shout from overhead. "Ranma! You slime! I'll make you pay for taking advantage of Akane!"

Ryoga dropped on him from above, and Ranma dodged his umbrella by only inches to spare. "What are you talking about? Akane said I didn't hurt her!"

"Hurt her? What you've done is far worse! I'm not gone for two days, and already you're forcing yourself on Akane! Animal!"

"Forcing myself? What do you mean?" Ranma dodged another attack, but now he was getting scared. Not of Ryoga, but of what he couldn't remember. Akane didn't seem to be telling him everything. What had he done?

Ranma didn't have long to wonder. "Don't play dumb with me! I have proof!" He shoved a picture into Ranma's face, and he took it. It showed him sitting in Akane's lap, with a cat-like grin on his face. And he was leaning up and kissing a very startled Akane.

"This... this... You've already played this trick on me before. It won't work this time!" He threw down the picture, setting himself back into a stance. "Why would I ever kiss Akane? I don't... I mean, she doesn't like..." For some reason, he found himself unable to finish the sentence.

"It's real, Saotome," Gosunkugi said from nearby. "I saw it! Luckily I had my camera."

"Well, that still doesn't matter!" Ranma said, as Ryoga leaped at him. "What I and Akane do is none of your business! And it's not like you've got room to talk! What you did to her was far worse than what I did!"

"I left because Akane asked me to, because she had every right to ask me to leave!" Ryoga snarled back. "But now I find that the moment I'm gone, you're making your move on her! Who knows what you're doing while I'm not around to protect her! Well, I won't stand for it!"

Ranma dodged his attack, but was caught off guard as Kuno charged out of the trees. His bokken caught him across the shoulder. "Saotome!" He shouted. "You animal!"

"What, you too?" Ranma looked over the two boys that were charging towards him, and decided that maybe it was time to put a little distance between him and his enraged opponents. Unfortunately, as he tried to back away, a rope shot out of the bushes and wrapped around his ankles. "Good going, Sasuke!" Kuno shouted, and Ranma was pulled off of his feet. He rolled, only barely avoiding Kuno's strike, but then he was forced to scramble away as Ryoga swung at him with his umbrella.

Ranma began to drag Sasuke along behind him as he struggled to evade Kuno and Ryoga's attacks. But he was more concerned about Akane's reaction. Why hadn't she told him that he kissed her? Was she so humiliated that she wanted to forget it ever happened? She had seemed upset; did this mean that she was actually really mad, and just trying to hide it from him? Did she hate him now?

That didn't even count as a kiss, Ranma said to himself. I don't even remember it. He found himself wishing he did remember it, for a moment, then abruptly stopped that line of thought. He had no more right to that than Ryoga had to sleeping in her bed. He'd have to talk to her and make it right... after he took care of these two morons, anyway. Wincing as his distraction let Ryoga get in another good hit, he turned his mind back to the fight.

* * *

Ukyo decided to take off early, to avoid Ranma and Akane as she headed back to the Tendo home. She knew that Ranma had fallen for Akane the moment he met eyes with her, but for him to kiss her like that was still unexpected. And Akane's reaction had been a shock, too. Sure, Akane had gotten a little mad, but Ukyo had been expecting her to shove Ranma off of her. Yet, for a moment, she had returned the kiss. Ukyo wondered if Akane was even aware of that.

And why did he go to her, instead of me? Ukyo wanted to be glad, there was someone else that could help Ranma control the Neko-Ken, and bring him out of it when he lost control. That was a good thing, right? And yet... she felt horribly empty. Like she had lost something.

Surely he still needed her. She had still been able to help him hold it back, when Genma was trying to threaten him with the cats. But of course, she had been affected too, and Akane had tried to calm down both of them. Wouldn't it be better for Akane to take care of Ranma, since she wasn't affected by the Neko-Ken herself?

Ukyo was almost glad of the distraction when her awareness sense screamed a warning. She leaped aside, just in time to dodge an attack from a long, gnarled staff. The staff was held by an old woman who was so wrinkled and shriveled that she seemed to be only two or three feet tall. Despite her age, her movements were blindingly fast and deadly accurate, and Ukyo turned a somersault to escape her attacks, only barely evading them.

"You're as good as I remembered, Shield Sister," the old crone cackled.

"Cologne! What are you doing here?" Ukyo's eyes narrowed. "Is Shampoo here as well? What was the deal with the cat? Did you know about the Neko-Ken?"

"Neko-Ken? No, I didn't know about it. You know about that technique?"

"Ranchan's Old Man tried to teach it to him. Not his best idea... not that the old panda has any good ideas."

Cologne cackled again. "It's just a coincidence then. But a funny one. Funny!"

She darted forward, pressing her attack. Ukyo tried to evade her, but she caught the lanky martial artist in the side. Then, as the blow distracted her, Cologne swept Ukyo's feet out from under her with her staff, and propelled her to one side of the street. As she hit the ground, Ukyo was suddenly splashed with water, as the old lady with the ladle just happened to be standing there.

Ukyo instantly transformed into a short, busty redhead. The ladle lady, as usual, didn't seem to notice, but Cologne's eyes brightened. "As I thought, Shield Sister, it is you. Son-in-Law turns into you, doesn't he?"

"Son-in-Law?"

"Of course. Your brother, Ranma, or 'Ranchan', has defeated Shampoo, and has been given the Kiss of Marriage in accordance with our laws."

Ukyo growled. "So... you know he's really a man, then."

"Oh, yes!" Cologne laughed. "Son-in-Law was quite clever, switching the kettles like that so Shampoo would think he poured hot water over himself, to change back. But I suspected he was a man from the start. I'm glad to find that you weren't a man as well, you did strike me as a true Amazon. Although it's quite interesting how you were cursed by the Spring of Drowned Girl..."

"Ranchan is not going to marry Shampoo, and I am not going to let you take him back to China. And if you threaten Ranchan..."

"Don't worry. The Kiss of Death does not apply since Son-in-Law is male. And I know that it was not you who defeated Shampoo, but him in your form. So there is no need to worry about that."

Ukyo was relieved to hear that, but kept her expression even. "It was not actually Ranma who defeated Shampoo. It was Tatewaki Kuno. She was knocked unconscious by her own chui, and so maybe she didn't see where it came from. But it was Kuno who disarmed her and knocked her out, not Ranchan."

"Actually, Shampoo thought that might be case, as well. But it is no matter. When your brother entered the battle, he made his challenge for Shampoo, and he was the last standing at the end of the fight. Therefore, he is the one who defeated both Kuno and Shampoo."

"That's an awfully flimsy interpretation of the facts."

Cologne cackled again. "Perhaps, but my Granddaughter does not want the 'silly stick boy'. She wants Son-in-Law. And I intend to help her get him."

She bounded off across the rooftops, using her staff as a pogo stick. "Tell Son-in-Law we will be meeting with him soon!" And then she was gone.

Ukyo growled. "This is JUST what we need!"


	33. First Kisses

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 33

As Akane was getting ready to leave her last class for the day, Ranma met her at the door. He looked really anxious to see her, but as soon as his eyes met hers, he stopped, and turned a little pink. Akane blushed a bit as well, and looked away. From the look on his face, she guessed that he had heard what happened.

He confirmed her guess as he spoke. "Akane! Why didn't ya tell me I kissed you in the Neko-Ken?"

"Shut up, baka!" Akane snapped, looking around. A number of the students had turned to look at her, and she grabbed Ranma's arm, dragging him away. "You didn't kiss me, you just rubbed your face against me... you know, like a cat!"

She said this last loud enough to ensure the eavesdroppers would overhear. Sure enough, they shook their heads, muttering something about "that crazy Saotome guy," and disappeared down the halls. Akane pulled Ranma into one of the classrooms.

"I... I did?" Ranma looked confused. "But I thought... it looked like..."

"That's what Ukyo said." Akane studied him for a moment. "Do you... remember kissing me?"

Ranma shook his head, irritated. "Gosunkugi had a photograph. Ryoga and Kuno showed up and yelled at me about it..."

Akane looked him over. He had some scrapes and bruises, but she wasn't in a particularly consoling mood. Besides, he looked fine. "Well, as far as the school knows, you DIDN'T kiss me... so keep your mouth shut about it."

There was a short pause, and Ranma nodded, looking down at the floor. Then he timidly glanced up at Akane again. "So... um... did I?"

Akane sighed, unable to meet his eyes either. "I don't know! You WERE a cat. But it was... you know..." she gestured at her mouth. "On the lips..."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. I didn't want to tell you, because I didn't want you to worry about it. You... you didn't know what you were doing."

"But..." He swallowed, and tried again. "You're mad... and I'm sorry."

"I am not mad!" Akane's voice rose, but then she stopped and looked away again. "I'm not mad, I'm just... kinda upset, I guess. I need to be alone for a while. To think this over."

"Oh. Okay. I understand..." Ranma was watching her carefully. She was clenching and unclenching her fist again, but then caught herself doing it, and stopped.

"Look, I just don't want to talk about this, okay?" She glanced around at the empty classroom, but there were still students walking past in the hall, close enough to overhear. "As far as the school knows, it didn't happen. And that's the way I want it to stay."

Ranma and Akane walked home together, but they didn't speak, and Ranma walked on the fence, as usual. Akane found that this walk home was more awkward than the one after Shampoo had kissed Ranma. She couldn't look at him, and Ranma seemed to be going out of his way to not say or do anything to upset her. Which didn't help her mood in the least. She knew that she had to talk to Ranma about it, but felt that if she did, they would just end up in a screaming fit.

What was worse was, in the back of her mind, she kept thinking about how that kiss had felt. It had been rather odd, like she could sense that Ranma wasn't totally himself, so she didn't like that at all. Yet she couldn't stop wondering what it would have been like if he HAD been himself. It only made it all the harder to ignore him, as he walked silently along the fence beside her.

Neither of them noticed the white and purple cat that cautiously followed them, staying far enough back to remain out of sight.

* * *

When Ukyo met up with Akane in the dojo for their sparring session that evening, she was still in her cursed form. And Ukyo seemed to be pushing herself to hit Akane as hard as possible. It had been a long time since Ukyo had really gone all out on her, and she was still incredibly fast. Even her shorter reach and height didn't give Akane any relief from her relentless assault. Akane had long since learned not to leave openings in her defense, but about the third time Ukyo tagged her, she was hit so hard it reminded her of that first time Ukyo had hit her with all her strength.

"Ukyo... are you okay?" Akane asked, although she kept her guard up. Ukyo's focus was perfect, her eyes watching for any opening. "Are you upset with me?"

"No, why would I be?" As Akane had, she circled her opponent while talking, not letting the conversation distract her.

"You just seem to be hitting me a bit hard, that's all."

"What's the matter? You can take it, can't you?" Ukyo raised an eyebrow at her. "You are a martial artist, after all. Right?"

"Well, yes, but... you just seem a little angry. Why are you in your cursed form?"

Ukyo shrugged, then darted in for a punch which Akane only barely evaded. Akane had come a long way, she was much faster now than she used to be, but still nowhere close to Ukyo's speed. A fact that Ukyo was reminding her of, even now. However, Akane managed a swing while Ukyo rushed at her, and she was just quick enough to drive her back.

"It's been a while since I could really challenge you with my strength level," Ukyo told her. "It's been ages since you've had any bruises to show for it. I figured that if I was going to continue to develop your conditioning, I'd need the greater strength of this form."

Ukyo regarded her for a moment, almost mockingly. "Is that okay with you?"

"Well, yeah, if you think it'll help me. I'm up for it."

There was a moment's pause where Ukyo hit her again, but then Akane caught her with a counterattack. Ukyo shrugged it off, though. "It's not exactly fair, though," Akane said with a slight smile. "You're stronger AND tougher in that form, but no slower. So you're going to hit me harder AND not take as much from my hits."

"Well, any time you want to go back to the baby level, let me know." She did sound mocking that time.

"That's not what I meant." Akane managed to moderate her tone just before she started shouting. At it was, she left herself open for a hit that knocked her off her feet. She back flipped awkwardly, but managed to keep from falling down.

Akane noticed Ukyo open her defense slightly, though. "Actually, you're probably right. I could use to take a few hits, to build up myself as well. If you think you can hit me, that is..."

Recognizing the taunt for what it was, Akane kept her focus as she darted in. Ukyo tried to counter, but Akane blocked, and didn't let Ukyo back her down. She got in a few shots, probably because Ukyo let her, and Akane made sure not to hold back. Ukyo grunted, letting out her breath as she rolled aside.

"Is that the best you can do?" She said, although Akane could tell she had gotten in a solid hit. "My Bro hits harder than that."

Akane just smiled slightly. "Somehow I doubt that."

"Feh. Okay, you got me." Ukyo managed a slight grin as well. "I'd never get my conditioning up as long as Ranchan was sparring with me."

"I wonder... if I DID get tougher... or you did... would he be more willing to hit us when we're sparring? I mean, I realize I've got work on speed, but..."

Akane sighed. "It just seems like when we spar he... he just won't take me seriously. When I can get him to do it at all..."

"He's just always been that way," Ukyo said, a bit gruffly. Akane expected her to say something else, but she just fell silent.

The two continued to circle each other, until Akane felt ready to break the silence. "Um... Ukyo... about Ranma..."

"What about him?"

"I mean... what he did... the Neko-Ken. Did you really mean what you said, about him just rubbing his face against me?"

Ukyo snorted. "Give me a break. That was just for the kids at school. To squash the rumors."

"But..." Akane started to turn pink. "I mean, does that mean that he...?"

"I dunno, you tell me. You were the one who was kissed. You oughtta know if you got kissed or not."

"But why... why would he do that? I mean... he was a cat. Like you said, a cat wouldn't..."

"No, a cat wouldn't," Ukyo growled. "But I guess Ranchan would..."

"So... so then... he could have kissed anyone then. Anyone that would offer him comfort. It might have even been you..."

Ukyo stopped and dropped her arms, the fight momentarily forgotten. "What the hell are you talking about? You really think Ranchan would just kiss ANYONE?"

Akane swallowed, unsure of what to say. "But he was a cat, right? So he was just looking for someone to... I don't know. Someone he felt safe around. Someone who would take care of him. That's all, right?"

"Akane, in all the years I have known Ranma, in all the times I've seen him go into the Neko-Ken, and held him until he came out of it, he has NEVER kissed me! YOU are the only person he has ever done that to! EVER!"

"So then why?"

"Why? Why do you THINK Ranchan would kiss you?" Ukyo yelled. Her earlier focus and calm readiness were gone, replaced by a sudden unexpected fury. "I swear, this whole insecurity thing of yours is cute and all, but after a while, it just gets OLD!"

"But... but..." Ukyo's reaction was really scaring Akane, and she wasn't sure she should have brought it up. "H-he doesn't feel that way about me. And I... I don't..."

"YOU REALLY ARE AN IDIOT!" Ukyo yelled back. "You're as much in denial as he is! I can see the way he looks at you, but try to get it through his thick skull, and he just stammers and gets stupid. And you're no better! It's obvious you deserve each other, you're both exactly the same!"

"Wait a minute," Akane tried to cut in. She felt overwhelmed. "It's not like that..."

"Oh, sure it's not! You might be able to fool everybody else, but not me!" Ukyo waved an arm, as Akane looked away from her, blushing. "But you don't even get it yourself, do you? You actually believe that stuff you say. You're so afraid of your feelings, you're so afraid of your emotions, you can't even admit it to yourself!

"You're as bad as your father! Worse, even... he may be a crybaby, but at least he's honest about it, instead of hiding it behind a wall of anger."

"Hey!" Akane had been trying to hold her temper, but that was just going too far. "What does my father have to do with this?"

"Well, he certainly didn't teach you anything about confidence, did he? How do you expect to be a martial artist, and face your enemy, when you can't even face yourself! You'll never be the martial artist that Ranma is, or that I am, because you've got no self control! You don't want to admit that you're afraid of failing, and so you just let yourself get angry. Then you insist that everyone take you seriously as a martial artist, so you don't have to admit that you don't know what you're doing!

"You'll never catch up with Ranchan and me. We've got ten years of experience on you, and as long as you refuse to see that, you'll never be anything but a second rate martial artist."

"That's not fair!" Akane shot back. "So I didn't grow up on the road being trained by an insane man who spent every waking moment drilling me in combat techniques! You have no idea what I had to go through to follow MY dream, when nobody would take me seriously! You don't know what I had to give up, what it was like to be called a 'tomboy', just because I wanted to follow the Art!"

"What you had to give up? What exactly HAVE you given up, Akane? What are you willing to give up? Because it sounds to me like you've got everything, and you're not willing to give up anything." Ukyo stared at her, sneering.

"I'm not a baby!" Akane protested. "I know I've got a long way to go! But I'm getting better, thanks to you!"

"Oh, you're getting better, right. I saw you hit Ranma in Dr. Tofu's office. It doesn't look like you're controlling your temper to me."

Akane looked startled for a moment, but then her face turned red again. "Hey, I didn't hit him all that hard! And I apologized! I'm trying, really I am!"

Ukyo laughed. "Yeah, right, sure you are. That's why you're getting mad right now, rather than admit you're embarrassed. That's why you're trying to convince yourself Ranma didn't kiss you, but you should punch him for it, even if he didn't. And tomorrow you'll find something else to punch him for, too."

"I will not!" Akane said, looking very uncertain. "I don't mean to get mad at Ranma, but he just..."

"He just what? Makes you mad? Insults you? He insults me, too, and I don't hit him!"

"You do too! You and Ranma spar all the time! More than he does with me!"

"That's different!" Ukyo shouted. "Sparring, and hitting someone when you're mad are two different things!"

"You hit Ranma! You hit him when we first met!"

Ukyo jerked back, surprised. But then her eyes narrowed again. "I don't know why I'm even talking to you! It's obvious you don't even want to listen to me."

She turned to leave, and Akane called out, "Wait, I didn't mean to say that!" but Ukyo just waved a hand to dismiss her. She walked to the door of the dojo, but just before she reached it, it slid open on its own. Ranma was standing there, as he had been drawn to the dojo by all of the commotion.

Ukyo glared at him for a moment, but then shoved past him out the door. As she passed, Ranma smirked at her. "That's a scary face, Sis. You better be careful, you wouldn't want it to get stuck that way."

Ranma's smile faded as Ukyo looked back at him. "I'm not in the mood for your stupid, immature games, Ranma," she said coldly. "Just leave me alone."

She turned to continue down the walkway, and Ranma stared at her back as she walked away. "Ucchan..." he muttered.

Akane watched as Ranma looked back towards her, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. But she could feel that the argument with Ukyo had left her on the verge of slipping. She could feel her anger trying to break loose from her control. If she got into a fight with Ranma, she might end up hitting him, just as Ukyo said. And that did bother her, it bothered her a lot. She had been so proud of herself, on the progress she had been making. But looking back on the last few days, and punching Ryoga as well, could she really say she was doing better?

Biting her lip, she looked up to meet Ranma's eyes. "I don't want to talk to you right now either, Ranma. Maybe later, but... for now, you should just leave me alone. Just... like Ukyo, I just need some time alone."

"Oh..." The look in Ranma's eyes grew even darker, and he looked away. "Okay, I-I understand." He half turned in the doorway. "I'll... I'll see you..."

His voice trailed off, and he paused, with one hand up on the door frame, his head bowed. He seemed to be shaking. Suddenly, he shook his head, violently. "No! No! I... I can't. Not like this. I know I shouldn't, and I'm sorry, but..."

He looked up and met Akane's eyes again. "I can't just let it go like this. You gotta let me apologize. You gotta let me say I'm sorry. I know what I did was wrong, and I wish I could say I'd never, never do it again, and I wouldn't, if I..." His voice trailed off. "But you gotta let me... explain. Just talk to me."

He lowered his head again. "You're mad at me... and Sis is mad at me, and I don't even know why! But I know why you're mad at me." He looked at her. "Please, I gotta make it right. Sis.. Maybe she hates me, an'... if I lose her... and I lose you, if I lose both of you... I dunno what I'm gonna do..."

He suddenly stopped, and looked around himself, as if frightened. "I-I can't talk here. Anyone could be listening. I can't talk here." He looked around, then outside. "Meet me on the roof. You don't have to. If you're mad at me, and you don't want to talk to me, then, I guess you don't have to." He looked back at her. "But please... please, meet me on the roof. You've got to let me make it right..."

Akane stared at him as he stood there in the door. Then he suddenly turned and leaped away. For a moment, it looked like he was crying. But surely, he couldn't have been. She clenched her fists, trying to decide. If he wanted to apologize, surely she could let him. She could hear Ukyo's voice taunting her, telling her that she would lose control, and hit him. She wanted to prove her wrong. She wouldn't get angry with Ranma if he was trying to apologize, right?

But of course, she knew better. Ranma was certain to say something stupid. But maybe she could just ignore it. She probably shouldn't push things, since Ukyo had made her so mad, but then this was a challenge, too. Not really making up her mind one way or another, Akane left the dojo, and headed after Ranma.

As Akane passed by, making her way down the walkway, a small feline head poked out from under the shelter of the wooden floor of the dojo. The white cat very carefully and deliberately stepped over one of Ukyo's tripwires. Then it scampered off towards one of the trees in the yard.

Akane stopped at the side of the house, considering whether or not she could make the leap to the roof. She still hadn't done much by way of roof hopping, outside of that one night with Ranma. But Ukyo had said that she didn't know what she was doing. So she stopped and considered the leap for a moment. She had been building up her leg strength, and was leaping onto fences now. She thought she could make it, if she pushed herself. But was she overestimating her strength?

At that moment, Ranma stuck his head over the edge. "You coming, tomboy?"

Akane shot a look up at him, and Ranma immediately blanched. "Um... uh... sorry." He ducked out of sight. Akane cursed to herself. Finding her focus again, she took a few steps back, then ran and jumped for the eaves. She found that she couldn't clear the roof, but was able to grab onto it with her hands. She then began to struggle to pull herself up.

"You, uh, need help?" Ranma asked hesitantly, moving closer to offer his hand. She waved him away, grinding her teeth as she redoubled her efforts. By the time she managed to pull herself onto the roof, she was about ready to explode, focus or no focus. But she made it.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, she walked over to where Ranma was sitting on the roof. She glared down at him. The pull up to the roof hadn't helped after all. "Okay, you've got one minute. If I don't like what you have to say, Ranma, I'm leaving. One minute."

He just nodded, not looking at her. For a long moment, he said nothing, and Akane felt herself getting angrier as he kept letting his time slip away, but finally he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Akane. I know I had no right to kiss you, and... well, you've got every right to send me away, like you did Ryoga. If that's what you want, I'll go."

Akane frowned. This was a good start, but it didn't help her mood any. She actually wasn't sure if she did want to send him away, but felt it likely that this was not the time to decide. "It's all right, Ranma. You don't even remember what you did. You can't be held responsible for what you do in the Neko-Ken, unless... unless you remember?"

He shook his head. "Even so, it was wrong, and... even if you sent me away, I'd have to ask to you please forgive me. To tell me what I can do, to make it up to you." He glanced at her for a moment, then looked away again. "You've gotta let me know that there's a chance..."

"I'm not gonna say that I don't deserve to be punished. I know that I... I forced you to... and even though it was the c-cat that did it, and not me, that's still no excuse. I wouldn't ever make you do nothin' you don't want to do. And I did kiss you, when you didn't want me to, and I'm sorry."

There was a long, long pause, and then he muttered, his voice quiet. "I just can't stand the thought... that you hate me now. The way I hated Sanzenin."

And just like that, Akane felt her anger fade. It was almost a relief. She still felt hurt and unsure, but now it seemed like Ranma was taking this harder than she thought. She studied him for a long moment, while he continued to avoid meeting her eyes. Then she sat down next to him, and wrapped her arms around her knees. She looked up at the colors of twilight in the sky above them, and then took a deep breath.

"That really bothered you, didn't it?"

"Well of course!" He snorted. "I was kissed... by another GUY!"

"No, no. I mean that really bothered you. Like a... you felt it. What a woman feels. You... you know how that feels."

Ranma looked at her, startled, and a little offended. "What do you mean by that?"

Akane stared into his blue eyes. He really doesn't understand, she thought. He's not even aware of what he's feeling. "Never mind," she said, looking away from him. "It's not important."

She looked up at the sky again. "There's a big difference between you and me, and you and Sanzenin," she said. "For one thing, Sanzenin didn't care about you. He didn't care if you wanted to kiss him, or if it would make you happy. To him, you were just another conquest, another notch in his belt. Another in his list of a thousand women he had kissed."

"Is that what I am to you, Ranma?" Akane said, with a challenging tone in her voice. "A conquest? A prize, to be won?"

He looked back at her, visibly upset. "Of course not!"

"Then you're nothing like Sanzenin."

She reached out and touched his hand. "The other thing is, you never expected to be kissed by a guy. I'm sure you felt someday you would kiss a girl, and maybe even get married but... you certainly never even thought about a guy kissing you. You wouldn't have even thought about it at all."

Akane blushed a little as she continued, looked down a bit. "I have thought about it though, Ranma. I know I said I didn't want any pervert boys touching me or kissing me, but ever since I was a little girl, I've known that someday I would be a... mother." Her blush deepened, and Ranma looked uncomfortable as well. "I thought that one day I would find a man that I would want to kiss, and maybe even marry and have a family with."

She looked down at the roof tiles they were sitting on, but squeezed Ranma's hand. "I know you said you didn't think I liked being held or any of those things, and I can certainly understand why you would think that, but it's not TOTALLY true."

Ranma seemed to chuckle quietly, but didn't say anything. Akane continued. "Anyway... when you kissed me, I was a bit surprised, yes, but if I had truly wanted to, I could have punched you for it. Like I was going to punch Sanzenin. If I hadn't wanted you to kiss me, I could have stopped you, or at least knocked you away afterwards. I didn't have to let you curl up in my lap and go to sleep, but I did, because I wanted to take care of you.

"I may not have wanted to kiss you right at that moment... and I am SURE I didn't want you to kiss me in front of the whole school," Akane rolled her eyes. "But at least Ukyo took care of that. So don't think that I hated you for kissing me. You didn't force me to do anything."

Ranma put a hand behind his head. "I didn't?" Akane didn't think it was possible for him to look any more uncomfortable.

"No, Ranma. I've thought about kissing... someone. I've even thought... someday... it might even be you. Not right away, of course..." She blushed. "But I did say that I didn't NOT want to be your fiancee..."

She couldn't meet his eyes for a while after that, and he looked away as well. But finally she managed to regain control of herself. "So I'm not mad at you because you kissed me, Ranma. I did say that you could, and I liked you... well enough." She smiled a bit, at that.

"I'm not even mad because you kissed me in front of the whole school, not so much... Ukyo took care of that, anyway. It was embarrassing, but I'll get over it."

She paused a moment, and then met Ranma's eyes. "So... if that's not the reason that I'm mad, do you know WHY I am mad at you, Ranma?"

He stared at her for a moment, then reluctantly, he shook his head. He looked away from her, obviously ashamed.

"Because that was my first kiss, Ranma! That was supposed to be something special, something I would remember for the rest of my life! But you don't even remember it! Our first kiss, our first kiss together, and to you, it never even happened! It might as well have not happened! And I... I kissed you back, Ranma." Her blush became very deep as she admitted to this. "I kissed you, and you kissed me, and it means nothing to you."

She looked away, wiping away the tears that had unexpectedly come to her eyes. "Ukyo's right. We've been playing games with ourselves, lying to ourselves, and look what it's come to. I was ready to completely forget the fact that I had my first kiss, and not even mention it to you, because you didn't even know it happened. And I was worried that you would be upset if I told you. I was afraid you would panic, and yell at me, or run away.

"I think I deserve to know, Ranma." Akane met his eyes, and Ranma swallowed at the serious expression on her face. "I don't want to know, I've been too afraid to ask, but after all that's happened..." She sighed. "I have to know. Did you kiss me because you WANTED to kiss me, Ranma, or was that an accident? Did it, as I said, not mean anything?

"Did you kiss me because, deep down, you have feelings for me, and your cat side let them out?" Her eyes narrowed. "Or was that just an ANIMAL, with its MATE?"

Ranma blushed at that, but he stared at her for a long moment. Finally, though, he looked away. "I dunno. I wanna say that, yes, I do care about ya that way. Because I don't want you to think I took advantage of you. *I* don't want to think that I took advantage of ya. I don't want to think that I would just... do that... for no reason."

His eyes suddenly widened, at a thought. "Oh, God. You don't think I kissed Ucchan in the Neko-Ken, do ya? You don't think that's the reason she's mad at me, do you?"

Akane stared at him for a moment. Part of her wanted to see what his reaction would be if she said she didn't know. But the fear and desperation in his voice was obvious, and she found she couldn't do that to him. The idea was clearly deeply troubling to him. "No, Ranma. Ukyo told me that you never kissed her while you were in the Neko-Ken. And I believe her."

Ranma breathed a sigh of relief. Then he was quiet for a moment more. "Well, it's not that it didn't meant nothin' to me. I may not remember it, but I wouldn't be so afraid that you hated me if it didn't matter, what I did. And I understand what it means ta kiss somebody. What it's supposed ta mean. So I WANNA remember. Even if just to know what the heck I was thinkin'...

"Look, Akane, the fact is, I would never, ever kiss a girl like you... SHUT UP AND LET ME FINISH!"

Akane caught the retort that was about to come out of her mouth, and struggled to force it back down. She also forced back the look of fury that had spread over her face. This left her with an unexpected bout of nervous giggling, which she had a lot more trouble stopping. Ranma had turned to ward off her expected attack, his hands up, but he glared at her, while she tried to regain control of herself.

"What I mean is, a girl like you doesn't deserve to be kissed... a girl like you DESERVES BETTER than to be kissed by some jerk who doesn't know how he feels about her. Someone like Kuno, or Ryoga, who's always goin' on about how much they 'love' you, when they don't even care how you feel... you shouldn't have ta stand for that, and you DON'T stand for that. You'd punch anyone stupid enough to act like that..."

Akane found herself giggling again, but Ranma ignored her. "Anyway, I wouldn't never kiss you unless I know for SURE that you want me to." He looked her in the eye, and Akane found herself smiling at him. "Even if you said I could, I'd have to KNOW. I'd have to know that you don't want... anybody else.

"But maybe when I went cat, I didn't know that. Maybe... my honor, an' all, the cat don't understand stuff like that. So maybe it just thought I MIGHT want to kiss ya... and did."

He looked away again, hiding his face in his hands. "The thing is, I don't KNOW for sure. I think maybe... I kinda like you, but without the cat side... I just can't tell. I just keep thinking that there's no way I'm gonna... I'm gonna do that to you."

Akane reached out and took his hand. Ranma looked up at her, startled, but she held his hand in both of hers, and squeezed it. She smiled at him. "Ranma, do you remember what I said, when we almost kissed in the dojo? I said that if YOU want to kiss ME, then I'll let you. If you're sure... then I'm sure."

"But, I'm not sure, Akane." He looked away. "I'm not sure at all."

"Well..." Akane swallowed. "If you're not sure... there is a way to find out. If you're not sure if you want to kiss me or not, you can kiss me, and then you'll know."

Ranma looked back at her, his eyes wide. "But, what about you? Shouldn't you be sure?"

Akane had to turn away, blushing, but she cut her eyes up to look at him. "Maybe I want to know too, Ranma..."

"I dunno... I mean..."

"I've already had my first kiss, Ranma," Akane said quickly, to reassure him. "So you don't need to be worried about that. And while I'm glad you want to protect me, it's all right. I trust you. And believe me... that puts you way ahead of both Ryoga AND Kuno." She giggled again, and Ranma laughed at that, as well.

Akane took hold of both of his hands, and moved to sit in front of him on the roof. She leaned a little closer to him, looking up into his eyes. "I'll even close my eyes, if you want," she said.

"Nah," Ranma said uncertainly. "I'd kinda rather you didn't."

"Okay." Akane pursed her lips a little, then sat in front of Ranma, waiting.

"Are you sure about this?" Ranma asked her. "I mean, I know we've been holdin' hands and stuff, and all, and I did call ya my fiancee, and you said you didn't want me to leave and stuff, but..."

"Ranma, I said that it's okay. I mean it, I DO like you..." She smiled at him, but then turned a bit unsure. "You do like me, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, but... I mean..." His voice trailed off, and he took a deep breath. "If it's okay with YOU... then I don't mind."

"I know, Ranma. I know." Akane leaned closer again, and this time Ranma leaned towards her as well. He seemed to be studying her lips, and leaned his head a little, as if trying to find the best way to approach her. Akane giggled a little nervously, and then shifted her head as well.

"Are you really sure?" Ranma asked again. "'Cause, you know, I do like you, I really do. I know I say I don't, and I say you're flat chested an' stuff, but I don't really mean all that..."

Akane shook her head, smiling. "Ranma, that's not helping at all. I've already said that you're not taking advantage of me. And if you can put up with my temper, then I can put up with you saying the wrong thing all the time. So why don't we just stop making excuses..." Her voice became gentle. "... and find out."

Ranma nodded. He shifted a little closer, and put a hand up on Akane's arm. He leaned in close to her, and Akane felt her breath get short. He's really going to kiss me, she thought. She found that she was really anticipating it now, more than she thought she would. She remembered how it had felt, when Ranma was in the Neko-Ken, and this time there wouldn't be any doubts about whether or not it was Ranma.

"Are you really, really sure..."

"BAKA!" Akane grabbed Ranma firmly, placing both hands to either side of his head. Then she pulled him towards her, and kissed him as hard as she could. Her heart immediately began beating wildly, driven by a surge of anger and passion that drove away all other thought. Ranma tensed, caught off guard, but then he suddenly began kissing her back, his arms going around her. Whatever control Akane might have thought she had instantly shattered.

Unnoticed in the shadows of the rooftop, a white cat with purple points arched her back, and hissed.


	34. Nihao, Airen

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 34

Akane was surprised, not as much by the pleasure, but by the way her doubts were just swept away, as she pressed her lips against Ranma's. Her Ranma was kissing her, and she was kissing him, and everything was all right. She was suddenly acutely aware of every point of contact between them, her own body blazing with heat. Ranma's mouth, and his arms around her, somehow felt cool by comparison. Yet, she felt calm, even though every emotion she had seemed to be erupting within her. For a moment, she wondered why it had ever been so important to keep her control. It felt so right, so... perfect. How had she ever thought that she could hold feelings like this back?

Unfortunately, while Akane now knew that she wanted to go on kissing Ranma forever, her conscious mind was still in the process of reacting. Her body was still carrying out her last thought, which was to get it over with before the baka chickened out. She had not really given any thought as to what would happen after that. And so her body, as if on autopilot, ended the kiss before it could even register with Akane that their lips had parted. She didn't want to stop, but by the time she could form the thought, it was too late. She leaned away from Ranma, her heartbeat pounding frantically, and with a strange tingling sensation on her lips.

But then it finally caught up with Akane what she had done. Ranma was staring at her, with a look of wonderment and awe in his blue grey eyes, and she just looked away. She felt that the blush that came over her had to be deeper than any she had ever felt in her life.

When she could swallow the lump in her throat, she snapped out, "Well?" She looked down at the roof, trying not to scowl angrily, but unable to decide between that and running for her room to hide.

"Uh... heh-heh... yeah," Ranma put a hand behind his head, looking sheepish. "Well... uh, I guess I did want ta kiss you after all, 'cause... well, that was pretty nice..." His voice trailed off, and he looked away as well.

"Yeah..." Akane said. She felt short of breath. "Nice..."

Ranma laughed self-consciously. He wasn't exactly sure what to say. Despite himself, he ended up falling back into old patterns. "I mean, it wasn't exactly incredible or anything... I mean, it was okay, but..." His voice trailed off again, as he suddenly realized he was sticking his foot in his mouth. "... it was kinda awkward and clumsy..."

Akane wasn't mad, though, and laughed as well. Although it came out as a squeaky, nervous giggle. "Well, it's not like I was expecting it to be GREAT or anything. I mean... depending on how you look at it, your first kiss was either with a girl who was trying to kill you, or another guy! And my first kiss was with a cat..." She cut her eyes away from him, smiling shyly.

"Yeah..." Ranma answered. "But our second kiss was with each other..." His voice turned gentle. "And it was nice."

"Yeah." Akane could feel her face burning up. "Nice."

There was a long silence that became all the more awkward because it seemed to go on forever. Ranma cleared his throat a few times, and Akane kept glancing at him, but they couldn't meet each other's eyes. Finally, Ranma just chuckled lightly.

"So... does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

Akane did laugh that time, happily. "Yes, Ranma. You..." She glanced away, embarrassed, but she was smiling widely. "I found out what I needed to know. Thank you."

"Um... so I guess we better go back inside, then. I mean... we still got to take our baths tonight."

Akane turned to snap at him, although she ruined the effect by being unable to keep the smile off her face. "Oh? Are you thinking about taking a bath with me you... baka?" For some reason, she stumbled over the word "pervert". It didn't seem right, somehow.

"Of course not!" Ranma protested, not completely catching her teasing mood.

"Well, okay then. See that you don't." Akane could still feel the heat on her face, and knew that Ranma had to be able to see her blushing, even in the dark. "I guess you might as well go first. I've still got some homework to do."

"Okay, tomboy." He regarded her warmly as they stood up, taking Akane's hand. She shied away from meeting his eyes, but held his hand tightly. They walked along the roof towards the side of the house, and as they neared the edge, Ranma asked her, "You want me to help ya get down?"

"Thank you, Ranma, I'd... I'd like that."

Ranma put his arm around her waist. Akane's heart leaped into her throat, and began pounding again. She tried her best to keep calm, as Ranma carefully guided her to the edge of the roof, and then jumped with her over the side. They landed near the koi pond, and Ranma kept his arm around her as they walked to the engawa. Akane couldn't stop herself from trembling, but as they stepped into the house, she pushed Ranma away, gently. She wasn't sure what would happen if she didn't.

"Well... Goodnight, Ranma." I wish he would kiss me again, Akane thought.

"Goodnight, Akane." I wish she would kiss me again, Ranma thought.

Quietly, each turned and headed their own way; Ranma around the family room and towards the furoba, and Akane down the hall to the stairs. Neither of them noticed the white cat as it dropped lightly into the yard, and then darted around towards the back of the house, heading in the same direction as Ranma.

* * *

Ranma sat on the stool in the furoba, scrubbing herself. She dumped the bucket of rinse water over her shoulders, shivering a bit from the cold temperature. She really didn't notice it, though; her thoughts were occupied with Akane.

Her crack about them taking a bath together kept coming back to his mind, and although he knew that she was just poking fun at him, it still was a terrible distraction. He kept forcing the thought out of his mind, because he knew he would never do such a thing. He still felt a little bad about kissing Akane while he was in the Neko-Ken, when he wasn't in control of himself, but at least he wasn't like Ryoga. He hadn't tried to hide it, or deny it. He hadn't tried to blame it on anyone else. He might have begged her to forgive him, which might not have been very manly, but at least he faced her like a man.

He thought about Ryoga's accusations about what he had done, and imagined the look on the lost boy's face when he told him that Akane had forgiven him, and that even if they had kissed, it was none of his business. Eh, the pig boy would probably still get mad and try to beat him up anyway.

As Ranma was considering that thought, though, she suddenly sat up straight, at a sound from behind her. It was a meow. She turned, to see the white cat standing there, on the tiled floor, staring at her. Ranma screeched, and rose from the stool, putting her hands up protectively to ward off the approaching horror. The cat stepped forward, meowing at her again.

Ranma panicked. Flailing her arms, she began to run around the room, not caring where she was going, just trying to get away from the cat. The cat began to chase her, meowing plaintively, but herding Ranma in such a way that she couldn't escape out the door. Ranma blindly ran into the furo, and then lost her balance, tumbling into the warm water with a splash. The cat jumped after her, submerging under the surface of the water, even as Ranma held her breath, terrified.

There was then an even louder splash, as two figures surfaced in the furo. One was Ranma, back in his male form, but the other was a well endowed, curvaceous young girl with long, indigo hair, tied with ornaments. And both were completely naked. Ranma drew back in shock, as he recognized Shampoo instantly. His shock quickly turned to fear, as Shampoo smiled at him, beguilingly.

"Nihao, Airen," she said.

Ranma's fear turned to terror, as Shampoo began to slide her body up against his, under the water. "Shampoo so happy!" She said brightly. "You ARE a man, after all! Great-grandmother was right!"

"Uh... Sh-Sh-Shampoo, W-W-What are you doing here? Why were you a...?"

He got no further, as Shampoo fixed him with a hungry look that stopped Ranma in his tracks. She ran her tongue over her full lips, and then moved her face closer to his. Ranma began to squirm backwards in the tub, trying to escape from her.

"You kiss Angry Girl, yes, Airen? You like kiss Angry Girl? Kiss good?"

Ranma tried even harder to get away from her, but every time he tried to push Shampoo off of him, he had to... touch her. And there was no part of her that wasn't soft, and warm, and very naked. And she was pressing her body against his, her hands going up to caress his chest. It was very obvious from the look in her eyes that she was not playing, this wasn't teasing. She... she... she was... she wasn't going to stop.

Shampoo put her hand up to stroke Ranma's face. Then she reached down and took his hand. "Angry Girl not want take bath, yes? But Shampoo happy to take bath. You like kiss Angry Girl? Feel good? Shampoo show you something feel even better. Shampoo show Airen something you like much better than kissing..."

He felt Shampoo lift his hand, pull it towards her. And then she pressed his hand against her breast, and his mind froze in shock. She pushed herself into his fingers, guiding him with her own hand, making him cup her flesh. She moaned a bit at the contact, and then smiled at him, wantonly. "Is good, yes? Better than Angry Girl, yes? Much better..."

At this point, Ranma was ready to scream, to push Shampoo off of him. He would even hit her, if that's what it took. But then all other thought shut down. Shampoo had moved her other hand, under the water, and she had gripped him THERE. That place where no one was supposed to touch. He had thought that Akane... someday... but even that he didn't think about. But here was Shampoo, making sensations go through him, sensations that took Ranma beyond terror, to a fear he had never really admitted to before.

"Don't..." he begged, his voice hoarse. This was worse than Sanzenin. A lot worse than Sanzenin. "Shampoo... you can't..."

"Don't worry, Airen..." Shampoo said softly, brushing his cheek with her lips. "Wo ai ne. Shampoo love Airen. You'll see..."

She rose up in front of him, leaning forward on her knees, still holding him in place under the water. At that moment, though, Ranma noticed the divider slide open. He looked over Shampoo's shoulder to see the female figure standing there. The stocky, short haired figure who stared at him first in shock and astonishment, and then in anguish, as if her heart was breaking. And then her face darkened, her eyes narrowing as the words exploded from her mouth.

"RANCHAN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

"Uc.. Uc... Ucchan...?" Ranma wanted to explain, but he was still trembling in fear. He had only barely had time to recover from Shampoo in cat form, and then she had started... what she was doing. He could hardly form coherent thought. Yet, he knew he had to explain, he had to make Ukyo understand.

Shampoo looked back at her, noticing her red headed form. "Shield Sister! Is cursed body, yes? Shampoo glad see you, but come back later. Shampoo busy with Airen now."

Ukyo ignored her. "Is this what you do, after kissing Akane, Ranchan? Bring your floozy in here to the bath to have a little fun with her, instead? You humiliate Akane in front of the whole school, worry me half to death over nothing, and here you are in here with... *Shampoo*?"

Her tone while saying Shampoo's name was scathing and she noticed. The purple haired girl smiled, however. "Shampoo show Airen too, too good time, then Airen come back with Shampoo to China. Shampoo better choice than Angry Girl."

Shampoo's smile widened as she saw Akane enter the furoba as well. She had obviously heard Ukyo's scream, probably half the household heard it. As Akane saw what was going on, she gasped, and put both hands to her mouth. "Ranma!" She exclaimed. She slowly sank to her knees, her face going white with shock.

"It's not what you think!" Ranma exclaimed, somehow forcing himself to speak. But his fear made it impossible to get out the rest. "She was a c-c-c... she was a c-c-c..."

"She was a c-c-c-what, Ranma!" Ukyo screamed at him. "She was a c-c-c-cutie? She was c-c-c-coming on to you?" She gestured at the shapely girl, dismissively. "I can see that!"

"No, no, a c-c-c-c..." He couldn't get the word out. Shampoo was still holding him, and he was still pressing his hand into her chest. He quickly pulled his hand away, but it didn't help. The look on Ukyo and Akane's faces were just too much for him.

"What is wrong with you?" Ukyo asked him, her face scarlet with anger. She looked angrier than Akane had ever been. "Are you so starved for affection that you'll take anything, even the bad stuff? Do you LIKE getting beaten up and pushed around? Or do you get off on it? Does it make you feel like a man to know women are fighting over you and throwing themselves at your feet?

"After all I've done for you, after all I've done for you and Akane, you just go and throw it all away? Well, I guess Shampoo is cute after all, Ranma. Honestly, I was right that you and Akane deserve each other. You're both JACKASSES!"

Ranma cringed away from her, while Shampoo just smiled, smugly. Akane was staring at her as well, her mouth hanging open in shock. Ukyo didn't seem to care. "Well, I've had enough of both of you! You know what, Ranma, the truth is, no normal girl could stand be seen with you! That's why you draw psychopaths and sadists! Even your so-called friends hate your guts, because NO ONE CAN STAND TO BE AROUND YOU!

"I don't even know why I put up with you! I'm a hell of a lot smarter than this. I'm out of here." With that, Ukyo turned and stomped out of the room.

"She sound like Angry Girl now," Shampoo quipped.

"That's enough." Akane got to her feet. Her voice was perfectly calm as she spoke. There was only the slightest tremor in her body to betray her inner turmoil, and that was quickly suppressed. "Shampoo, you were not invited into this house. I would like you to leave, now. Obviously, you have caused a disturbance. I'll have to ask you to come back once things have calmed down."

"Angry Girl sound like Shield Sister, too. Too, too funny."

"I'm serious, Shampoo. I need to have a talk with Ranma. And obviously I will need to talk to Ukyo as well, once she calms down. This does not concern you."

"Airen is Shampoo's Airen," Shampoo said, hugging him. "Shampoo stay."

Akane met her gaze, without flinching. "Shampoo, this is my home. I ask you to respect the rules and traditions of my culture, just as I would respect your rules in your tribe. Do not ask me to defend my home and family."

Shampoo stared at her for a moment. "Airen invited me in."

"He did not, Shampoo. Ranma was with me all this evening. I know that he did not meet with you until just now."

"He invite Shampoo earlier."

"Ranma is a guest in this house," Akane said coldly, and Ranma flinched. "He does not have the authority to invite anyone here, without the knowledge of my father or my sisters. If you wish to be accepted into this house as a guest, at a later time, I ask you to act respectfully."

Smiling confidently, Shampoo stood up, making it obvious she was showing off her body. Akane turned away, blushing deeply at the Amazon's nudity. Brazenly, Shampoo stepped out of the furo, and walked over to Akane.

Akane glanced back at her, her eyes narrowed. "Put on some clothes before you leave here. It would not be proper for you to be seen like that."

"Airen took off Shampoo's clothes," Shampoo smirked at her. "Shampoo not know where Airen put them. Shampoo too, too distracted..."

"You may take a robe from the changing room," she said. "It is a bit flimsy for wearing in public, but I'm sure with the outfits you wear you won't mind." Despite herself, Akane still let a bit of sarcasm creep into her voice.

The black haired girl kept her eyes locked to Shampoo's. "Leave by the dojo, though, and through the back gate. Please do not dishonor my family any further by drawing attention to your lack of appropriate clothing."

Shampoo laughed, lightly. "Too, too funny." She looked back at Ranma. "Shampoo come back soon. Show Airen too, too good time. Airen like."

She left the furoba, and Akane turn to look at Ranma. He wilted under her gaze. "I swear, Akane, it's not what it looks like. You GOTTA believe me."

"I want to, Ranma," Akane said, and for the first time, she let the hurt show in her eyes. "I REALLY want to. But... I saw what you were doing, Ranma. I saw where you were touching her. And I saw... I saw where her hand was... under the water. I... I can't believe that you didn't... you didn't enjoy that..."

"I didn't! I didn't, Akane, you gotta know, I DIDN'T!"

A tear rolled down her cheek. "I want to believe you. But... But I just need time, Ranma. I... I need to think about this. This was so... this was so nice..." She looked away, and started to sob. "I finally thought I felt... I don't know what to think any more..."

She put her hand to her face. "I just need to be alone, Ranma. I'm... I'm..." She turned and fled from the room. "I'm sorry..."

* * *

Akane walked into her bedroom, feeling lost and tired. She didn't even have the strength to be angry. It was like all emotion had been drained out of her. She walked over to plop down on her bed, and just sat there, staring off into space. She idly noticed that Ukyo was not there, but she figured that she had felt the need to be alone, too. She wasn't sure she could face Ukyo, not after all that she had said to both Ranma and herself.

Why did this have to happen? Everything was going so perfectly. She thought she knew how Ranma felt, she thought that they had gotten closer, MUCH closer. How could she have been so wrong? Was it just stupid, gullible Akane letting herself hope that she could be happy, only to have her heart stomped on yet again? Was this yet another of Ranma's jokes at her expense?

But she wanted to believe Ranma. Oh, how she wanted to believe him. She had seen the expression on his face, the pain and hurt when Ukyo yelled at him. He had been trying to get away from Shampoo - although he wasn't really trying very hard, a nasty part of her mind pointed out - and he had tried desperately to get them to believe him. She wanted to see it his way, to see that he had just gotten caught in another of those crazy things that just seemed to happen to him.

It just didn't make any sense, though. How could Ranma just let Shampoo walk in on him, stark naked, and climb into the bath with him? How could he not know what she was planning as she came after him? Why didn't he run away, fight back, push her off of him? How could he have... how could he have... TOUCHED her like that? Akane felt the anger start to rise up in her, the tears coming to her eyes, but it didn't help.

He kissed me. He kissed me, and then he did THAT, with her!

She wanted to believe him. She could see the way Shampoo was looking at her, arrogantly, showing off her body in all of its glory. The tramp obviously knew that she had every advantage, and fully intended to use it. If it had just been her word, Akane wouldn't have believed her for a moment. But how could she have gotten into Ranma's bath without him knowing? He HAD to have known she was there.

Despite herself, she found her mind flashing back to her first meeting with Ranma, there in the furo. Was that how it had happened? Had Shampoo walked in on him, as he was getting in the bath, flaunting her naked body for him to appreciate? Had he hesitated - perhaps sparing a thought or two for his fiancee, that he had kissed - but in the end just stammered and put up a half-hearted fight until Shampoo got what she wanted? Had he totally forgotten about her, then, having a more willing lover right there who would do more than just kiss?

Did he only become frightened and panicked when Ukyo came in? Was his guilt only because he got caught? Or had Shampoo started to go too far, and Ranma only realized too late? Either way, how was she supposed to trust him?

Akane lay back in her bed, but except for that short burst of anger before, she didn't feel like crying. "Ranma, you jerk," she muttered, but it didn't help at all. It only made it hurt worse.

Putting her hands to her face, she tried to gather her thoughts. Maybe a night's sleep would give her a better perspective on the matter. Maybe she would see something she hadn't seen before. Or maybe, she could try to let go, to back off long enough for Ranma to make a decision between them. Maybe they had come too far, too fast. Maybe she wasn't ready.

Akane rolled over, and looked across the room towards Ukyo's empty futon. Between them, sat her row of alarm bells, untouched, each sitting upright in its place. Just sitting there, waiting for the trigger that would cause one of them to fall over.

She lay there, studying the bells for a moment as she considered. Then she sat up. "She was a c-c-c... cat..." She put her face in her hands again, and began to sob. She cried for several minutes, finally releasing the emotions that this wonderful, horrible day had built up in her. Then she wiped her reddened eyes and stood. She opened her door, and walked out into the hall.

A few moments later, she was standing at Ranma's door. She knocked, calling out quietly. "Ranma, it's me." Then she opened the door and stepped inside.

"What do you want?" Ranma asked, gruffly. He was laying on his futon, but Akane could see he wasn't trying to sleep. She winced at his tone.

Not saying anything, she walked over to sit down in front of him, cross legged. She looked at him, studying his expression, while he rolled over and pointedly ignored her. Then she looked away.

"I'm sorry, Ranma," she said. "I didn't believe you, when I should have. Ukyo's alarm bells weren't triggered. That means there's no way Shampoo should have been able to get into the house. She couldn't have gotten all the way through the house and into the furoba without setting off at least ONE alarm."

Ranma looked up at her, and although he still looked angry, he nodded. "That's true."

"That means there are only two possibilities. Either someone LET her in... Did you let her in, Ranma?"

"Of course not!" Ranma shouted. He sat up. "How can you even THINK that?"

"If you say it, Ranma, I believe it." She took his hand, and Ranma stared into her eyes. He saw only complete sincerity there. She meant it.

She exhaled, loudly. "The only other explanation is that Shampoo didn't trip any of the alarms, because she was in a form that was too SMALL to trigger them." She paused a moment, looking at Ranma apologetically. "She was a cat, wasn't she?"

Ranma shuddered, and nodded again. "That same c-cat she sent from China."

Akane shook her head. "You'd think after Ryoga, it would have been obvious. But that's how she got into the bath with you. She was in cursed form, and you were trying to get away from her. When she turned back into human form, she was already in the furo.

"And that's why you couldn't say it. Between seeing the cat, and Ukyo catching you, you were too terrified to say the word."

"And Shampoo..." Ranma muttered. He looked away, the expression on his face haunted.

"Yeah," Akane said, and Ranma looked back, surprised at the understanding in her tone. "And Shampoo."

She began to sob again. "I'm sorry. You needed me, you needed me to believe in you, and I didn't. She... she was going to... to... do THAT to you... and I was ready to blame it all on you."

Ranma swallowed, his own anger forgotten. "Hey, hey come on, it's all right. It may not have been the way I wanted it, but you and Sis stopped her..."

Akane wiped her tears away. "You've got to understand, Ranma, it's not that I don't trust you." She met his eyes again. "I think I trust you more than any man I've ever met in my life, Ranma. But it's not you that I don't trust. It's ME.

"All I could think about when I saw you with her, is that she is just so much more beautiful than I am. She's so strong, and so confident, and she wants you, Ranma, and she's confident enough to just TAKE you. I can't do that, Ranma, I... I'm scared, but I'm also not willing to do that. I can't ever let myself do that. I'm never going to chase some man, I'm not going to throw myself at him like that, because... because..."

Ranma chuckled a little. "Because a tomboy wouldn't ever do that..." He said, smiling at her.

She nodded, wiping her eyes again. "I guess you're right. I never wanted to be a tomboy, I never wanted to be... well, weird, but it was all I ever knew. And I guess I'm not giving up TOO much by not acting like Shampoo..." She giggled a bit.

"But that's just it, Ranma. I'm just so afraid that if I refuse to fight her on her own terms, then she's just going to take you away from me." She looked up at him. "I'm not as pretty as her, I guess she's a pretty good cook, so I can't cook better than her, and I'm not even a better fighter than she is. She's better for you than me in every single way."

"But Akane," Ranma protested. "I told you, I don't like her! She wants to take me away from you, away from Sis! I don't WANT to go away! An' she's crazy! I don't like anything about her!"

"I know, Ranma, I know. And..." She wrapped her arms around herself, sniffling. "And thank God I know. I don't know if I could stand it if I didn't know how you feel. But that doesn't stop me from being jealous. Even though I know what you've said to me, that you like that I'm a tomboy and don't care if my cooking's not that great, still, I can't help the way I feel inside...

"She just makes me feel... like... nothing. And I take it out on you. Because I'm too scared to face it. And I'm not strong enough to take it out on her. I don't really want to fight her anyway. I don't want to make her hate me any more than she already does."

Akane sat in silence for a moment, sobbing a little. Then she shook her head. "I... I try to be strong, Ranma. But I'm just not good enough... "

She looked away from him, and Ranma tried to think of what to say. It was obvious that she needed him to say that she was wrong, that it wasn't like what she said. She was the strongest girl he knew. But he just knew that the moment he opened his mouth, his foot would go in it. He'd just snap out with some insult, and that was totally the wrong thing to do. But he didn't know what else to do. He didn't know of any other way to reassure somebody.

And then he knew. He reached forward, and put his hand to Akane's chin, turning her face towards him. Her eyes widened as she looked into his, and she gasped a little. Her eyes fluttered, and then her lips parted slightly. And Ranma covered her lips with his own.

This time, Ranma made sure to keep the kiss going, not wanting it to end after only a few seconds. He put his arms around her, and Akane relaxed into his embrace, her own hand going behind his head. She whimpered a little, as if crying, but returned the kiss passionately, putting everything into it. After Ranma felt like he wasn't going to be able to hold his breath any longer, he finally broke the kiss, and leaned away.

"Okay, Akane?" he asked her.

Akane nodded, tears running down her face. "Okay, Ranma. Okay." She leaned her head against his chest, hugging him tightly.

Ranma held Akane as she cried, wondering at her. How in the world could she be so tough, and yet cry like this? Or maybe, how come she could cry so much, and yet still be so strong and stubborn and forceful? Even his Sis wasn't like this, he had held her a few times, but Akane just seemed to be so much more… everything. He didn't think he'd ever understand her.

He didn't say anything about it though; he knew that was the wrong thing to do. He just held her. After a while, Akane seemed to regain control of herself, and she spoke softly. Although she didn't lift her head from his chest.

"So… Shampoo obviously knows that you're male now, and will be trying to marry you again. What do you think we're going to do?"

"I dunno, Akane. I ain't interested in her, but I don't think she's gonna listen to me."

"Yeah, I don't think you can just send her away like I did with Ryoga." Akane sighed. "I don't think she'll listen."

"Probably not".

There was a pause, and Akane looked up into Ranma's eyes, her expression worried. "The bigger question is… what are we going to do about your sister?"

Ranma slumped, and a look of dark depression came over his face. "I… I just don't know."

"Ranma…" She stroked his face. "You know she didn't mean what she said. She was just angry. She didn't mean any of it."

He wouldn't look at her. "Maybe she's right…"

Akane looked away as well. "Yeah, and maybe she said some things to me that… hit a little too close to home. But I'm sure she didn't mean it. She was just upset."

She was silent for a moment. "It almost seems like… well, I don't want to think it, but, it almost seems like she's jealous of you, Ranma." Akane looked up and met his eyes. "I know it's crazy, I know she thinks of you as her brother, but…"

"I just… A lot of the way she acted, I can see myself acting like that." Akane blushed deeply, sitting up in Ranma's arms. She put her arms around him and held him, while still letting him hold her close. "I know how I feel when I'm jealous of you, and… I could see myself saying some of those things she said to you."

She sobbed a little, not meeting Ranma's eyes, but holding him tightly in her arms. "It scared me, actually. To see how she yelled at you, screamed at you. I thought… I thought, do I look like that? I… I didn't like it at all."

Ranma chuckled. "I told ya, tomboy, that just makes you more uncute."

Akane giggled at little at that, wiping her face. "Maybe so, but it still bothers me. I'll try a little harder to keep control from now on." She looked up into his eyes. "And I swear to you, Ranma… I don't know that I can promise you that I'll never doubt you again. But whenever I do, I'll remember that I made you a promise, and I'll try to believe. You have my word."

That seemed to make Ranma's expression turn more pensive. "Well… I guess I'll have ta make sure I deserve somethin' like that. But I swear to you, Akane, I won't never do nothin' to dishonor you."

Akane hugged him, pressing her face against his chest again. "I know, Ranma. Thank you."

* * *

Author's Notes:

While this chapter earned it's PG-13/T rating, I don't think it gets into M territory. There have been scenes in the Anime where one character grabs another's breast, although that's not treated nearly as seriously as it is here. Certainly what went on under the water would have not been made clear. Still, because of the intensity of the scene and the subject matter, I almost posted an advance warning at the top of the chapter. I only moved it here because it seemed to imply that Ranma and Akane would do more than just kiss.

There may be some who would think, based on Shampoo's reaction to Ranma trying to "force" her to love him in the Reversal Jewel arc, that Shampoo would never consider doing the same to Ranma. On the other hand, she has no problems using drugs or magic to force Ranma to love her, which to me amounts to the same thing. At any rate, with Akane making the first move, Shampoo pretty much felt that she HAD to act, or lose Ranma forever. It's probably fortunate that we'll never know if she would have gone through with it, and even Shampoo may have been relieved at the interruption. After all, that served her purpose just as well.

As for Akane being so calm, as she said to Ranma, it disturbed her to see Ukyo get so angry, and so instead she tried to act more like Kasumi, who has always been a role model for her anyway. That's definately enough seriousness for a while, though, things will return to normal in the next few chapters, although not without Ranma and Akane exploring their new closeness a bit... :)


	35. Free Lunch

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 35

Ranma sat in the furo, letting the warmth soak into him. All of a sudden, he heard a noise and looked around, and found that the furo was surrounded by cats. He began backing away from them in the water, inching up against the wall, while the cats all began meowing and running towards him. Several of them leaped into the bath, and transformed into Shampoo, all grabbing him and touching him and crying out, "Airen IS a man! Shampoo so happy!" They batted and pawed at him, and their voices sounded like meowing, even though their hands on him felt soft and wet, like in the bath before.

Suddenly, Akane was there at the door. She began crying, falling to her knees on the floor. Ranma leaped out of the bath, and tried to run towards her. It seemed to take longer than it should, for some reason. "It's not what you think! Honest, Akane!" The cats all meowed and crowded around him, but now that they were out of the water, the girls that had all been Shampoo changed back into cats. He stared down at them, terrified, trying to climb up and get away from them as they clawed at his legs.

"Shoo! Shoo!" Akane said. All of a sudden she was next to him, waving the cats away. The cats scattered, and Ranma fell into her arms in relief. "It's all right," Akane told him. "The bad old cats are gone, now."

"Akane, you gotta believe me," Ranma begged her, looking into her brown eyes. He could see how hurt she was, the tears in her eyes, even though she acted calm. "It's not them I want. It's you. I just want you."

"I want you, too, Ranma," Akane said, and she kissed him. Her arms went around his back, and he began to caress her as well, even as he returned the kiss. Then Akane was naked, and she was touching him, but that was okay. And he touched her, and she smiled at him, and made a little moaning noise, and she didn't hit him or anything. That was okay, too. He kissed her again, and she was kissing him back, and enjoying it just as much as he was.

But then the cats returned, and they were clawing at his legs again. He turned around to kick them away, but Akane had let go of him, and was walking towards the door. The cats had turned back into Shampoo, and they began to pile on top of him, pulling him down. He called out to Akane, "Help me! Help me!", but she had walked on to the door and was on her way out.

"It's all right, Ranma." Akane said, her voice soft and tempting. "I trust you."

One of the cats said, "Ranchan... wo ai ni." Ranma turned to look at her, surprised, and sure enough, she had Ukyo's face. He was so shocked that it startled him right out of his dream. He sat up in his futon, his heart pounding, blinking into the darkness and trying to reorient himself with the here and now.

"That was... weird..." he finally decided.

* * *

The dream had still unsettled Ranma enough that he awakened too early for his father to pull his usual morning "Saotome Surprise Attack". Figuring that turnabout was fair play, he booted the old man out through the window and into the koi pond. Then he set about getting dressed, figuring that he would not be able to get back to sleep, not with the memory of that dream on his mind.

As he stepped out into the hall, he saw Akane there, just walking past. She stopped and was brought up short as she met his eyes, and blushed a little around her cheeks. Ranma blushed and looked away as well. He figured from her reaction she might have had some interesting dreams as well, although he hoped she didn't have nightmares like he had with the cats. They both fidgeted for a few minutes, unable to move away from Ranma's door, but unable to say anything to each other, either.

Finally, Ranma glanced around, making sure no one was watching, and then reached out and stroked his fingertips down Akane's wrist and into her hand. Then he pulled away, before anyone saw. He wanted, more than anything else, to kiss her, but knew there was no way, in the middle of the hall, where anyone might walk by. Akane smiled brightly at him, though, and Ranma smiled back. The two of them headed down the stairs, not touching, but with their shoulders within inches of each other.

As they reached the foot of the stairs, Ukyo met them coming back the other way. Her eyes widened for a moment, but then she grinned, in an overly friendly manner. "Ah, there you are! I was just about to go wake you two. I'm glad you're up."

She paused a moment, and her expression turned more somber. She took a deep breath, then lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, to both of you, for what I said yesterday. I guess I was under a lot of stress, from all the cats being around, and worrying about Ranchan. I said some things that, quite honestly I had no right to say, and my behavior was inexcusable. Please forgive me."

Ranma hugged her, quite obviously very relieved. "No problem, Ucchan. I know you were feelin' in a bad way. I'd never be mad at you, Sis."

Akane studied Ukyo with a little bit more concern. Was that triumph in Ukyo's eyes, as Ranma hugged her, and she met Akane's eyes over his shoulder? But Akane smiled at her. As Ranma released his sister, she stepped forward to take Ukyo's hands in her own. "Of course I forgive you, Ukyo. You're my best friend! But I want you to know, I would never come between you and Ranma. You're his sister, and... I would never do anything to threaten that."

Ukyo smiled back, her expression a little more genuine. "Let's let bygones be bygones, then. I can't stay mad at my best friend and my Ranchan, now can I?"

"Sure, Sis!" Ranma smiled widely and led them both to the table.

They sat quietly while the rest of the family gathered for breakfast. Nabiki came downstairs, looking bleary-eyed as usual, and gave the three a calculating glance as she sat down. But she didn't say anything. It wasn't until the meal was almost over that she decided to say what was on her mind.

"So, what was all that shouting about last night, Ukyo?" Nabiki asked her. "Some folks were trying to get to sleep, you know."

Ukyo looked amused, and glanced up at Ranma. "Oh, I just walked in on Ranchan in the bath, that's all. I had forgotten to change back from my cursed form, and had decided to take a bath. When I found Ranchan was already there, I guess I shouted a little. I kinda overreacted." She gave Ranma an apologetic smile, and he grinned back at her.

"Is that all it was?" Nabiki was grinning, too, and it was her "I see right through you" grin. "From what you shouted, I thought you caught Ranma doing something naughty."

Ranma blushed deeply, and Akane looked uncomfortable as well. Ukyo looked panicked for a moment, but then shrugged. "Eh, you know how boys are..."

Nabiki chuckled evilly, studying Ranma's reaction. His blush deepened, and then he stammered. "Hey! I wouldn't! I mean, it wasn't like there was anybody else there! I mean..."

Ukyo laughed, cutting off Ranma before he said too much. "Actually, Akane must have walked in on him too, because she was already in there. And they were kissing!"

Akane turned beet red, and covered her face with her hands. Ranma's eyes went wide. "I didn't! I mean... not in the bath! That was earlier!"

"Don't worry, Ranchan, I'm just kidding!" Ukyo's laugh turned teasing. "He wasn't really kissing her, although she was hitting him. I'm not sure where she found a mallet in the furoba..."

Akane had apparently recovered, because she cut her eyes at Ranma, giving him a smirk of smug righteousness. "Well, he did deserve it, the baka pervert. At least this time I had more on than just a towel..."

"Huh, what?" Ranma glanced around, looking confused.

"So you got a real eyeful, huh, Sis?" Nabiki asked, which caused Akane's blush to return with a vengeance.

"He had turned back into my form," Ukyo cut in, to save Akane the embarrassment. But she couldn't resist throwing in a small gibe of her own. "At least THIS time she didn't see anything..."

Nabiki laughed again, amused at the different shades of red her little sister was turning. "Speaking of kissing, what's this I hear about from school, about Ranma kissing you?"

Akane gave a squeal, hiding her face in her hands again. However, this time Ranma found his voice. "It wasn't a kiss! I just rubbed my face against her, in the Neko-ken. Ucchan said so!"

"Oh, really?" Nabiki looked smug.

"You kissed my little girl!" Soun shouted. "And then took a bath with her! WAAAAAH!"

Ranma looked at him, putting up his hands. "It wasn't like that!"

"That's my boy!" Genma cut in. "The schools will be joined before we know it!" The two men began dancing around.

"It's not like that! I was a cat! And I didn't kiss her anyway! I wouldn't kiss a violent, uncute tomboy like that anyway! And there's no way you're gonna make me get married to a flat-chested, over muscled... uh, oh..."

Ranma realized, too late, that a blast of heat had suddenly erupted from his right. He turned to see Akane glaring at him, her eyes glowing. "Rannnmaaaaa!" She growled.

"Honestly, Akane, I didn't mean it! You know I don't mean it! Ow!" Ranma flinched back as Akane came at him, and she punched him in the face. The blow only sent him tumbling over the table, though, and then she leaped to catch up with him. She grabbed him, by his shirt and tossed him out over the engawa. He landed just short of the koi pond, and flipped back to his feet.

"Come on, Akane! You know I..." He was cut off as Akane kicked him over the wall. He landed just outside of the Tendo compound, and took off running.

"Ranma! Come back here and take your beating like a man!" Akane leaped over the wall and chased after him.

Ranma led Akane along a number of side streets, finally leaping onto a rooftop in his desperation to escape from her. "You don't think that's going to help you get away from me, do you?" She yelled, as she kept up with him on the street below. Finally, she spotted a conveniently positioned wall, and leaped onto it, and from there to the rooftops. Ranma began to back away as she came at him.

"Akane! Akane, please, I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me! I wasn't thinkin'! Come on!" He continued to protest, holding up his hands as she came near. She struck out with a punch that he flinched away from, but then she darted inside of his defenses. To his amazement, she just stuck her head forward, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Of course. I know that, dummy," she said.

"What?"

Akane giggled. "I just said that to give us a chance to get away from the family. I figured if they think we're still fighting, they won't bother us."

"So... you aren't mad?"

Her eyes twinkled with mischief. "Oh, I'm mad. So you'd better be ready to help me work off that anger, Ranma Saotome." With that, she came at him again, throwing kicks and punches that Ranma easily blocked. Within moments, they were engaged in an intense sparring match across the rooftops.

As he dodged her attacks, Ranma thought about the kiss Akane had given him. His cheek was still tingling. Why did she only kiss him on the cheek? Maybe she only wanted him to kiss her on the lips if she was really upset, like before. Ranma decided that she probably wanted him to take things slowly. He was relieved by it, actually, he still felt that urge to just grab her and kiss her, and it kind of made him nervous around her.

Focusing on the fight helped put such thoughts out of his mind. Now this... this he could do and really enjoy it.

Akane concentrated on her form while continuing to pursue Ranma. She hadn't fought on rooftops before, and had to push herself to make it as Ranma made a few leaps from one rooftop to another. But when she misjudged one leap, Ranma was suddenly there, holding her in his arms, as he carried her the rest of the way. Ranma stepped away from her and kept up his own attacks, but Akane found herself disappointed that he had let go of her.

Just as she was thinking of calling off the fight herself, Ranma put up a hand. "Sis is comin'."

They both dropped their stance, as Ukyo sailed up onto the roof to join them. "That was pretty clever. Think you two are gonna be able to keep that up, though? What if they catch on?"

"My father won't catch on," Akane said. "Nabiki might, but who cares?"

"And my Pops certainly ain't gonna get it. So if it keeps 'em off our backs, great."

Ukyo smiled at them. "Well, we'd probably better get on to school. You two keep your hands off each other, okay?"

Both Akane and Ranma turned beet red at that, and glanced guiltily down at the rooftop. Ranma put up his hands. "It ain't like that! We was just sparring!"

Ukyo laughed again. "You two are just too easy."

* * *

"So, Ranma, what was it like kissin' Akane, man?"

Ranma looked up at Hiroshi and Daisuke, with a look of shock and fear on his face. Then he suddenly realized the pervert duo were talking about what he had done in the Neko-ken. "What? No, uh... look, that was just me rubbing up against her!"

The two boys laughed, and Ranma turned red as he realized that what he said was even worse. "That's what we hear, but come on, what's the real story?" Daisuke asked him.

"Yeah," Hiroshi put in. "I don't think half the school believes that story, and we don't either. So you gotta tell us, man! What's she like?"

Ranma looked away as memories of kissing Akane not once, but twice flashed across his mind. He swallowed at the sudden constriction in his chest. "Look, I... what Sis said is not a lie. I go into the Neko-ken, which is this crazy martial arts technique my Pops taught me. And when I do it, I don't remember nothin' about who I am. I don't remember nothin'. So even if I did sit in Akane's lap and... and rub against her face like a cat would, I don't even remember it. So even if WAS nice..." VERY nice, he thought to himself... "I couldn't tell ya."

"Aw come on, you can't expect us to believe that!"

Ranma glanced over at Akane. She was sitting with Ukyo and her two friends Sayuri and Yuka, eating lunch. She had looked up at him, with an expression of worry and mild anger.

He struggled to keep his voice calm as he turned back to the two boys. "Look, I'm tellin' ya, I have this little... phobia... of cats. As long as Sis is around - or Akane, I guess - I'm all right. But sometimes I lose it, and when I do, I think I'm a cat. That's all it was. I thought I was a cat." Ranma looked down at the table, trying to avoid their eyes.

"What, are you kiddin', man?" Daisuke sat down next to him. "That's crazy..."

"Yeah, well, I got a lot of crazy things about me. You'd never believe some of them."

Hiroshi had sat down on his other side. "But when you were a cat... you went to Akane, right? I mean, you didn't know who you were and what you were doing, but you went to Akane. So... that must mean you like her, huh?"

There was a long moment of silence. Then Ranma gave a sigh. "I guess it's true. I do like her. As a friend," he added quickly, to cut off the two boys before they started high fiving each other. "But... I guess Akane is somebody I trust deep down; otherwise the... c-cat wouldn't have gone to her."

Hiroshi and Daisuke were still grinning knowingly, though. "Aw, come on, Ranma! You know it's more than that! She's the hottest girl in school, and all you gotta do is make your move on her. Wimp."

"Hey, it's not like that!" Ranma protested, stung at being called a wimp. "It's just... I..."

"Ranma was a perfect gentleman, boys," a voice said, interrupting him. Ranma looked up to see Akane standing there, giving the two boys a harsh glare. Although there was a hint of a smile on her lips. "He wasn't perverted or pushy or anything... unlike what you two would have done, I'm sure. He was a little... friendly... like a cat would be, but he also ignored me and made me chase him, the jerk..."

Her smile widened a bit. "Again, like a cat would be..."

Daisuke laughed wickedly. "Sounds like you're her pet, man!"

Ranma turned beet red at that. "HEY!"

Before the questioning could get any more embarrassing, the wall of the class room suddenly buckled inward. There was a loud explosion, and Shampoo stood revealed in the hole. She leaped over the debris, carrying a couple of large containers. Several more were stacked up in a row outside, in the schoolyard. Although each was almost as tall as she was, she handled them easily.

"Nihao, Airen!" Shampoo called. "Shampoo bring lunch! Shampoo bring lunch for whole class!" She looked around at the room full of students, who now looked excited.

"It grand opening of new restaurant, Cat Cafe! Shampoo ask all come! Bring free sample! All try!"

Ranma glanced up at Akane, in a panic, but the black haired girl just stood there, scowling at Shampoo. She watched warily as the Amazon began passing out bowls of ramen to all of the students, then looked over and noticed Ranma's expression. She scoffed a bit. "Get up from there, Ranma. It doesn't look like she's going to attack us. For now..."

Ukyo, Sayuri and Yuka had walked over to join them, and cautiously took the bowls that Shampoo offered them. Akane's two friends watched as Ukyo sampled the ramen. She frowned slightly. "As good as ever. Seems safe..."

The moment Ukyo gave it the okay, Ranma seemed to have overcome his fear, and leaped for a bowl himself. A moment later, he was devouring the ramen with his usual speed. Ukyo shook her head. "Honestly..."

"Is good, yes?" Shampoo said with a smile. "Shampoo make too, too good, just for Airen." Ranma looked a little more uncomfortable at her words, but didn't stop eating. "Shampoo want to bring Airen nice meal, tonight for whole family. Is for new Cat Cafe! Shampoo hope you like." She glanced at Ranma and Ukyo as she said this.

Then, her gaze stopped at Akane. She locked eyes with the other girl for a long moment, her smile a challenge. "Is Shampoo invited? Bring Tendo family nice meal?"

Akane's expression didn't change. "Thank you for your offer, Shampoo," she said. "You are welcome to come and bring Ranma," she put just the slightest emphasis on his name, "and my family a meal. I look forward to it."

Shampoo smirked at her, slyly. "Shampoo thank Angry Girl." Akane's eyes flashed momentarily at the name. "May Shampoo bring Great-Grandmother?"

"Is the Old Ghoul coming too?" Ukyo asked, her tone scathing.

Shampoo turned to look at her. "Great-Grandmother is Elder. Shield Sister should show proper respect."

Ukyo stared back, unflinching. "Does that mean she's coming?"

"Great-Grandmother want to meet Airen," Shampoo said in a cheery voice. "Want to see Shield Sister again, too." She glanced at Akane. "Even meet Angry Girl. Not sure why..."

Akane began to make a growling noise.

"Shampoo see you tonight then, Airen!" Shampoo shouted happily. She grabbed Ranma in a fierce hug, which made Ranma suddenly freeze in shock, with his mouth full of ramen. She then leaped through the hole and disappeared.

It took Ranma a few moments to recover, and then he quietly set the bowl down. Akane glanced at him, noticing his pensive mood, but then his two friends had grabbed him by the arms again.

"Whoa, Saotome! You still got it, man! That Amazon babe is back, and she's really got the hots for you!"

"It's not like that!" Ranma yelled, panicking again. "I don't like her! You gotta believe me!" He turned to look at Akane as he said this, his eyes pleading. To his relief, she nodded a bit, closing her eyes.

"Aw, you wimp! You've got two girls, and don't want to move on either of them! Are you gay or something?"

"WHAT?" Ranma turned to look at them, wide-eyed. Everyone else was so shocked that they missed the snort of amusement from Ukyo.

"Yeah, man, she kissed you, too, and you weren't in some cat thing. The whole school saw it."

Daisuke leered at him, "I even heard she slept with you, although you're making me wonder..."

"I didn't! I DIDN'T! I wouldn't... ever..." Ranma had suddenly begun shaking, and pushed the boys away from him. "Get this through your heads! I'M NOT LIKE THAT! That Amazon is crazy! I don't want to be anywhere near her!" Ranma suddenly bolted, and ran from the room.

"Whoa..." Daisuke and Hiroshi looked stunned. "You don't think he really is...?"

"No way, man..." Hiroshi answered.

The girls all stood staring after him as well. Akane finally stepped forward and spoke to Hiroshi. "Ranma's just protecting me. He's my friend, and he knows that Shampoo is out to hurt me and maybe his sister as well. Plus, he knows I would be really disappointed in him if he were to... 'go' with that... woman."

Hiroshi raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean you've got the hots for him?"

Akane scowled, and Hiroshi swallowed at her expression. But she spoke calmly. "Ranma is my friend. And do you remember what he said about me?" She smiled a bit. "I'm sure he wouldn't want you thinking perverted things about us... and neither would I."

"Uh... yeah, sure, Akane." The two boys looked at each other, nervously, and started backing out of the room. Even so, Hiroshi couldn't resist one last comeback. "I bet you like him, though!" He looked at his friend as they ducked out the door. "I think she likes him!"

Akane shook her head, almost smiling. As she did, Sayuri and Yuka came up beside her. "Whoa, Akane! You just totally controlled yourself! You didn't even bash them for being perverts! Not that those two don't deserve it." Sayuri giggled.

"Yeah..." Ukyo spoke softly, and Akane looked up at her. "She's really gotten a lot better at controlling her emotions lately." She smiled wider, and spoke up more loudly. "She's come a long way..."

Akane blushed. "It's only because of you, Ucchan," she said. She stared into Ukyo's eyes, uncertainly.

Her two friends had not noticed the private exchange between them, however. "Well, whatever it is, you've really changed!" Yuka told her. "And that Shampoo? It's really cool the way you stood up to her."

Ukyo walked over to them, her mood turning sour. "Yeah, what was the idea? I thought you wanted to get rid of her, and you just invited her to come right back? Don't you know what she's going to do?"

Akane sighed, putting a hand to her head. "It wouldn't have done any good to tell her she couldn't come. She would just sneak into the house later. At least this way, we know where she is."

She looked up at Ukyo. "She has a curse now, too. She turns into a cat."

"A cat? Is that what Ranchan told you? And you believed him?" Ukyo snorted, dismissively. "What kind of coincidence would it be for Shampoo to turn into the one thing Ranma has a trauma-induced phobia of?"

"Ranma didn't tell me that, Ukyo," Akane answered. "I figured it out myself. It made sense. Shampoo mailed herself from China, so she was the cat that Ranma was so afraid of, that first time in Dr. Tofu's office. And I'm SURE I saw her in the family room when Genma and Nabiki were hanging the cats all over him. A cat would be small enough to sneak around and slip past your alarms. And no one is going to NOTICE a little cat walking around. It's the perfect form for spying."

"Are you saying she got herself cursed on purpose?" Ukyo said, her voice incredulous.

"Maybe, or maybe it was just an accident. Either way, it explains how Shampoo got into Ranma's bath." Akane was so intent on her conversation with Ukyo, that she missed Sayuri and Yuka's gasp of surprise.

Ukyo looked thoughtful. "And Cologne did say it was 'just a coincidence'. But a funny one. Yeah, real funny..."

"She even managed to get into the furoba without triggering your alarm system," Akane added. "Ranma couldn't fight her off, because he was still on the verge of going into the Neko-ken, from when she was a cat."

"My alarms?" Ukyo glanced up at her. "I guess you didn't know about the alarms being disabled, did you?"

The blood drained from Akane's face, as she stared back at Ukyo. "Th... the alarms were disabled?"

"They were, but I fixed them. Shampoo might have been the one that disarmed them, though."

Akane began breathing again, putting a hand to her chest. "Oh, Ukyo... thank God I didn't know that yesterday. I might... I might never have believed Ranma... if I thought..."

"Wait, wait..." Sayuri interrupted, her eyes wide. "Did you just say Shampoo was taking a BATH with Ranma?"

Akane suddenly turned an intense shade of red. She had totally forgotten the two girls were there. "Um... uh..." For a moment, she sounded like Ranma, she was stammering so badly.

Ukyo answered instead. "Yeah, and I guess the jackass wasn't at fault after all. But he still didn't put up much of a fight... cat or no cat."

Akane's eyes narrowed. "Ukyo... if you had been a few seconds later, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Ranma would be on his way back to China with Shampoo. Possibly with her carrying his baby. And NOT because he wanted to..."

Sayuri's eyes, surprisingly, grew even wider. "You don't mean..." Akane just nodded.

Ukyo staggered backwards, putting out a hand to catch herself on one of the desks. Akane put an arm around her waist to steady her. She stood there for a moment, and then shook her head, dazedly. "I... uh... I need to be alone right now."

"It's okay, Ucchan. I understand." Akane walked her to the door, but then let go as Ukyo continued out the door on her own. Ukyo waved mechanically at her as she left, but she was obviously lost in her own thoughts.

There was a long moment of silence, and then Sayuri spoke up. "Gee... Akane... don't take this the wrong way, but... how can you be so calm?"

Akane looked at her. "What do you expect me to do? Get mad at Ranma?"

"Well, yeah... or Shampoo, or... just yell, and scream, or SOMETHING. Don't... don't you want to DO something?"

"What can I do?" Akane sighed, then walked back to sit down in one of the desks. "If we confront Shampoo about it, she'll either deny it, or just insist that Ranma is her husband and has to come back to China with her. If I try to force her to stay away, she'll probably just kidnap him. And if we try to hide him from her, she'll come after us..."

Yuka shifted, uncomfortably. "And you're sure that Ranma was not... you know... willing?"

Akane shot her a glance that made her look away. But then her expression softened. "No..." Akane said, her throat getting tight. "Ranma wasn't willing."

"Whoa..." Sayuri muttered.

"It sounds like... you really like him, Akane," Yuka said.

A denial had already half formed on her lips, before Akane put both hands to her face, and collapsed on the desk, sobbing. Both Sayuri and Yuka put their arms around her. "Oh, Akane, it's okay. Everything will be okay."

"How can it? How can it?" Akane sobbed again. "He kissed me! And now... she wants to take him away from me."

"Whoa, girl!" Sayuri said. "He kissed you? You aren't talking about the Neko-ken this time, are you?"

Akane shook her head, looking up. Her cheeks were a little pink, but with the tears on her face she just looked miserable. Sayuri and Yuka wrapped their arms around her again, muttering comforting words.

"I talked to him about the Neko-ken. I wanted to know if he really wanted to kiss me, deep down, or if it was just... you know... a cat. If it didn't mean anything. We talked for a while and then... he..." Her voice got quiet. "I kissed him, actually. The baka just wouldn't do it." She giggled a little, through her tears.

Sayuri and Yuka laughed as well. "Way to go, girl. But I bet that made Shampoo jealous, huh?"

Akane's head suddenly jerked up, so forcefully that Sayuri was almost thrown off of her. "Hey, what?" Sayuri asked.

"Of course! No wonder she thought she had to... do that. She was watching us, the whole time..." Her voice trailed off, her face growing hot with memories of her boldness.

"She must have thought that Ranma didn't want to!" Akane's tears started to flow again. "It's all my fault!"

"No! No!" Sayuri and Yuka looked at each other, their expressions somewhere between astonishment and irritation. They just hugged her harder. "Of course Ranma wanted to, he's just... shy is all!" Yuka looked at Sayuri, who mouthed the word "Shy?" Yuka just shrugged.

"That floozy just thought she would steal YOUR man," Sayuri continued. "She thought she would one-up YOU. How dare she think Ranma would just give in to her like that!"

Again, Yuka gave Sayuri a glance like she was crazy. Sayuri just shrugged.

"That's right!" Akane leaped to her feet, her fist clenched. Her battle aura erupted around her. "He's my Ranma, and I trust him! SHAMPOO YOU BAKA!"

Sayuri and Yuka had been knocked to the floor, but they began to applaud and cheer wildly. "That's the spirit, Akane!"

Akane looked around herself sheepishly. Fortunately, lunch was over, and the classroom had long since cleared out. So no one had been around to hear her embarrassing outburst. After a moment, she sat back down and began to giggle. A moment later, her giggles turned to full blown laughter.

"Feel better, Akane?" Sayuri asked, standing up to put her arms back around her friend.

Akane wiped her tears away. "Yeah. What is wrong with me, anyway?"

"If I didn't know any better," Yuka said with a smile. "I'd say you're in love."

That brought a deep blush to Akane's face. "No... I'm... not in... I just LIKE Ranma. A... A whole, whole lot."

"Sounds like love to me," Yuka said.

Akane just hid her face in her hands. Somehow, she couldn't deny it.


	36. Shampoo's Curse

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 36

"We're home," Akane called out, as she, Ranma and Ukyo arrived from school. Kasumi called out a greeting from the kitchen, and Akane hurried to meet her.

"Shampoo is back from China", Akane said, somewhat gruffly. "She said she would come by later this evening with a dinner for all of us. So you won't have to cook if you haven't started already."

"Oh, that's nice," Kasumi replied, in her usual sweet manner. Akane rolled her eyes, but didn't comment. "I was just about to start dinner, but I can put it away for tomorrow."

"She's bringing her Great Grandmother as well," Ukyo put in. "I met her in China, and she seemed to like me, although she didn't seem too impressed by Ranchan or the Old Man." She glanced back towards the family room as she said this, and saw Genma peeking around the corner. A few minutes later, there was the sound of a splash from the koi pond.

"I see," Kasumi said calmly. "So I will set two extra places at the table, and obviously Mr. Saotome will need some fresh bamboo..."

Ranma and Ukyo both snickered at this, and then Akane joined them as they headed for the family room.

Not half an hour later, there was the sound of a bicycle bell from the front walk. Kasumi answered the door, to find Shampoo holding a huge box, as big as the ones she had brought to the school earlier. "Oh, my," Kasumi said, looking over at her bike. "You must have excellent balance to have carried something so large while riding that."

"Shampoo have great balance," the Amazon said. "Shampoo can come in?"

"Yes, yes, of course." Kasumi escorted her inside, taking the box from her. Shampoo seemed shocked as the elder Tendo carried the box easily, placing it in the kitchen. "And where is your other guest?" she asked, while opening the box to unpack it.

"Great Grandmother say she be along soon, want to come on her own." There was suddenly a scream from the family room. It was Ranma, crying out in anger, and then crashing noises. There was then a splash, and Ranma's complaints continued, albeit in a more soprano voice.

"That be her now!" Shampoo said happily, hurrying down the hall to the family room.

"Whadja do that for, ya old ghoul!" Ranma called out, as Shampoo entered. Or Ranma in Ukyo's body, anyway, as she assumed that Ranma had transformed. She was standing on the engawa, her slightly baggy clothing soaked with water. Facing her was a tiny, elderly woman perched on a staff, who both Shampoo and Ukyo recognized as Cologne. Ukyo was standing to one side, inside the room, but intently watching both Ranma and Cologne.

Shampoo was taken aback for a second at seeing Ukyo and Ranma standing there, looking so much like twins. Although she had seen Ranma in his sister's form before, and had seen him change in the furo, it was still the first time she'd seen the two together in the same body. She felt a memory prickling in the back of her mind, a memory she hadn't wanted to remember; a redhead screaming at her in anger, stepping forward to protect her "Ranchan". And the other girl, the girl she was looking at right now, begging for the life of the sister she loved.

"I just wanted to confirm the curse for myself, Son-in-Law," Cologne said. "You're not bad. You will make a fine groom for Shampoo."

"I ain't marrying Shampoo!" Ranma exclaimed, but then gulped as she looked over and saw Shampoo staring at her.

Akane had stepped forward to address Cologne. "I hope you are not here to cause trouble..." she warned darkly.

Cologne cackled as she looked the black haired girl over. "Relax, child. I was merely having a little fun. When you get to be my age, you learn not to be so serious all the time." Akane scowled, drawing herself up, and Cologne's smile widened at her reaction.

Akane's eye twitched, but she then bowed to Cologne. "My apologies, then. You... and your great-granddaughter..." she cut her eyes at Shampoo, "... are welcome in our home. Thank you for the nice meal."

The cackle grew even louder. "It is the least we can do for Son-in-Law. We are not barbarians, after all." Her eyes twinkled as she held the Tendo girl's gaze.

"We do not recognize your Kiss of Marriage to Ranma," Akane said evenly, "as this is Japan, not China... but you are welcome as long as you..."

She was interrupted as her father barged into the room. He was blowing smoke from his cigarette, and doing a fairly good job of looking intimidating. Cologne just turned to him calmly, however. "Ranma is already promised to my daughter!" He said. "They must join the schools of Anything Goes!"

"I never agreed to that, Daddy!" Akane pointed out, her voice rising. "But even so... Ranma and his sister are guests of our family." She glanced at Ukyo. "We do not want Ranma or Ukyo to leave, and she would not want to be separated from her brother."

Cologne looked over at her for a moment, then back at Soun. "It is our way to find strong men for the good of our tribe. Ranma will be coming back to China with us."

"Ranma must marry my daughter!" Soun insisted. Akane's eye began to twitch again, as she realized she was being left out of the conversation. Fortunately, at that moment Kasumi came in carrying several bowls of ramen.

"Dinner is served, everyone," the eldest daughter said sweetly. "Courtesy of Shampoo's Great Grandmother and the Cat Cafe." The family quickly gathered around the table, with Cologne plopping herself down to slurp up some of the noodles herself.

"Well, the ramen is pretty good," Nabiki commented. "You should get quite a few customers in this new restaurant of yours."

"It's just an old family recipe," Cologne said with a cackle. "Great Granddaughter told me that she cooked for Son-in-Law and Shield Sister here, and they enjoyed it. This was all made myself."

"I wouldn't say that I enjoyed it all that much," Ukyo growled darkly. She had not touched the ramen, and neither did Akane.

Cologne glanced at her. "Shampoo told me about that. Actually, she did not remember it at first... but once she did, she was quite upset. I apologize for my Great Granddaughter's practical joke, as well as her rather forward actions here last night..." She looked at Akane as she said this, and Akane scowled.

"I tried to teach her better than that, but ah, the impetuousness of youth..." She sighed as she slurped up more of her ramen. "Reminds me of when I was a reckless and carefree child..."

Akane's scowl darkened, even more so when Shampoo gave her a knowing smirk. Nabiki, as well, seemed to be putting two and two together, and got a calculating look on her face. Kasumi, meanwhile, had stepped back into the kitchen for a kettle, which she handed to Ranma. She then sat down next to Cologne.

"My, but you speak Japanese well," she commented.

Cologne laughed through a mouthful of ramen. "You don't live for three hundred years without learning a few things," she said brightly.

Nabiki stole another glance at the vicious stares Shampoo and Akane were giving each other, and then turned back to the Amazon Elder. "So, does setting up this Cat Cafe mean you are planning on staying here for a while?"

"At least a short while." Cologne looked at Akane, appraisingly. Her expression became more mischievous as the girl pulled herself up. "I have to agree that it would not be civilized to just take Son-in-Law by force, when obviously he has friends and family here. We will give him time to accept his marriage to my Granddaughter, and say goodbye to his family..."

Ranma had returned to male form, and growled as he addressed the Elder. "I ain't marryin' Shampoo, Old Ghoul. I ain't marryin' nobody."

"You're marrying my daughter!" Soun protested.

"Amazon Law takes precedence over all others!" Cologne countered.

"My Bro ain't goin' nowhere as long as I can do anything to stop it!" Ukyo shouted.

Shampoo grabbed Ranma by the arm, and pulled him aside. "Airen come with Shampoo for a moment? Shampoo have something to show Airen."

"What?" Ranma pulled his arm back. For a fraction of a second, he looked frightened, but that was quickly replaced by anger.

"Airen come with Shampoo to bath..."

"WHAT, AGAIN?" Ukyo yelled, snarling. "You have GOT to be kidding!"

Shampoo waved her hand at Ukyo, looking a little uncomfortable. "Airen just come with Shampoo for a moment..."

Akane stood. "*I* will go with you and Ranma, as a chaperone," she said. She glanced at Ukyo. "That okay, Ucchan, or you want to come too?"

Ukyo studied her for a moment, fuming. Then she shrugged. "Go ahead."

Akane looked back at Ranma, to see him looking at her fearfully. As she met his eyes, though, and gave him a smile of reassurance, he seemed to relax. He blew out a breath. "Okay, Shampoo, let's see what you got... I mean, see what ya got to say!" He turned red, and Nabiki chuckled evilly.

* * *

There was a tense silence as the three walked into the furoba. They walked past the changing room, but then as soon as they were in the bathing room, Shampoo immediately began to strip off her clothes. "What are you doing?" Akane shouted, sounding like she had reached the same conclusion as Ukyo. Ranma just backed up against the wall, glancing nervously between Shampoo and Akane.

"What you think? You pervert now, now that you kiss Shampoo Airen?" Shampoo said to Akane with a snarl. She grabbed the shower head and held it over her. "This what Shampoo want to show Airen!"

She turned on the water, and moments later the shower head clattered to the floor. A purple and white cat sat on the tiles, her fur dripping with water. Ranma immediately screamed and leaped at Akane, who quickly took him in her arms.

Shampoo yowled, arching her back as she swiped at Akane with her claws. Akane moved to put herself between the cat and Ranma. "Stop it!" she shouted down at Shampoo, as Ranma began to tremble violently. "You're scaring him! You know about his fear of cats!"

She felt Ranma tense up, and he tried to push away from her, but then Shampoo hissed again. His grip tightened, and Akane couldn't keep a look of smug satisfaction from coming across her face. "You're just driving him right into my arms, Shampoo! The closer you get to him, the tighter he holds on to me!"

"I... I'm no weakling..." Ranma muttered. He steeled himself, and pulled his arms from around her, putting his hands on Akane's shoulders. But he couldn't look down at the cat, and kept his eyes locked on Akane's face. Akane could see what this was doing to him, the terror warring with his pride, and she rubbed his back, reassuringly.

"It's all right," she told him. "She needs to know how strong your phobia is, anyway. If she thinks you can control it... she might force you into the Neko-Ken..."

Shampoo hissed again, taking a tentative step forward. But she noticed how Ranma flinched at the sound, and buried his face tightly against Akane's shoulder. Akane looked down at the cat, her confident smirk quickly changing to worry and concern. "Please, Shampoo, stop this. You're not going to get close to him this way."

The white cat quickly turned around, and jumped into the furo. Moments later, Shampoo again surfaced in the water, naked. She leaped at Akane, holding her hand out with her fingers extended. "You is obstacle," she announced coldly. "Obstacle is for killing."

Ranma's reaction was immediate, his fear vanishing in an instant. He whirled, blocking Shampoo's path to Akane, and grabbing her hand before it could strike the black haired girl. Unfortunately, at the same moment he brought up his other hand to stop her charge, and it pressed into warm, soft flesh. Both figures froze in place, Ranma's eyes going wide as his hand reflexively gripped Shampoo's breast, for the second time in as many days.

Shampoo's eyes fluttered, as she seemed to fall back in a faint. "Airen..." she gasped. Her voice had that same dazed, dreamy quality that Ranma had heard when he searched her for the bottle of Formula 911. Ranma's gaze snapped back to Akane, and as he expected, he found her eyes glowing with rage, her teeth grinding. For a long moment, he just stared at her, waiting for the explosion.

Akane finally slapped his hand away. "Are you quite through squeezing her yet, Ranma?" She snarled. She grabbed Ranma and pulled him away, moving to block Ranma's view of the girl's body.

The Amazon's dazed expression cleared as the contact ended, and she remembered that she was supposed to be fighting her rival for her Airen. "You I kill!" she shouted, but Ranma was still tightly holding her other hand. So she settled for shouting her challenge into the other girl's face, while trying to struggle to pull her hand free.

"No!" Ranma answered her. He looked incredibly nervous to be trying to hold back the attacks of a naked woman, especially since Akane kept trying to put herself in front of him, instead of behind him. But he kept his eyes on Shampoo's face. "You won't hurt Akane!"

"Besides!" Akane cut in, batting aside a hand as Shampoo pulled free of Ranma. "Even if you kill me, there is still Ukyo! Remember Ukyo, your 'Shield Sister'? Shield Sister can hold back Ranma's Neko-Ken too! So even if you kill me, he will run to her, instead!"

Shampoo seemed to consider this, and then she drew back. She scowled at Akane. "Shield Sister not stop Shampoo. Angry Girl not stop Shampoo. Airen must marry Shampoo, go back to China!"

"The moment you turn into a cat, Ranma will run back to us. Even if I'm not around, he'll run to Shield Sister. And I don't think you want to kill Shield Sister. I think you like Shield Sister."

There was a moment where Shampoo thought about that, and then she smiled sweetly at Ranma. "Shampoo comfort Airen too, when Airen see cat. Then when Shampoo scare Airen, Airen run to Shampoo!"

"It doesn't work that way!" Akane protested, her voice showing her exasperation. "You can't be both the cat AND the one to comfort Ranma, at the same time!"

"Is Airen FAULT Shampoo turn into cat!"

"What? How is it MY fault?" Ranma's discomfort over having not one but two women grabbing and shoving against him was quickly supplanted by his indignation at YET AGAIN being blamed for everyone's problems. Trying to keep two women apart who were trying to kill each other, particularly when one of them was naked, was coming frighteningly close to the limit of his ability to cope. So he was relieved at having something more familiar to concentrate on.

"Airen fool Shampoo with hot water! Make Shampoo think Airen is girl? Shampoo broken-hearted!" She gave Ranma a sad eyed look, and Ranma gulped.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Akane asked, although her expression had turned more compassionate. She had seen the look on Shampoo's face when Ranma revealed "her" curse, the tears in her eyes as she turned to leave.

Surprisingly, Shampoo looked uncomfortable. She hesitated for a few moments, and then looked down at the floor. "Shampoo not want to remember Airen. Shampoo just want to go home. Shampoo shampoo Shampoo."

Silence fell over the furo. Ranma and Akane just stared, waiting for Shampoo to finish, not aware that she wasn't just repeating her name. After a moment, she looked up at them. "What?"

"Shampoo... what?" Ranma asked.

"Shampoo... shampoo Shampoo."

"Shampoo... Shampoo what?"

"What? Shampoo! Shampoo is what! Shampoo shampoo Shampoo!"

As both Ranma and Akane stared open-mouthed, Cologne finally hit them in the back of the head with her staff. "What my Great-Granddaughter is trying to say is that she shampooed HERSELF."

Both teens spun to face the old woman, who had apparently just appeared in the room. "What?"

The Elder regarded them with a wry smile. "When Shampoo arrived home, she had no memory of her fight with 'Ran-chan', or why she had left. She claimed she had awakened in Japan, with no knowledge of how she got there, and rushed straight home. I informed her of her mission, and that she had apparently failed. The Council of Elders decided that either Shampoo had realized her failure, and used the Xi Fa Xiang Gao technique on herself to try to hide the truth, or that she had made the mistake of using the technique on someone who could turn it back on her."

Ranma glanced down at his hands, realizing that now that he knew the technique, he COULD have used it against her. He shuddered, remembering Tofu's warning about having Akane's "soul" in his hands. He remembered just how much Akane's memories had meant to her, even the bad ones, and wondered at how important Shampoo's were to her. Could she really have just erased her own memories like that... like they meant nothing? He shuddered again, as he remembered her offer to erase his memory of his sister.

Cologne was continuing, however. "Either way, it was the decision of the Council that Shampoo be punished. I was to bring her to the Springs of Jusenkyo for training. If she were to fall into a spring, that would be her punishment. She fell into the Spring of Drowned Cat."

"Is Airen's fault," Shampoo pouted. "What Airen do about Shampoo curse?"

"What?" Ranma asked, turning to the girl, almost in a panic. "What am *I* gonna do about it? That ain't MY fault! I don' even know what ta do about MY curse!"

"That's right," Akane agreed, more calmly, if only marginally. "I don't see how you're any worse off than Ranma... or Ukyo or Ryoga for that matter."

Cologne cackled. "Of course, the irony of my Granddaughter receiving THAT particular Jusenkyo curse was lost on me at the time. But I suspected more was going on than Shampoo could tell me. After Shampoo began having dreams about a black haired boy in Japan, I asked her if she wanted me to reverse the Xi Fa Xiang Gao. At first, she just wanted to put the whole thing behind her and accept her punishment. But eventually she wanted to learn the truth.

"That trick you pulled with the kettles was a stroke of genius, Son-in-Law. You had Shampoo totally fooled. She believed that she had fallen in love with a woman, and was forced to either return in disgrace or kill you. She was so distraught that she erased her own memory rather than live with the knowledge that she could not be with you. But once she told me the story, I saw through your deception easily. After all, we know all about Jusenkyo; as I just said, we use it as one of our methods of punishment..."

The old Elder grinned wickedly at Ranma. "I suspected you were a male from the very first, sonny boy. When I confirmed with Shampoo that you had bumped into your sister while picking up the kettles, I realized either you or she switched them. But of course, I knew that the Spring of Drowned Man has been misplaced for years, and no one knows where it is now. So you could not have been a girl who fell into that Spring.

"Once I figured out that your sister turned into your female form, it all fell into place. Although I've never heard of the Jusenkyo curse acting that way, there have been similar... 'incidents'... in the past. It was you that defeated my Great Granddaughter, in your sister's body, and you made her think that it was your real form, so she wouldn't come after your sister. But this led her to erase her memory, so she could not explain the failure of her mission."

"But Airen is man!" Shampoo squealed happily, a giddy smile coming over her face. "So Shampoo no have to kill Airen! Airen is Shampoo Airen!" With that, she wrapped her arms around Ranma, who turned pale. Akane, of course, could not stop the dark look that came over her face, but did nothing but glare at Shampoo and mutter under her breath.

"What that?" Shampoo said innocently, meeting Akane's eyes. "Shampoo no hear."

"I said..." Akane growled, "I'm supposed to be in here to make sure you DON'T do things like that."

Shampoo stuck her tongue out at her. "Shampoo just have fun with Airen. Too too bad Angry Girl no do better..." She rubbed her body up and down Ranma's chest.

Her actions, however, had an unexpected result. Ranma's glazed expression cleared, and suddenly his eyes narrowed. He shoved Shampoo off of him, and she landed on the floor on her bottom. "Never mind what Akane does and doesn't do with me! That ain't none of your business!"

Akane looked at him, startled, but Shampoo just got up from the floor, smiling wantonly. "Shampoo just hug Airen. Is just fun. Is Angry Girl is pervert..." Ranma's teeth clenched as she wrapped herself around him again.

Cologne rapped Shampoo on the head. She fell down hard on the floor. "Great-Granddaughter, when a technique fails, you do not try to do it again. That is foolish."

Ranma and Akane both glanced at the old crone, surprised by her interference, but she met Ranma's eyes with a level gaze. "Be a man. Marry my Great Granddaughter. You have an obligation to her."

"I ain't marryin' nobody!" Ranma protested. "That ain't my fault, and I ain't marryin' her!"

Cologne's staff pointed at Akane. "You want the Tendo girl then, is that it?"

Ranma glanced at her, blushing deep red, noticing she was blushing as well, and looking at the floor. But he drew himself up. "Nobody's forcing me to marry Akane. Nobody's forcing me to marry ANYBODY! But Akane don't wanna be forced ta marry me either. If we decide... it'll be..."

His voice trailed off, as obviously Ranma became more uncomfortable. He glanced at Akane, only to find her hiding her face as well. He seemed to hesitate. "Akane is my... um... friend. I ain't gonna do anything to hurt her... or to LET anyone hurt her..." he glared at Shampoo as he said this, "... but nobody's gonna force her or me to do nothin' either."

"But do you love her?" the old crone asked, her voice crackling with mirth.

"L-l-l... Hey, I didn't say nothin' about that!" Akane had wrapped her arms so tightly around herself that it looked like she was trying to crawl inside herself to hide, but Ranma wasn't daring to look at her anyway. "I just... um... I, uh..."

At just that moment, Cologne suddenly darted forward, poking Ranma in the center of his chest with her staff. Ranma staggered backwards, looking shocked. Akane jumped as well, and rushed to his side. She wrapped her arms around him, while Ranma rubbed his chest and looked down at the point of contact.

"Are you all right?" Akane shot the old Elder a dirty look, but Cologne just grinned impishly back at her.

"I think so... it didn't seem ta do anything." Ranma looked up at Cologne. "What didja do to me, Old Ghoul!"

"You'll find out soon enough, Son-in-Law," she hopped onto her staff, and pogoed out of the room, as if she had nothing more to say. "Two or three days, tops. When you are ready to honor your responsibilities to my Granddaughter, and be a man..." she cackled at this, "... come to the Cat Cafe. We will be waiting."

She called to Shampoo, who smiled at Ranma as she put on her clothes, and then followed. "Shampoo see you soon, Airen," she said. "Wo ai ni."

* * *

Sure enough, for the next two days, Ranma seemed just fine. It was the morning of the third day when the effect of Cologne's strange attack finally became apparent. The Tendo family's early routine was shattered by an ear-piercing scream from the furo. This was followed a few seconds later by a female voice screaming, "Hot! Hot! That's hot!"

Akane went running into the furoba to find Ukyo sitting on the floor, dumping bucket after bucket of cold water over herself. No, she quickly amended to herself, noting the girl's stance, and the subtle expressions of her face, it was Ranma. Without really thinking about it, Akane spun around, a slight blush coming over her cheeks as she covered her eyes.

Ranma looked up at her, and blushed a little herself as she was reminded of her nudity. She put a hand around her breasts to hide them, but didn't seem too disturbed, even as Akane slowly turned back around to face her. Akane shoved aside her reaction, dismissing it as silly. After all, Ranma was in female form right now, so it was okay for Akane to see her, right? She'd seen Ukyo plenty of times, after all.

"Ranma, what's wrong?" she asked. Ranma seemed to relax as well, at Akane's calm reaction. She gestured at the furo.

"The water's boiling! I almost burned myself!"

Tentatively, Akane stepped forward to put a hand in the water. After a moment, she dipped her hand under the surface, but it didn't seem hot at all. "It's a little warm, but not too bad. It's probably nice and pleasant."

"What?" Ranma looked shocked. "I couldn't even put my hand in it!" She reached out a hand to touch the water, but drew back the instant her fingertip touched it. "It's hot!"

"Here, let me get you some water. I'll make it just warm enough to change you back." Akane picked up the bucket, and walked over to the faucet outside the furo. She adjusted it so it was barely lukewarm, maybe not even enough to trigger the curse, but she hoped just warm enough.

She handed the bucket to Ranma, and then shyly turned her back, so she wouldn't see him change. After a few seconds, when she heard the water splash onto the floor, she heard Ranma scream, and a clatter as the bucket hit the floor. She quickly grabbed another bucket and filled it with cold water, throwing it over Ranma's still female body. She didn't even wait for the bucket to fill, Ranma's screams making her hurry as fast as she could.

Ranma was writhing in pain, but the moment the cold water soothed her bare skin, she stood up and yelled at Akane. "What, didja think that was a joke, you stupid tomboy? That really hurt! Are you nuts or somethin'?"

"I'm sorry, Ranma," Akane looked up at her, putting a hand up to her mouth. She swallowed at her fiancée's anger. "It was just barely warm, I swear. I would never do anything like that to you..." She reached out a hand tentatively to touch her arm, but pulled it back, wondering if perhaps she would be sensitive even to touch.

Ranma shrugged away from her, but studied Akane's expression as the black haired girl stared apologetically up at her. Her anger quickly faded as she realized Akane had not done it on purpose. She heard Ukyo enter the room behind her, and pick up the discarded bucket.

"Akane's telling the truth," Ukyo said, as she dipped her hand in the small amount of water that had been left behind when Ranma dumped it over herself. She swirled her hand around, and then all of a sudden, she shrank down into her redhead form. "See... it's not even warm enough. It might as well be cold."

Ranma stared at her. "But... it was so hot..." She looked back at Akane. "It was scalding..."

Cologne's cackle drew their attention to the window. "That's right, sonny boy. That Cat's Tongue pressure point technique I used on you has made your skin as sensitive as a cat's tongue. From now on, even the most lukewarm water will feel as if it is scalding to you. You will be unable to stand the hot water you need to turn back into a man..."

"You've trapped Ranchan in his female form?" Ukyo exclaimed, suddenly angry. "That's... that's... how can you do that?"

Cologne grinned at her. Then she turned back to Ranma. "Marry Shampoo, and I will tell you how to change back. Be a man, and you can again become a man. Or, you can stay a woman for the rest of your life."

"For the rest... of my life...?" Ranma sank to her knees on the tiles. Akane looked down at her, worried.

"Marry my Shampoo," Cologne said. "It is the only way, Son-in-Law. All you have to do is marry my Great Granddaughter, and you can be a man again."

"You can't do that to him!" Ukyo shouted. Ranma had started to tremble, and Akane stared at her for a moment, before kneeling down to put an arm around her. "You don't know how much he hates his curse! I won't let you do this!" Ukyo fell into a stance.

Ranma's shaking grew even more violent. She began to mutter, "I'll never be a man again? I'll never be a man again?" Akane held her tighter, wanting to say something, but not sure what to say.

The Amazon Elder studied Ukyo for a moment. "There's nothing you can do, Shield Sister. Only I know the cure for the Cat's Tongue. And I'm not going to give it to you just because you 'asked nicely'." Cologne cackled.

"Then I'll just have to ask not so nicely," Ukyo growled, her voice dangerous.

"You're about a hundred years too early to face me, Shield Sister," Cologne said lightly, her tone far more amused than threatening.

Akane sat back as Ranma's head came up. "I have had just about enough of your nonsense, Old Ghoul," she growled. Her trembling stopped, and she leaped at Cologne. However, Akane was shocked to see, just for a moment, that she had tears in her eyes. "I'll beat that cure outta you if I have to," Ranma said.

Cologne dodged, and Ranma began to pursue her around the furoba. When Cologne tried to dunk her in the hot water, though, Ranma was forced to back off, and she slipped on the wet tiles. Cologne laughed as she fell on her bottom. "You're pretty good, but you're a long way from catching me as well, Son-in-Law. You know where to find me when you're ready to marry Shampoo." With that, the Elder bounded out of the window on her staff.

"Damn that Old Ghoul!" Ukyo snarled.

Ranma nodded her agreement, but Akane gave her a reassuring smile, as she put an arm around the ponytailed girl's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Ranma. You may be stuck as a girl for now, but it won't be forever. I'm sure we'll come up with a way to change you back."

Akane wished that she could feel as confident on the inside as she was trying to be on the outside. But she kept her fears to herself, as she looked into Ranma's blue green eyes. "This is no different from when Shampoo was here last time. Ukyo had to stay in her cursed form, while you were stuck in guy form. You put up with it then, you can put up with it now."

She wrapped a towel around the feminine curves of her fiancée, giving her a smirk of mischief. "We've got to get to school. So it looks like today, Ukyo and Ranko are going to go to school together!"

* * *

Author's Notes:

I did not really mean anything by Kasumi lifting the heavy delivery box Shampoo was carrying, it was just a gag. This will not be one of those stories where Kasumi secretly turns out to be a martial arts master and kicks everyone else's butt. :) But then, Kasumi does not need to kick anybody's butt, it's inherent to Kasumi's character that no one would DARE do anything to displease Kasumi...

It's been about a month since my last update, and while it actually feels a little longer, I think I can maintain at least that update rate. So while it's not coming rapidly like it did during the Neko-Ken arc, don't think I've given up on the story. This chapter had a lot fewer hallmarks of the canon, as I am intentionally reducing the number of direct quotes now that the storyline has diverged so significantly. So that means less proofreading and time taken to compare to the canon. On the other hand, the Anime and Manga diverge at this point anyway, and my version will put events in a different order still.

However, I was still able to sneak in a couple of "dropped lines" from earlier episodes, from Akane using Ranma's "Are you quite through squeezing me?", (a line I've always loved) to Shampoo's "Obstacle is for killing" to Akane, (complete with knife hand attack, blocked by Ranma) to Kasumi's crack about "Mr. Saotome will need something different for dinner" because he's in panda form. I also got to reuse the "Shampoo shampoo Shampoo" gag, which was fun, and played up Ranma's emotional reaction at being trapped as a girl, as in the Anime.

Another interesting thing to note is that of all the secondary characters, Cologne is probably the one that is most significantly affected by the changes in Ranma, Akane, and Ukyo. Shampoo and Ryoga are also deeply affected, of course, but Soun, Genma, the Tendo sisters and so forth aren't really different. Cologne, though, I figured would immediately be aware of the greater threat Akane now represents to her Great Granddaughter, and immediately recognize how far Ranma and Akane's relationship has progressed. So while the last thing the canon Cologne wants to do is point out those suppressed feelings, here Cologne is confronting them directly.

Should be fun. :)


	37. Shower and a Mousse

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 37

Ranma frowned, shivering as she walked along the road towards the Furinkan High School. It was bad enough that she was stuck in her female form, unable to stand hot water in order to change back. An unfortunate additional side effect was that she was freezing, unable to spend her usual few minutes in a warm furo to prepare herself for the crisp morning air. It was well into the winter months, and getting quite cold. She shivered again, as she considered spending the next weeks or even months unable to soak in a warm bath to ward off the chill.

Plus, Ukyo's body was smaller and more slender than his own, making it a bit less resistant to the cold. Ranma looked over at her sister, bundled up in her redheaded body, walking along with her arms wrapped around herself. He guessed her petite cursed form was even worse about keeping out the cold. And as long as he was stuck in her form, she was stuck taking cold showers as well. She met his eyes and grinned at him, and Ranma smiled back, only a little reassured. Sometimes it struck him just how much his sister did for him, and he never felt that he quite deserved it.

They quickly came upon the gates of the school, to find Kuno there waiting for them, as usual. Ranma tried not to gag as Kuno declared his undying love for Akane and himself, then turned to glare at Ukyo.

"Again with this mockery of the female form, Saotome? What obsession do you have with turning yourself into a woman? Are you perhaps as twisted in your idea of your gender as I have always said you are in your mind?"

Ranma started to protest, but Ukyo stepped forward, swaggering arrogantly. "Just for yer info, Kuno, I got myself caught up in one o' my dumb spells again. Only this time it hit me insteada my Sis. So I ain't 'zactly in the best of moods. If ya want me ta pound ya a good one, I'll be happy to, but you might just wanna leave me alone..."

Ukyo had imitated Ranma's masculine drawl so perfectly that both Ranma and Akane stared at her. Kuno, of course, was completely fooled. "Hoist by your own petard, eh, foul sorcerer?" Kuno asked, drawing his bokken. "What a fool this mortal must surely be, to toy with forces beyond his mortal understanding."

"Ah, shaddup," answered Ukyo. She then danced around Kuno for a few moments, letting him wear himself out making futile strikes against her, before sending him off into the distance with a kick.

"You've got to admit, she's got you down pat," Akane said with a smile. "She does you a heck of a lot better than you do her."

"Ah, shaddup," Ranma said with a smile.

The three headed into the school, where they quickly sat down for homeroom. When Ranma started to sit at her usual desk, Akane elbowed her, and she sheepishly moved over to Ukyo's desk. Ukyo took Ranma's seat next to Akane. A few minutes later, Sayuri and Yuka walked in, their eyes widening at seeing both "Ukyo" and "Ranko" sitting at their desks.

The two girls recovered quickly, and edged over to the group. "What's going on? That's Ranma, right?" Sayuri pointed at her, sounding a little bit disgusted.

Akane nodded. "Ranma can't change back right now. Shampoo's Great Grandmother, Cologne, used a technique on him that makes him unable to stand hot water. So he's stuck having to be Ukyo until we can get her to fix it." She gestured over at Ukyo. "Ukyo is Ranko for now."

The girls both shook their heads. "You really have a crazy life, Ukyo," Yuka told her.

"Tell me about it. But it's not that bad. Just, for now, call me Ranko, and pretend Ranma is me." Ukyo smiled. "It'll all work out."

Sayuri stared at Ranma for a moment. "What's he going to do about gym?"

For just a moment, as Akane realized what Sayuri was saying, a flash of jealousy and anger could be seen in her eyes. But then she shook her head violently, as if to dispel an image. "Oh, geez, we forgot all about that!" she said, clapping her hands over her mouth. Ukyo looked surprised as well, and slapped her forehead. Ranma turned white.

"I can't go in the girl's locker room!" Ranma shouted. A bit too loudly, because a number of their classmates looked at her, and Ukyo turned a vicious glare on her twin. Ranma cleared his throat and then muttered, "Um... uh... I mean, I can't go there right now, 'cause I gotta be in class! I'll go there later to... uh, pick that thing up."

Akane smiled, obviously amused. "Baka... but good save." She looked back at Ukyo. "Okay, so much for that idea. I guess... I guess Ranma can just skip today."

"Maybe I can just skip gym," Ranma suggested.

Ukyo shook her head. "If you're me, and skip gym, I'll get in trouble. I suppose I could go as me, and you hide until it's over, but then 'Ranko' will get in trouble. I was able to skip gym back when I was going to that boy's school, but only because the panda arranged it for me ahead of time. If I just don't show up, people will wonder."

"And it was hard enough arranging for 'Ranko' to be here today," Akane added. "Although I guess we can try to change her schedule for tomorrow."

There was a long silence. Finally, Ukyo looked up at them, tentatively. "Maybe we can just count on Ranchan to keep his eyes closed."

"What, are you kidding?" Sayuri answered. "Take a shower with that..." She quickly dropped her voice, realizing she was starting to get too loud. But she still finished her sentence, glaring at Ranma as she did so. "... pervert?"

All four girls saw Ranma wince. Ukyo snapped back at Sayuri, almost before she finished speaking. "Don't call my brother that!" Akane put a hand on her arm, and she calmed down. "My brother is not a pervert," Ukyo said, her voice still harsh. "He has a curse, that he can't control, and he hates that it means that sometimes he has to be a girl. He doesn't abuse it or take advantage of it."

Ranma relaxed a bit, as the other girls looked at each other. Even Akane's mood seemed somber as she considered Ukyo's words. "You're really okay with Ranma seeing you naked, Ukyo?" Yuka asked her.

Ukyo shook her head, smiling a little. "How many times do I have to explain this? Ranchan and I have bathed together plenty of times." Ranma had started to blush at this. "It doesn't bother me in the least. The bigger problem is you guys. *I* know Ranma won't look, but I don't want you guys to be uncomfortable..."

"I ain't no pervert," Ranma growled, her voice low. "And I don't wanna gawk at no stupid, silly girls."

"Stupid? Silly?" Sayuri cut in. "What do you mean by that?"

Akane put a hand on Sayuri's this time. "Ranma is just saying that he has too much honor to ogle girls." She gave the ponytailed girl an exasperated shake of her head, but with just a hint of a smile. "He just doesn't know how to say it without making it sound like an insult, the baka."

"Maybe he can just wait until everyone else has gone, and then take a shower with just Ukyo," Yuka suggested. "If she really doesn't mind..."

"Maybe," Akane said, "but actually, I think I have a better idea. If anyone knows about pressure points and how to overcome them, it's Dr. Tofu. Why don't Ranma and I just skip first period and run over to his clinic. Then, if he has a way Ranma can turn back into a guy, we won't have to worry about it."

"That's a great idea, Akane!" Ukyo agreed, smiling widely. Ranma nodded her agreement as well. "I'll go with you. Tell the teacher that I'm feeling sick, like I've got what Ranchan's got. That way, if 'Ranko' doesn't come back and Ranma does, no one will be surprised!"

"Can you guys take care of our homework, too?" Akane asked Sayuri and Yuka. They nodded, and she smiled. "Let's go then!" Ranma, Akane and Ukyo ran out of the room, while their two friends went up to talk to the teacher.

* * *

Dr. Tofu had pulled out a chart of the pressure points of the chest, and he studied it carefully. "This Cat's Tongue pressure point is very deep," he said, pointing to the spot in question. "Only the most advanced shiatsu masters should ever even consider messing with it."

"But you can fix it, right?" Akane asked him, hopefully.

He regarded her for a moment, but then shook his head. "I'm afraid not." He looked down at Ranma, who was sitting in a chair in front of him. In Ukyo's body, of course. "There's really nothing I can do to reverse the pressure point. I'm not even sure that it has a reverse..."

"But Cologne said she could cure Ranma," Ukyo put in. "And she certainly wouldn't want to turn him into a girl forever, that wouldn't be any help with him marrying Shampoo."

"I ain't marryin' Shampoo!" Ranma countered. "There's gotta be another way."

"Well, there is," Tofu said, "but I'm not sure how much it will help. To get you back to school so you can attend your classes, though..."

He stood Ranma up, then asked her to turn around. He then jabbed Ranma in the small of her back, hard enough that she had to take a step forward.

"What was that for?" She asked him, looking back over her shoulder.

"That was the Tokyo Grandpa Point," Tofu said. "It is used to help old men to withstand the extremes of heat for a therapeutic bath. So named for the old men of Tokyo, who are well known for their love of hot baths."

"Oh, yeah!" Akane said brightly. "Those old guys just love their hot baths!"

"Let's hear it for the old guys!" Ranma said, her voice just as excited. "So I should be able to withstand hot water now?"

"That's right, it should counter the Cat's Tongue. But there is something important you need to know..."

"Let's test it and make sure it works, first," Ukyo suggested. She grabbed the kettle that Tofu used to make tea. "It'll take a few minutes to warm up the water."

Ranma turned a little pink around the cheeks, and stood up. "Oh... Okay. I, uh... while I got a few minutes, I'd better take care of somethin'."

"What, Ranma?" Akane looked curious. Ranma walked to the door, and paused a moment. "What is it, Ranma? Is something wrong?"

Her blush turned a little deeper, and Ranma looked uncomfortable. "Naw, it's nothin', I just gotta..." She stopped and muttered something.

"What?" Akane and Ukyo looked at each other. "What did you say?"

"Um... I gotta... unwrap myself."

"Unwrap..." Akane looked at Ukyo, her eyes widening as she realized what Ranma meant. Ukyo looked surprised as well.

"Ranma!" Ukyo said. "You... Are you telling me that you wrapped your breasts today?" She regarded her twin with a raised eyebrow.

Ranma swallowed, hard, unable to speak for a moment. "I ain't never gonna wear no bra!" She exclaimed, hotly. "There ain't no way! But..." Her blush deepened. "I don't want no perverts lookin' at my sister's chest neither..."

With that, she turned and walked out of the office. Ukyo looked at Akane. "I didn't even know he'd seen how I do that," she said, amused.

A few minutes later, the water was the right temperature, and Ranma had returned, unfettered by the bindings that might prove too tight in his male form. Ukyo poured the water over his head, and after a few moments, his body expanded, not growing that much taller, but better filling out his clothing. In the shoulders at least. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Looks like Ranko won't be coming back to school after all," Ukyo said with a grin. She poured the kettle over her own head, and after a short pause, rapidly grew into her own lanky body. She took a moment to adjust her clothing as well, as she had gained a lot more height than Ranma had, and needed to adjust her pants accordingly.

At that moment, the phone rang, and Akane answered it. She quickly realized who it was, and shot Dr. Tofu a worried glance. "Um... Dr. Tofu... it's Kasumi. She wants to talk to you."

Tofu's glasses fogged up. "K-K-Kasumi! Imagine meeting you here..."

"She's on the phone!" Akane interrupted him.

"Oh... Kasumi!" He tried to take the phone, fumbling it around from hand to hand. "It's so good to hear from you."

"Maybe we better get outta here," Ranma said.

Ukyo shook her head, though. "He said there was something important. Maybe we'd better hear what it is."

"I dunno if I wanna stay here much longer," Ranma looked up at Tofu, worried. He was holding the receiver up to his head, overcome by a bout of nervous laughter.

"Oh, I think I've had about enough of this," Ukyo said, although she sounded amused, not irritated. "Akane, see if you can get Kasumi to tell you what she wants."

Akane took the phone back from Tofu, although she had to fight him to get him to let go of it. He then started dancing around his desk. Akane spoke to Kasumi for a few moments, while Ukyo tried to catch the doctor. Finally, she reached back and grabbed the kettle, and swung it up to smack him across the face.

"Is that the phone?" Tofu asked dazedly, at the ringing sound from the kettle hitting him in the head.

Akane put her hand over the receiver. "Kasumi wants to know if you need that book back that she borrowed last week, or can she keep it a few more days?"

"K-K-Kasumi?" Dr. Tofu got a goofy grin on his face, and Ukyo brained him with the kettle again. "Uh... yes, that is fine? She can keep it as long as she likes. As long as it is back in time for tea..." He glanced down at the kettle, obviously somewhat confused.

"He says you can keep it as long as you like, Big Sister," Akane said into the phone. Then she smiled and hung up. "She says she'll bring it back day after tomorrow." Then to herself, she muttered. "And I'll make sure not to be anywhere near here that day..."

There was a moment where Tofu looked around himself dazedly, and then his eyes seemed to clear. "What was I saying?"

Ukyo grinned widely, bouncing on her heels, while holding the kettle behind her. "Something about the Tokyo Grandpa Point. You said it was something important."

"Oh, yes!" He held a finger in the air, as if only just remembering. "It only works once!"

"What?" Ranma, Ukyo and Akane all three chimed in, at the same time.

Tofu looked apologetic. "I'm afraid that while the effect has allowed you to return to male form, it only lasts a short while, and has probably already faded. Plus, I cannot use the pressure point again, as your body, affected by the Cat's Tongue, will have become acclimated to it. So you will still not be able to endure hot water, and you won't be able to use it again."

"So I won't be able to take a bath at all?" Ranma asked, his shoulders slumping. "Cold or hot water?"

"I'm afraid not. And if you get splashed on accident, you won't be able to return to male form again." Dr. Tofu put a hand on his shoulder, reassuringly. "So you'll have to be on the lookout for water."

"Hey, it's not so bad," Ukyo said, putting a hand on his shoulder as well. "You can skip the shower, but at least you can go to the right gym class."

"Yeah, but you said yourself the curse attracts water, Sis." Ranma looked up at her, worried. "How long am I gonna be able to hold out?"

"Long enough," Akane said. "Maybe we can convince Cologne that we overcame her trick. Maybe she'll slip up or something."

"Or Shampoo will," Ukyo added. "Don't worry about it Ranchan, we'll think of something."

* * *

Just as the three neared the gates of Furinkan, they were startled by the sound of a bicycle bell. The purple haired Amazon rocketed towards them on her bike, apparently on a delivery, as she was carrying a large box on her shoulder. She smiled widely as she spotted them, however, forgetting her task. "Nihao!" she called out happily.

Shampoo leaped off of the bike as she neared, propelling it like a missile into Ukyo, who darted aside. The bike rolled on into Ranma, who was standing behind her. He hiked his leg up into an awkward position, to keep the bike from rolling over his foot. Shampoo continued on into Ukyo as well, grabbing the ponytailed girl in a bone-crushing glomp.

"Airen!" Shampoo shouted. "Shampoo so..." She suddenly noticed Ranma over Ukyo's shoulder, and realized her mistake. "Aiyaah!" Shampoo flung Ukyo aside, sending her spinning into Akane, while she leaped at Ranma instead. "Airen! Shampoo so..."

Shampoo froze again, as it finally sank in that she was holding onto Ranma's male form. "Airen is man again! How Airen overcome Great Grandmother technique?"

Ranma laughed loudly, if a little uncomfortably, given how tightly Shampoo was holding him. "Wouldn't you like ta know?"

Shampoo looked back at Ukyo, as Akane helped her back to her feet, but then she turned back to smile at Ranma. "Shampoo like Airen better as man anyway. Shield Sister cute, but Airen cuter!" She gave him another hug, which caused Ranma to wince in pain as his body made popping and cracking noises.

"Get offa me!" Ranma yelled, pushing the enamored Amazon off of him. "I don't hafta marry you now that I'm a man again!"

"Oh, really? And how long is that going to last?" Cologne had suddenly appeared, hanging off of Ranma's shoulder, and nuzzling against his neck. "You're a man for now, Son-in-Law, that's for sure. But are you truly cured...?"

While Shampoo's affections had make him turn a little pink, Ranma grew a sickly green at Cologne's embrace. He grimaced as he tried to pry the Elder off of him. "Never mind that! I... uh... I'm sure it'll last long enough to... uh... get rid of you!"

Ukyo shook her head at her brother's bungling, in giving away that the cure was only temporary. "Maybe you aren't the only shiatsu expert around here, Old Ghoul," she said, hoping to recover some of their advantage. The old lady's cackle told her it was most likely too late.

"We shall see, Shield Sister," Cologne said.

"Okay, that does it!" Ranma had reached his limit again. He grabbed the delivery box and heaved it at Cologne, as she leaped away, laughing. As the box sailed through the air, however, another figure leaped into its path. The figure, who was wearing a long white robe and had waist length black hair, sliced the box in half.

He landed in the street in front of the school, holding a bowl of ramen that had been inside the box. Then, he suddenly bent down and began eating the ramen, very quickly. Several students came out of the school while he was eating, drawn by the commotion. Others were watching from the windows.

"Must be hungry," Ukyo commented. "I guess he hasn't eaten in a while."

"Aiyah," Shampoo put in. "Shampoo not make that delivery now."

The tall boy stood up, having finished his meal. Then, a broad smile spread over his face. "Shampoo! At last I have found you!"

Ukyo stiffened, startled, as the man wrapped his arms around her. "Um..." She looked up at him, as he pressed her against his chest. "Do I look like Shampoo?" Ukyo knew she wasn't built like the Amazon, and tried to ignore the little part inside her that said she wished she was. Of course, in her cursed form she did come pretty close...

The boy in white had pulled a pair of thick glasses out of his sleeve, and put them on his face. He peered closely at Ukyo. "Who are you?"

"That's Ukyo Kuonji," Akane told him, a little unsure, but trying to be helpful. "She's sort of a friend of Shampoo's, although they don't really know each other very well..."

"Ah, forgive me," he said, raising his glasses. "I see now that you are not my beloved. Come to me my darling Shampoo!"

He turned from Ukyo, and embraced Akane. Unlike her friend's calm reaction, Akane's was more hands-on. Literally. "Pervert!" she shouted, and punched him in the face.

"Stupid Mousse!" Shampoo exclaimed, scowling at the boy. "Why you no leave Shampoo alone! You no is Shampoo Airen!"

"I take it you know this guy?" Ukyo asked, as Mousse again lowered his glasses, studying Akane as he took a step back. She glared at him, as if daring him to try to grab her again.

"Is just friend from child times," Shampoo said haughtily. "He just stupid Mousse!"

"Like me and Ranchan, huh?" Ukyo studied him carefully.

"I am Shampoo's betrothed," Mousse said. "It is only a matter of time before..."

Cologne interrupted him. "Shampoo has already rejected you."

"That was when we were only three years old!" He protested. "That doesn't count!"

"The rules of Amazon law are clear. And besides, Shampoo already has her sights set on this man, here." Cologne pointed at Ranma.

"I never agreed to that!" Ranma yelled, as Shampoo wrapped her arms around him. Mousse grabbed him around the neck.

"Who are you?" Mousse demanded. Ranma's face started to turn blue, as Mousse's hand closed around his windpipe, but Ranma held his gaze, unflinching. Shampoo began trying to pull Ranma away, but Mousse's grip was too tight.

"That's enough!" Akane pulled Shampoo off of Ranma, and then shoved Mousse aside as well. "We don't recognize Shampoo's Kiss of Marriage, and Ranma wasn't the one who defeated her anyway. This isn't China, and we..."

"And who are you?" Although Mousse didn't seem surprised at being attacked by a woman, his response was more measured, particularly when Ukyo came up to stand beside Akane. He stood back, while Ranma tried to catch his breath.

"Akane Tendo," Cologne cut in. "She insists that she has a claim on Ranma Saotome as well; an arranged marriage. But Amazon Law takes precedence."

"Uh... uh..." Akane glanced around nervously, noticing that the crowd had begun muttering at this revelation. A blush spread over her face.

Ukyo was not embarrassed to speak up, however. "You're damn right I've got a claim on my Bro!" she said, shaking a fist at Cologne. "He's family, and he's not goin' anywhere!"

"And this is Ranma's adopted sister," Cologne said, as if she hadn't been interrupted.

"Oh, I see!" Mousse exclaimed. "You already have these beautiful women at your side; one that you have taken as a sister, and one to whom you are engaged. And yet still you must have more? You lust after my Shampoo as well? You lecher!"

"Hey, wait a minute, it's not like that!" Ranma shouted back. Akane nodded her agreement, but Ukyo said nothing. In truth, her eyes had widened, and her cheeks turned a little pink at being called "beautiful". But then she shook it off.

"Ranchan's not chasing Shampoo, she's chasing him..." Ukyo began, but Mousse was already beginning his attack. Ranma dodged as the taller boy kicked at him, driving him back. Then Mousse began a complicated maneuver where he swung his sleeved arms in a series of arcs.

"Blow of the Swan Fist!" he called out, and Ranma was struck and flung back into the wall. His movements were just a blur, and several of the spectators commented that they couldn't even see Mousse's hands.

Akane studied him carefully. With his sleeves hanging down, covering his hands, she could see something unusual had just happened, but couldn't quite make it out. But it was clear that he had struck Ranma with far more force than she would expect from just his bare hands.

"He's using a weapon, Ranchan!" Ukyo called out, having reached the same conclusion. Akane glanced at her, wondering if she had seen it when Akane hadn't.

"Is true," Shampoo said, as she knelt next to Ranma, against the wall. "Mousse is master of hidden weapons. Be careful!"

"That's right," Mousse said. "Just as the graceful swan conceals his..."

Mousse was interrupted as Ranma darted forward. "Fortunately, I know just how to deal with weapons," he said, "from sparring with my Sis."

He ducked inside of Mousse's reach, and kicked at his hands, trying to dislodge his weapon. However, with his sleeves covering his arms, concealing the weapon, he was unable to knock it away. "A good try, Saotome," Mousse said. "But I am a master of hidden weapons. Even if you could manage to disarm me, I only hide even more..."

As Mousse struck at him, though, Ranma caught his arm under his own, pinning it against his side. The weapon he had been using sailed out of his hand, and clattered to the ground. Ranma whirled, trying to wrench Mousse's arm, but he was able to twist free. As the two turned to face each other, though, the crowd had begun muttering, looking at the weapon Mousse had dropped.

It was a swan-shaped training potty. Glancing at it, Ranma turned back to Mousse, scowling furiously. "What the heck is THAT?"

"There's an odd martial arts style," Ukyo commented. "Not just hidden weapons, but hidden SILLY weapons..."

"You never know what common object may make an exceptional weapon," Mousse said, and Ukyo smirked to herself at that comment.

"It's an insult, that's what it is," one of the boys watching said. "To be attacked by such an... embarrassing weapon. It must be humiliating."

"Yeah," Akane said, "but if you can't see him use it, what's the point?"

Ukyo shrugged. Ranma was beyond fed up, though. "Well, I can see it, and I'm insulted," he said. "So you wanna fight, Mousse? Then let's fight!"

"Very well!" Mousse agreed. "And if I defeat you, then you will surrender the lovely..."

"You can't have Shampoo," Cologne interrupted. Mousse turned back to look at her, and she looked off to one side, as if she hadn't said anything.

After another moment's pause, Mousse pointed at Akane. "Very well. If I defeat you, then I will take your woman!"

"HEY!" Akane yelled.

"You gotta deal!" Ranma said.

"RANMA!" Akane yelled at him, even louder.

"How about we make it official then," Cologne said, with a wicked smile. "A duel, at the park, at noon tomorrow. For the love of Akane Tendo."

"Hey, wait a minute...!" Akane protested, but no one was listening. In fact, the crowd had begun muttering excitedly among themselves, and several of the girls near Akane were giggling and swooning over the romantic battle between two handsome men over Akane's hand.

"A man to man fight, then," Mousse put in.

"You got it." Ranma stared at him, smirking confidently.

Akane backhanded him across the face, knocking Ranma to the ground. Then she stepped up to Mousse, poking him in the chest. "You just listen here, buster! I am nobody's woman! I don't belong to Ranma; I don't belong to anyone! I won't let anyone tell me who I'm going to marry!"

"It's already too late, Miss Tendo," Cologne said, an expression of devilish merriment on her wrinkled face. "It's a matter of honor between men, now, isn't it?" She put just the slightest emphasis on the word "men", her grin widening.

"I never agreed to any of this!" Akane yelled back at her.

"Hey, Akane, don't worry," Ranma said, trying to put an arm on her shoulder. She slapped it away. "I ain't gonna lose, no way. You got nothin' ta worry about."

"That's not the point, you jerk!" Akane clenched her fist as she stared him in the eye for a moment. Then she turned away, sticking her nose in the air. "Fine! Have your stupid little man to man fight. See if I care." She stomped through the gates and into the school.

"Akane!" Grumbling to himself, Ranma took off after his disgruntled fiancée.

"Wow." Mousse commented. "She gets really angry, doesn't she?"

Cologne cackled. "So I have heard."

Ranma chased after Akane as she stormed through the halls. After several minutes, she finally let him catch up with her. As he came near, she whirled on him, her eyes flashing.

"You told me that I wasn't a conquest to you! That I wasn't a prize to be won! Was that a lie?"

Ranma paused, his head drooping, but cutting his eyes up to study her expression. Finally he took a deep breath. "Of course that wasn't a lie, Akane. I meant it."

"Then why? How could you just offer me up as some kind of trophy, then? How could you make me a pawn in your little game?"

"It wasn't my idea!" Ranma yelled back. "Mousse is the one who dragged ya into it, not me!"

"But you agreed with him! Why didn't you tell him you didn't want to fight over me?"

"What was I supposed to say, Akane?" Ranma was getting angry now. "I don't want her, you can keep her? She's just a violent, uncute tomboy who can't fight and can't cook? She puts me down and beats me up all the time? Is that what you wanted me to say?"

"No, baka, I wanted you to say that you'd fight, but not over me!"

Ranma looked around as he noticed the other students had caught up with them, and were watching their argument intently. One even commented, "Oo, a lover's quarrel. It's like they're already married." Akane blushed as she realized they had an audience as well, and fell silent, looking at the floor.

"Don't you all have classes to go to!" Ranma asked them. He grabbed Akane's arm, and dragged her down the hall and into an empty classroom.

After another moment's pause, Ranma took Akane's hands. "Look, Akane, if I'd known that's how ya feel about it, I woulda said no. But do you really think he would have accepted that, after he challenged me for you? Do you think he woulda taken no for an answer?"

She stood there, grinding her teeth, but with her brown eyes staring into Ranma's, searching. Finally, she lowered her gaze. "You're right..."

Tentatively, Ranma put his arms around Akane. She punched him in the chest, but only half-heartedly, and then she drew him into an embrace as well. They held each other for a moment. "I don't want you to fight over me, Ranma. I don't want you to get hurt over me."

"I know, Akane, but it ain't over you. I know you wouldn't let that jerk boss you around, even if he were to 'win' you. You wouldn't let those jerks attacking you every day beat you, and you wouldn't let Mousse beat ya either.

"You ain't never gonna be won, tomboy," Ranma said. "Even I know that."

Akane held him a little tighter. "And I know you won't lose either, Ranma. I know nothing can defeat you when you're protecting someone you care about."

She was silent for a moment. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Ranma leaned back to look her in the eye, with that confident smirk. "Don't worry about it. You'll be watchin' my back, won't you, tomboy?"

Akane just smiled at him.

* * *

"Hey, Saotome," Hiroshi said, as the two boys approached him. "We heard some guy challenged you over Akane."

Ranma glanced around the locker room nervously as Hiroshi and Daisuke came near. He had been on the alert for water all day, and this was the most likely place for him to get splashed. All he had to do was get through getting dressed and finish up the gym class, and then he could skip the shower and get as far away from there as possible. He'd managed to avoid water all day, and he was only a couple of hours away from being home and safe.

"It ain't nothin'," he said dismissively. "That Mousse guy is a pushover. I'm gonna send him and his stupid tricks back to China."

"Do you think he's in love with Akane, man?" Daisuke asked him. "Maybe she likes him better."

Ranma snorted. "He ain't after Akane. It's Shampoo he really wants. But that Old Ghoul won't let him challenge me for her.

"Probably all for the best," he muttered after a moment, taking his shirt off. "I'd hate to have ta win the fight only to still be stuck with that crazy Amazon."

"You don't want Shampoo?" Daisuke tried to grab Ranma and tousle his hair, and Ranma shoved him off. "What's wrong with you, man? She is so hot. That guy's gonna take her away from you!"

"He can have her for all I care!" Ranma protested. "He's an Amazon just like she is! They'd probably be happy together! But no, she's gotta be chasin' after me!"

"Lucky dog. You're making all us guys dateless."

"It's not my fault. I... I don't want a bunch of girls chasin' me. If I... If I ever decide I want one..." His voice became quiet, as he started to blush. "It'll just be her..."

"Oo! You're thinking about Akane, aren't you?" Hiroshi grinned at him.

"Am not!" Ranma yelled, turning away so they wouldn't see his face. "She's just a friend!"

" She's just a friend ." Hiroshi waggled his eyebrows. "First she was uncute and you didn't want to touch her. Then she was a friend, and you didn't want anybody saying nothin' bad about her. Now she's JUST a friend, but if you ever decide you want someone, then you just want her..."

Daisuke chuckled. "Sounds pretty serious to me, man."

Ranma kept his face turned to the lockers. "Cut it out, guys," he muttered. In the silence, he suddenly heard a wet, splattering sound, and remembered he needed to be on his guard. He looked up, just in time to see one of the other boys in the locker room throw a bucket of water at another boy.

"Aw, geez, not now!" Ranma complained, backing away from his locker in his haste to escape from the water fight. Hiroshi and Daisuke watched him, startled by his frightened reaction.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Hiroshi asked. Ranma ignored him, however, because the other boy, hoping to get revenge for getting soaked, had started to fling a bucket of his own over his friend. Some of the water splashed near him, and Ranma leaped aside.

"Hey, you scared of a little water, Ranma?" Daisuke chuckled wickedly. To Ranma's horror, the two boys grabbed him. "Afraid of gettin' wet?"

"Don't, don't!" Ranma tried to pull away from them. "You don't understand..."

He never got to finish his sentence. As Daisuke and Hiroshi held him in place, grabbing him by the arms - his bare arms, as he still hadn't put on his gym shirt - the boys in the water fight dashed past him, not even noticing him as an obstacle in their path. Ranma felt the sting of cold water hitting him, as the flung bucket of water struck him directly in the chest.


	38. Three Ranmas?

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 38

As Ranma felt the water dripping over his bare chest, soaking into his hair, he realized that he had only one, small advantage. The curse always had a delayed reaction, taking about a second to activate. So he had about half a second to react, and another half second to get out of the sight of the other boys.

Fortunately, his father had drilled into him the need to be ready to escape at a moment's notice, and the best way to achieve such escape. And that was to do as much damage as possible, and to throw as many obstacles into your path as you can, so that your pursuers are concentrating on the spot just behind you, instead of where you currently are.

Ranma threw Daisuke and Hiroshi off of him, noticing even as he did that his flesh was beginning to soften. He reached out and grabbed the door to the nearest locker, and pulled it down on top of himself, as well as Hiroshi, Daisuke, and the other boys in the area as well. He then shoved his way out from under the locker on the other side, leaping up onto the next row of lockers, and from there to the windows set high in the wall.

It took exactly two seconds to get across the room. Ranma crashed out through the window of the locker room, shattering the glass. Ukyo's skinny body slipped through the window with no problem, although it left her with minor cuts on her forearms. She rolled onto the grass outside, and immediately darted for the bushes. After all, she had no idea who was outside the gymnasium, and she was still topless.

Huddling behind the brush just beside the gymnasium wall, Ranma tried to catch her breath, and still the trembling of her body.

Akane and Ukyo were changing in the girl's locker room, when they heard a tapping at a nearby window. They looked up to see a face peek in at them, but then duck away before they could make it out clearly. Akane scowled. "There's a pervert peeping on us!"

Ukyo edged closer to the window, only to see her own face appear there. She drew back, startled. "Ranma!"

Ranma stuck her head up to the window again, blushing deeply. She mouthed something, which they couldn't hear with the window closed.

Ukyo jumped up and opened the window. "Ranchan, what happened? Why are you in girl form?"

"I got splashed," she said, looking sheepish. Ukyo immediately noticed that she had no shirt on, and was wrapping her arms tightly around her chest.

"Hold on! We'll be right out!" Ukyo ran back to Akane, stripping off her yellow gym shirt. "Take this to Ranchan," she said, as she handed it to Akane. Then she reached into her locker for a backup shirt that was in Ranko's size. "Apparently he got caught while he was getting dressed. There shouldn't be anyone in the shower right now, I'll go change to Ranko and join you."

"We'll go with you," Sayuri said to Akane. She, Akane and Yuka headed for the door to the locker room, while Ukyo headed for the showers.

They found Ranma crouched in the bushes outside, hiding well out of sight with her arms around her chest. Akane could see, as soon as she got near, that the girl was shivering, and not from cold. She handed Ranma the shirt, and she quickly slipped it on.

"What happened?" Akane asked her. "Did anyone see?"

"I don't think so." Ranma heaved a relieved sigh, putting a hand to her forehead. She was still blushing very deeply. "I changed right in front of everyone. They could have all seen me, but I'm pretty sure I got out before I finished transforming. They're probably wondering why I freaked and smashed my way out of the locker room like that, but at least they didn't see Sis..."

Ukyo came running up, now in her redheaded form, and wearing the gym shirt. "Well, that's good, but I'm more worried about you, Ranchan." She grabbed Ranma's arm to study it for a moment. "You don't look too badly cut."

Ranma nodded as Ukyo let her go, and started rubbing her forearms. "It's not bleeding, but I'll probably look like I scuffed up my arms 'cause I fell down or something."

There was a momentary silence, and then Sayuri spoke up. "Well, I guess that's it then. Ranma's just going to have to take gym with us."

Ukyo and Akane both looked at her. "What? Are you... are you sure?"

Sayuri looked at Yuka, who smiled at her. She turned back to Ranma. "I don't see as we have any choice. We can't let a whole locker room full of boys see your naked body, Ukyo. That just wouldn't be right!"

Ranma swallowed, heavily. "But what about... um, you know... the shower..."

A deep blush settled over Sayuri's face, but she didn't look away. "Well... Ranma... I would rather risk having one boy see my body than know that a whole gym full of boys can see Ukyo's body."

Ukyo stared at her friend, wide eyed. "Do you really mean that, Sayuri?"

"Yeah," Yuka said, "And me too. Sayuri and I talked about this. And we think as long as Ranma is stuck like this, it's the least we can do for him... uh, her... uh..."

Ranma flinched at Yuka's confusion over the pronouns, but decided not to comment. "Uh... I don't know what to say, guys. That... you'd be willin' ta do this... for my Sis..."

"Same here," Ukyo said, her eyes growing teary. "You're really great friends, you know?"

Sayuri and Yuka hugged her, and then looked back towards Ranma. "You can just come in and finish changing, you've already got the shirt, and you still have on your pants, so you can change into the right shorts. We're already pretty much done, but tomorrow I think we can trust you to just keep your back turned while we change."

Ranma blushed again, and the two girls glanced at each other. Sayuri continued, with just a hint of discomfort in her voice. "As for the shower... well, Yuka and I talked about it, and we figure that we and Akane can go in first, to take our shower and make sure the coast is clear. Then once we make sure most everyone else is out of the shower, Ukyo can bring you in. She can make sure you don't look at us or any of the other girls."

Sayuri grimaced at Ranma after this, her suspicion plain, but Ranma swallowed and hid her face behind her hand. "Ukyo can take you to the very last stall, at the very back of the shower. Then she can shower next to you, and block your view of us - or our view of you, in case you accidently turn on the hot water or something. We'll finish our shower, and then you and Ukyo can be the last ones out."

"I won't look," Ranma said, her voice small. "I promise."

"Well..." Sayuri's frown faded, her expression turning more relaxed, if still uncomfortable. "Ukyo says that you won't, and we trust her. And I guess we trust you, too. I guess it helps that you look just like Ukyo. Maybe that'll make it easier to... you know..."

Sayuri's voice trailed off. Finally, Ranma lifted her head to look at Akane. She stared at her for a moment, and then looked at the ground again. "What about you, Akane? Are you... are you okay with this?"

Akane seemed to shiver for a moment, and she inhaled deeply, to calm herself. But then she took note of how Ranma stood, with her arms still wrapped around her chest, as if ashamed. A gentle smile spread over her face. She walked up to take Ranma's hand, leaning over to look the other girl in the eye.

"Do you promise not to peek at me, Ranma?"

Ranma's head came up, a protest on her lips, but then she cut herself off. She looked down again. "I promise."

Akane tilted her head up, to look into her blue green eyes. "If you say it, Ranma, I believe it."

* * *

Akane stretched and yawned as she awakened, looking around herself at her room, lit by the morning sun. She was worried about Ranma, and rapidly got up and dressed, so she could check on him. Ukyo was probably worried as well, as Akane noticed that she was already up, her futon rolled up in the corner.

The night before, Akane had found Ranma in the laundry room, staring into the mirror above the sink, studying the reflection of Ukyo's face intently. He was fiddling with his ponytail, and as Akane came into the room, he had asked her if she thought he could pass as his male self if he cut it to the length of his pigtail. He was obviously thinking about keeping the promise to fight Mousse.

They had gotten into an argument about it. Akane felt that no matter how he tried to disguise himself, the other students would still recognize Ukyo. Ranma argued that Mousse was the only one he had to fool, and Akane had to agree the half-blind boy would probably fall for it. But if the other students later told Mousse that Ukyo was the one he had fought, he might demand a rematch, or even attack Ukyo.

For a moment, Akane considered the curse's effect on Ranma cutting his hair. Ranma's hair and Ukyo's were different lengths, and somehow the curse changed the length of their hair accordingly, for both of them. Even when Ranma had put Ukyo's hair up in twin pigtails, during her date with Ryoga, when Akane turned him back into a guy, he had two little tufts of hair bound up on top of his head. Akane would have giggled at the sight if she hadn't been so mad at the time.

Now, though, she wondered. If Ranma cut his hair in Ukyo's form, would it be restored to its original length the next time he changed form? Or would the haircut somehow translate over to his male form, causing his pigtail to be cut off? Did each of his forms have to get haircuts separately? Would his hair length somehow effect Ukyo's? Akane shook her head at this last, silly thought. She figured probably Ranma and Ukyo had thought about this, and would know a bit more about how it worked.

Akane hurried downstairs, and found Ranma and his... well, her father already sparring over the koi pond. Ukyo was helping Kasumi in the kitchen, and she looked up as Akane entered. "Hey, can we skip our spar this morning?" Ukyo asked. "I want to hurry and get through breakfast and then take care of something. I'll meet you and Ranchan at school, okay?"

"Sure." Akane nodded, and headed back into the family room. Soon, they were all gathered around the table eating breakfast. Ranma seemed a bit pensive, but she seemed to be eating with her usual enthusiasm. Ranma, Ukyo and Genma played their usual game of keep away with their food. It was a bit amusing seeing the Saotome siblings as twins, sparring with their father. This was the first time that they had spent any real length of time together that way.

Ukyo finished up first, and headed out of the house, again noting that she would meet Ranma and Akane at school as she left. As Kasumi was gathering up the dishes, Ranma pulled Akane aside. "Hey, can ya help me with somethin'? I wanna get some stuff from my room."

"Okay, Ranma." Akane followed Ranma upstairs, happy that he wanted her to help. Ranma had gathered up a bunch of clothes and some fabric on her futon, and started to pick some of it up.

"I think I can make a disguise outta this that will fool Mousse. Can ya help me get it downstairs?" Ranma looked up at her, expecting the frown she saw on Akane's face. "Come on, Akane, you know I can't back down from this fight. Even if Mousse don't believe I'm Ranma, I gotta show up. Mousse may think I ran out on him, but I'LL know I didn't..."

Akane sighed. "I know, Ranma. As usual, though, you're not thinking things through, baka."

"I think I got an idea. Trust me, this'll work out great!"

"If you say so..." Akane picked up an armful of the clothes, and Ranma started out of the room.

As Ranma left through the door, Akane's eye was caught by something sitting to one side of the pile. It was a lock of hair, blue black hair. Stunned, Akane knelt down to pick it up. It was her hair, the hair that had been cut off by Ryoga, that day when Ranma said her hair was cute. It had to be, it even had the same yellow bow binding it together. Akane looked up at the door, but Ranma was already gone, having not noticed her hesitation.

Akane stroked the hair with her fingertips, her eyes growing a little teary. Had Ranma saved this because he liked her better with long hair? Or was this a reminder of what he had done, the part he played in getting it cut? Did he feel he owed her something? Or was this just a memento of a special moment between them?

She fingered her own, short hair. The color was close enough to Ranma's that it could pass for his hair. Maybe Ranma had intended this to be part of his disguise. She smiled a bit at the thought of her helping Ranma, in some small way, to fool Mousse. Even more important was knowing that Ranma had saved this, all this time. Back then, when Ranma had said that her hair looked cute, she wasn't sure if he was serious, or just trying to make her feel better. Over time, she had come to realize that he really meant it.

She dropped the lock of hair onto the pile of clothes she was carrying, and then brought them all downstairs. She set the pile down, while Ranma busied herself with the pile she had brought down. Finally, she turned and started sorting through the second pile. When she saw the lock of hair, she suddenly froze, and then looked up at Akane, her face turning beet red. Akane smiled at her, her eyes shining.

"So... uh..." Ranma turned around, to hide her blush. She picked up a baseball cap that she had set aside, and began toying with it. "Anyway, uh... I figure there should be enough here to make a disguise out of."

"Ranma, what about the other kids realizing you're Ukyo?" Akane studied her carefully. She wanted this idea to work, Ranma looked so desperate. But there were just too many things that could go wrong.

Ranma turned back and grinned at her, though. "I got an idea 'bout that. See, I'll just do some corny magic tricks or something, and then say I turned myself into Ukyo! Like I'm making fun of Mousse's hidden weapons trick."

"Oh, that's a great idea, Ranma!" Akane said, with a laugh. "Convince everyone that Kuno is right about you being a foul sorcerer that can turn into your sister!"

Ranma paled as she thought about that, but then she shook her head. "It's just a gag, ya know, a trick. Or that's what I'll say anyway. Everyone knows Kuno's an idiot."

"What if the Amazons have some sort of law about men being defeated?" Akane pointed out. "What if you fight Mousse, and Ukyo ends up obligated to marry him?"

"He's gotta give me the Kiss of Marriage first," Ranma countered. "And I ain't fallin' for that again."

Akane smirked. "You fell for it twice already."

"Damn it, Akane, quit bein' such a stubborn, uncute tomboy! I'm trying to figure this out, here!"

Akane stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "I am trying to help, Ranma, that's why I'm trying to make you understand. You don't have to do this. You don't have to fight over me, I can just ignore Mousse and his stupid challenge, and you can't fight him 'man to man' anyway." Ranma flinched. "Just put this off until after you get cured. We've been telling everyone at school that you're sick. You can't fight if you're sick."

"I ain't backin' down," Ranma pouted. "Certainly not with no lie that I'm too sick to fight."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the two of them, and Ranma turned back to the pile of clothes. She squatted down, picking up a needle to begin threading it. "If you won't help me, I'll do it myself. Go on to school if you don't wanna help."

Akane sighed. "I do want to help. That's why I can't let you do this. I'm sorry, Ranma."

Ranma snorted, and looked down at the floor. Which is why she didn't see the table when it smashed her over the head. She collapsed to the floor, and Akane looked down at her, sadly.

Akane set the table back down, and then began to rummage through the pile of clothes herself.

* * *

"Heavens," Nabiki commented in her usual dry monotone, as they walked between the booths and vendors on their way to the ring. "It's like a circus here."

Shampoo could be seen selling dumplings along the path, while crowds of people milled around, to buy food from the shopkeepers, or just chatter about the upcoming battle. The ring had been set up in the center of the park, and a rather large number of people had been drawn by the news of the upcoming fight. Many already knew of Saotome's fame from his previous battles, with Kuno and Ryoga, but even more were just stopping to see what the commotion was all about.

"There certainly are a lot of people," Kasumi said softly. "Everyone seems so busy. I do wonder how word got around so quickly..."

She looked at Nabiki as she said this, who despite herself, was starting to look excited. She eyed her older sister with a wide grin. "Well, with an opportunity like this, to make this kind of money..."

"Yes," Genma cut in, with a gleam in his eye. "And I'm sure we can guess who it was that organized this whole thing."

Nabiki feigned modesty. "Oh, I didn't do too much..."

"I had a lot to do with it as well," came a cackling voice, as Cologne bounded over to the group on her staff. "As you say, Tendo, I recognize an opportunity when I see one."

"I'm surprised you're not taking bets on my son," Genma added. "The boy is the best, of course, after all, I trained him..."

"Oh, the betting booth is over there," Nabiki said. She waved at a couple of her friends, who were manning the booth, and they waved back, giving her a thumbs up.

Cologne laughed again. "I like you, Tendo. You have a head on your shoulders. And you know how to delegate authority as well."

"I do my best, Elder Cologne." Nabiki smiled wickedly back at her. "Come to place a wager?"

"The fight should prove to be interesting," Cologne replied, with an equally wicked smile, "but what if Son-in-Law does not even show at all? I heard that he disappeared during gym yesterday, and 'Ranko' appeared soon after. So is he still under the influence of the Cat's Tongue, unable to change back to a male, or will he somehow manage to overcome it yet again?" Her chuckle seemed to suggest she already knew the answer.

Nabiki shrugged. "Last time I checked, odds that Saotome would not show were..." she consulted a notepad. "Five to one. It would be a pretty good payout, all things considered..."

"My son will be here!" Genma gruffed. "I didn't raise that ungrateful boy to be a coward."

"Except when it comes to cats," Nabiki muttered, and Genma growled even more.

"The boy will be here!" Genma repeated.

"Yes, but will he be a boy?" Cologne cackled. Genma glared at her.

At that moment, a harsh voice was heard to yell, "Saotome! So you have come! Why are you not in the ring?"

Mousse had grabbed a random student out of the crowd, and Cologne hopped up behind him and whacked him over the head with her cane. "That is not Son-in-Law! Put on your glasses!"

Fortunately he did so before he turned to look at Cologne, otherwise he might have mistaken her for Ranma. As it was, he made a disgusted face, and muttered, "Old ghoul", which got him another whack over the head.

The Tendos found several seats near the ringside, and Nabiki took a look around. "Where is Akane? I didn't see her at school today either."

Kasumi smiled gently, her expression as open and honest as always. "Oh, she said she was going to stay home and help Ranma get ready. I'm sure she will be along just as soon as he gets here."

Nabiki stared at her for a moment, then shook her head. "Well, if he doesn't show up soon, I'm going to have to expand the betting pool to cover how late he turns out to be..."

"Well, the last time I saw him, Ranma had fallen asleep, the poor dear," Kasumi said. "But Akane assured me he'd be awake in time for the match."

"Uh-huh." Nabiki looked like she was considering whether her elder sister was hiding something, and Kasumi just stared back at her innocently.

Nabiki was about to inquire further, when a call came out from above the park. "To the ring, Mousse! I'm here, an' I ready ta fight ya!" A figure leaped over the trees, to fly overhead and land in the middle of the ring.

It was a short figure, too short to be Ranma, really, but with jet black hair tied in a pigtail, just like Ranma's. The figure, whoever he was, wore a long tunic that obscured most of his body, making it difficult to tell exactly where his hips or shoulders were. His pants were also extremely baggy, and it looked like he was wearing elevated boots to make himself look slightly taller.

"Ah, here we go," Cologne said. She looked very amused to see the new arrival.

The crowd began to mutter as Mousse stepped into the ring. He studied his would-be opponent carefully, peering at him through his glasses. "Ranma?" He asked. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, 'course it is ya nearsighted moron! Ranma Saotome, of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, an' I don't back down from no fight." This "Ranma" met Mousse's gaze confidently, but his voice, although as low as Ranma's normal speaking voice, didn't sound quite the same. It was more like a girl pitching her voice down.

The mutters increased, as the crowd argued over the identity of Mousse's challenger. "He looks like Saotome, but he's too short." "Maybe it's his younger brother or something." "Saotome doesn't have a brother, just a sister." "Can't be her, she's taller than that."

"It's that fool girl," Genma suddenly exclaimed, "in her cursed form! She's dyed her hair black!"

"Oh, really?" Cologne said, but her eyes were twinkling with amusement. "Ukyo Kuonji, you mean, our Shield Sister? You don't say."

"This just won't do!" Genma shouted, standing up. Soun and Nabiki tried to pull him back down. "No son of mine is going to have some girl fight his battles for him!"

"Keep it down, Mr. Saotome," Nabiki put in, as they struggled to get Genma to return to his seat. "After the last time, I got a lot of bets on Ukyo interrupting the fight at some point. If I have to cash those markers in, it'll cut into my profits."

Genma turned to look at her, while Cologne cackled. Mousse, meanwhile, had apparently not heard the exchange from outside the ring. "So it is you, Saotome! Prepare yourself!" He launched an attack, which Ukyo easily evaded. She tried to counter with a punch, but found that she couldn't get inside Mousse's reach. He backed away, to put even more distance between them.

"I guess it is Saotome," someone said from the audience, and there were other sounds of agreement. "He seems to think it is."

"You're fast, Saotome, but you'll never escape the power of my hidden weapons!" Mousse said. Then he pulled a chicken out of his sleeve and held out his hand to catch them, as the chicken laid several eggs. "Blow of the Chicken Egg!" he shouted, and threw the eggs to the ground where they exploded.

"Geez, whaddya feed them chickens, Mousse, gunpowder?" Ukyo taunted. She leaped out of the range of the explosions, but she couldn't get any closer to Mousse. She frowned as she considered her options.

"That not Airen!" Shampoo had approached the group, and nodded to her grandmother, before turning back to the fight. "Where is Airen?"

"It's Shield Sister Ukyo," Cologne confirmed for her. "And she's going to lose if she keeps fighting like that."

"What Great-Grandmother mean?" Shampoo asked. She looked back up, her lavender eyes showing concern.

"Her arms and legs are too short in that form," Cologne said. "She hasn't got the reach to get inside Mousse's weapons. If she doesn't realize that, she has made a serious mistake. Possibly fatal."

"The girl was raised by me," Genma cut in, with a growl. "She wouldn't make such a stupid mistake." He seemed unsure though.

As Mousse shot an armload of chains and weapons out at her, from the sleeves of his robe, Ukyo suddenly darted sideways, and grabbed hold of one of the chains. Using her momentum to gain speed, she swung around on the chain, and then propelled herself inwards towards Mousse. Mousse struck at her, but Ukyo dodged in midair, flipping over to come down hard on Mousse's head with her heel. The attack only made the boy stagger backwards, though.

Shampoo clapped excitedly. "See! Shield Sister know! She know arms are too short!" Genma seemed to grin as well.

Cologne shook her head, though. "It isn't enough. She got in one lucky hit, but she doesn't have Son-in-Law's raw physical strength to back it up. If Shield Sister is going to win this fight, she will have to change tactics."

"She needs a weapon," Genma growled. "I hate that the girl has to rely on them, but she does have a talent with them. If she can match that boy's weapons, she can beat him."

"Except that she won't use a weapon." Cologne's face spread in a wry grin. "If she does, she will reveal that she is Ukyo and not Ranma. Obviously the girl has resolved to fight as Ranma would fight."

Ukyo glanced back at her, and in the girl's eyes, they could all see that her guess was right. Ukyo turned back to face Mousse again, when another voice rang out over the park.

"That's not Ranma, Mousse! You've been tricked. I'm the real Ranma, and I'm here to fight you!"

A second figure bounded over the crowd, and into the ring. This figure was dressed in Ranma's usual red shirt and black pants, although it seemed a little baggy on him. His hair was slightly off color, though, slightly more blue, although his trademark pigtail hung down behind his neck. He was wearing sunglasses, and like Ukyo, his voice appeared to be intentionally pitched lower than natural.

"Ranchan?" Ukyo asked "him", but then her eyes narrowed. The crowd was arguing again.

"That's gotta be Ranma, he's taller than the other Ranma." "But ain't Ranma taller than that?" "He's taller! See, you can see he's taller!" "But I think Ranma's taller than that."

Ukyo darted forward, and pulled off the glasses. Her mouth fell open, as she found herself staring into the brown eyes of Akane. "What are you doin'? Are you outta your mind?"

"Hey, I'm Ranma, and you ain't!" Akane extended an arm to point at Ukyo. As Ukyo herself had said, imitating Ranma was more a matter of attitude than physical appearance, and she was determined to play the role. "I'm gonna fight this moron, not you! So get outta my way, before you get hurt!"

Akane grabbed the dark glasses and put them back on, with a hint of a grin at Ukyo. "I don't want no girl gettin' in my way when I'm tryin' to fight, RANKO."

Down in the seats around the ring, Genma had begun to snarl as he realized what was going on. "Now that boy of mine has TWO girls doing his fighting for him! When I see him, I'm gonna..."

Dr. Tofu had arrived on the scene, and was studying the fighters carefully as well. "Akane is not going to have much more of an advantage than Ukyo against Mousse's reach," he said. He studied Akane's fighting style as she charged at Mousse. "She's using kicks and not punches, but Mousse isn't having any trouble blocking them."

Cologne nodded her agreement. "At least she is used to her body, and the limitations of its reach, but her style is too aggressive." She raised an eyebrow, as Akane leaped over a kick from Mousse. "Or so it would seem. Interesting." In attacking Akane, Mousse had left himself open for a counter from Ukyo, and he just barely avoided it. Cologne's interest in the fight seemed to increase.

"Oh, Dr. Tofu," Kasumi said, worriedly. "Do you think Akane will be all right?"

Naturally, at the sound of her voice, Tofu's glasses fogged up. "K-K-Kasumi! Imagine meeting you here of all..." He was cut off as Cologne rapped him over the head with her staff.

Meanwhile, Akane continued her attacks on Mousse, but he simply evaded her, while watching for Ukyo as well. "Wait a minute!" he cut in, peering at Akane through his glasses. "Which of you is the real Saotome?"

"Neither of them is, Mousse!" yelled a third voice. Everyone looked up, to see an entirely new figure sail into the ring. This one was taller than the other two, almost as tall as Mousse, and was wearing Ranma's clothes, which appeared to fit him perfectly. However, his hair could not be seen, because it was hidden under a baseball cap.

"I'm Ranma Saotome," he said, falling into a stance. The crowd quickly murmured their agreement.

Akane darted forward, and pulled off the cap. Long brown hair tumbled down from it. "No you're not, UKYO!"

Ranma grabbed the baseball cap back. "No, I'm not, Akane, I'm Ranma! Now quit bein' such an uncute tomboy and let me do the fighting!"

"You think I'm gonna let some gangly chick with no muscles do my fighting for me?" Akane shot back. "Ain't no MAN gonna do somethin' like that!"

Ukyo had stopped to wonder for a moment how Ranma had been able to make her body fit his clothes, but then she noticed the shoulder pads under the fabric of his shirt. He had obviously wrapped his breasts, just as she and Akane had, which completed the illusion. The thought struck her that she should have simply tried to disguise her own body, instead of the one that was supposed to be Ranma as a girl. She hadn't even been able to completely eliminate its obvious curves.

She stepped forward, though, not willing to give up quite yet. "Obviously, Ukyo, Akane, neither one of ya are me, so why don't ya let ME handle this!"

"Stay outta this, Sis, I ain't gonna let this jerk hurt you... either of you."

Genma had been stunned into silence, and just sat watching the exchange. Cologne nudged him. "Looks like your boy has THREE women fighting his battles for him, hmm?"

"Hey!" Genma turned to glare at her, but she just cackled in response.

In the ring, Ukyo had leaped at Ranma, and she backpedaled to give herself more room. The stocky, petite fighter was more than fast enough to force Ranma to the very edge of the ring, especially since Ranma was reluctant to hit her. However, the taller girl managed to put her hesitation aside long enough to toss Ukyo back into the center of the ring.

"What are you doing?" Akane asked Ukyo, her eyes wide.

"Getting him out of the ring, and then you're next. I'm fighting Mousse."

"What? You're not throwing ME out of the ring!" Akane challenged, her lips curling into a sneer. She leaped at Ukyo, throwing a series of punches that Ukyo blocked.

"Ranchan is MY brother, and I'm gonna be the one to protect him! I'M the one who keeps Ranchan safe!"

"Hey, I don't need nobody protectin' me!" Ranma cut in, stepping between the two rivals. "Now cut this out!"

Ukyo and Akane as one turned to the part-time girl, snarling, and punched her in the face. A few seconds later, there was a three way brawl, as even Ranma was forced to strike out against Akane and Ukyo to keep from being forced out of the ring.

"Do you think to make a fool of me?" Mousse interrupted. The quarreling had left him stunned for several minutes, but he had obviously recovered. "I will not be ignored, whichever of you is Saotome!"

The three combatants paid no attention to him, though, even when Mousse threw down an explosive, bathing the ring in fire. Ranma backed away, as the flames began to encircle her on all sides. She cried out, "Hot! Hot!" the Cat's Tongue making the heat almost unbearable to her sensitized skin.

"I'll save you, Ranma!"

"No, I'll save Ranchan!"

Ukyo and Akane began to fight each other over who would beat out the flames, grabbing everything from water to awnings from the vendor booths to throw on the fire and each other. Eventually, the ring was filled with smoke. The three way skirmish resumed, with the girls circling around Mousse, the lack of visibility not hampering the punches and kicks they threw constantly at each other.

"No! Fight me! Fight me!" Mousse called out, to no avail. Finally, he jumped to a light pole overlooking the ring, while Ranma, Ukyo and Akane scrambled around, darting in and out of sight in the clouds of smoke. Mousse struck a pose, shouting out, "Raking Hawk's Talons!" as sharp claws spouted from his shoes. He then leaped down into the fray, his robe fluttering like wings as he descended.

As he dived down on Ranma, however, the ponytailed girl leaped aside, dodging a kick from Akane. The girl's foot caught Mousse in the leg, causing him to flip forward, spinning down on his face. Ranma then darted forward with a telegraphed uppercut at Akane, more to drive her back than to hit her. The blow hit Mousse instead, tossing him skyward. Ukyo flipped over Ranma's head, throwing a spinning kick which caught Mousse and sent him shooting across back towards Akane.

While Ukyo and Ranma hadn't even registered the fact that Mousse was in between them, Akane had backed away far enough that she could spare a bit of awareness, and thus noted Mousse coming at her. She surged forward, intending to just charge past the obstacle between herself and the fight. Almost instinctively, she threw a punch at Mousse as she passed. He folded over her fist, letting out a loud "Oof!", and then collapsed onto the canvas.

Akane had actually gone several steps toward Ranma and Ukyo, preparing another punch, when it suddenly hit her what had happened. She looked back to see Mousse sprawled in the center of the ring. She stared for a moment, and then began laughing. Ukyo and Ranma stopped their sparring, turning to see what was so funny. As the smoke cleared, they saw the unconscious Mousse as well. Both of them joined in on Akane's laughter.

"Well, I guess we won," Akane said, as she continued giggling, at the expressions on her two friends' faces. "We all three hit him."

"Yeah, I guess we did," Ranma agreed. She didn't say anything further, though, because Shampoo leaped into the ring, and to everyone's surprise, wrapped Akane in a bone crushing hug.

"Shampoo knew Airen would win!" she said, then looked startled as Akane's pigtail came off in her hand. She looked up and noted the color of Akane's eyes, just as the girl angrily snatched the pigtail back from her.

"Silly Shampoo!" The Amazon slapped her forehead. "Shield Sister in cursed form, so Ukyo is Airen. Shampoo getting headache. Oh well!" She glomped Ranma, easily catching the ponytailed girl despite her attempts to escape.

"Let go of him!" Akane yelled. "You're not letting him breathe!"

Shampoo just stuck out her tongue in response. Akane huffed and stomped her foot, while Ukyo tried to help pry the purple haired girl off of Ranma. Ranma protested, "I ain't marryin' you, Shampoo!" while trying to wriggle free, "And the old ghoul can't make me!" Shampoo just ignored her, sighing happily.

Cologne, meanwhile, studied the three girls thoughtfully. "Perhaps I have been concentrating too much on just Son-in-Law," she said to herself. "Shield Sister certainly demonstrated the skill I've come to expect from her, and the Tendo girl is not bad either. Better than I expected, from what Shampoo told me about her. Maybe this calls for a change in plans?"

The old Amazon continued to watch, while Akane stomped off, and Ranma tried to follow, still with Shampoo wrapped tightly around him. At the very least, Cologne thought, this is going to be fun.


	39. The Phoenix Pill

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 39

The next morning, Ranma heard a knock at her bedroom door, and a soft voice asking, "Ranma?"

She turned, as Akane entered. Ranma had already had her morning spar with her father, and had returned to their room to get dressed. She was just pulling on her shirt, over the cloth wrap that could be seen around her cursed body's slender chest. Akane smiled and walked up to her, blushing a little. She was hiding something behind her back, but as she stepped close to the other girl, she brought it out. It was the pigtail that she had clipped to her own hair, when imitating him.

"I wanted to give you this back," she said, rubbing her thumb across the silken hairs of the braid. She pulled out the yellow bow, as well, and laid it on top of the lock of her hair. Then she held them both out to Ranma.

Ranma closed her hand around them, and smiled at her as she pushed them back gently. "Naw, Akane, you keep it. It's yer hair, after all..."

Akane's smile widened, and she shook her head. "No, it's obviously important to you." She pushed back, insistently. "You've kept it this long. I WANT you to have it."

Ranma looked down at the lock of hair, then back up at her. "Okay."

"You can take it out of the braid if you like. I just did that for the fight. I didn't have time to take it back out..."

"No, I think I like it better this way." Ranma tied the bow around the end of it, and then smiled back up at her. "I... uh... I think I like it better... this way..."

They stared into each others' eyes for a moment, Ranma's gaze getting very far away. Then, tentatively, she leaned forward - and kissed Akane on the cheek.

Akane put a hand to her face, startled, but then she burst out laughing. "What the heck was that, baka?" she asked, but despite the mild curse, there was only amusement in her voice.

Ranma turned a deep red. "Um... uh... Well, I thought that... you know, after the other day, when you were chasing me, and on the roof, and um..."

"You thought because I kissed you on the cheek that I thought we were going to fast?" Akane's eyes shone brightly, as she smiled back at Ranma. "I was in a hurry, Ranma. I was trying to get inside your defenses. I didn't have time to kiss you on the lips." She glanced down, a blush coming to her own face. "And we were in public..."

She fell silent for a moment. "I guess you're right. Maybe I have felt like we were going a bit too fast, and I appreciate you trying to take it slow." She cut her eyes up at Ranma. "I really appreciate it. But any time you feel like kissing me on the lips, baka, as long as we're alone, you can..."

As Ranma leaned closer to her, though, it suddenly registered what color her aquamarine eyes were, and Akane leaned back, swallowing. The motion immediately reminded Ranma of her gender as well. Blushing, both teenagers glanced at the floor.

Akane slowly lifted her head, and then reached out to tip Ranma's chin up as well. She stared into Ranma's eyes, while the other girl glanced over at the door, and Akane turned to double check as well. The divider still stood partially open, but there didn't seem to be anyone out in the hall. Taking a chance, Akane leaned forward and kissed Ranma gently. It was just a momentary kiss, almost chaste, but it was enough to convey the message.

"As long as we're alone," she muttered, glancing shyly up at Ranma.

* * *

On their way to school, Ranma, Akane and Ukyo ran into Shampoo on her bicycle, although she was not making a delivery. "Airen!" she called out, as her bike careened into the group as usual. "Shampoo have good news!"

"Good news?" Ranma asked, somewhat concerned about the Amazon grabbing onto her, although Ukyo and Akane seemed interested in what she had to say as well, and didn't get too upset about the glomp.

"Shampoo know of cure for Cat's Tongue! Great-Grandmother have! All Airen have to do..."

At that moment, Shampoo's voice was cut off, as the old lady with the ladle suddenly splashed the group. Ranma and Ukyo were unaffected, being currently in their cursed forms, but unfortunately Shampoo was not. Ranma let out an ear-splitting shriek, as she suddenly had a white and purple cat draped around her neck.

"Get it off! Get it off!" Ranma yelled, beating Shampoo off of her. She then began running in circles as the cat tried to chase her. Ukyo grabbed Ranma, and her taller sister wrapped her arms around her, hiding her face against the redhead's neck. Akane, meanwhile, picked up Shampoo's clothes, and then turned to pick up the cat.

Shampoo, of course, hissed and clawed at Akane. Ukyo glared down at her, sternly. "Shampoo, you know that I'm affected by the Neko-Ken as much as Ranchan is. I'm driven to attack any threat I see to Ranchan. And while that doesn't usually mean I attack the cat that is scaring him, that doesn't mean I won't beat the hell out of you just because I want to. So if I were you, I'd let Akane pick you up."

The cat glowered at Ukyo, but then slumped in resignation. Akane absently petted Shampoo as she picked her up, and the cat gave a low yowl of warning. Akane just rolled her eyes, tucking the cat into her own clothing so she would be easier to hide.

"We might as well take her to school," Akane said, "so we can find out what she was going to say. We can get some hot water there."

"Good idea." Ukyo looked at Ranma, who was still shivering, and stroked her back reassuringly as Ranma held onto her. Akane turned away with the cat to walk ahead of them, and Ukyo coaxed her sister to start walking. "It's okay. You can look up now."

Ranma timidly reassured herself that she couldn't see the cat, and began to walk along with Ukyo. She kept her arms tightly around Ukyo's waist, though, the strain evident on her face. She stared at Akane, as if expecting Shampoo to leap out of her arms and come racing back to attack at any second.

By the time they reached the school, Ranma had managed to regain control of herself enough that she was just hanging on to Ukyo's arm. She kept glancing over at Akane, but the black haired girl helpfully made sure that Shampoo was hidden behind her body the whole time. So the trio was relatively calm, as they noticed Kuno waiting for them just inside the gate to the schoolyard.

"Oh, great, this is all we need," Ukyo snarled. Ranma could feel her sister's muscles tensing, her expression already far more distressed and apprehensive than normal for her.

"You better let me handle this, Sis," Ranma told her. "You're in no mood for him with the Neko-Ken an' all, and ya might end up really hurtin' him."

"You sure you're up for it, Bro?" Ukyo said in return, glancing up at her.

Ranma nodded, although she glanced nervously at Akane. She was watching the two of them over her shoulder, but still held Shampoo out of their sight. She looked like she wanted to take on Kuno as well, but if she put the cat down...

Before Ranma could say anything, Kuno stepped forward, brandishing his bokken. "Saotome, you animal!" he shouted boisterously, "How dare you besmirch the honor of this school with your foul perversions! I have heard that you are sharing the shower room with the WOMEN, you monster! Have you no respect for simple decency, that you would so soil the virtue of so many untarnished maidens! You have already violated the innocent Akane and Ukyo, and now you must have more?"

Ranma flushed at the accusation, but Ukyo screamed back at Kuno, angry. "You better shut up right now, before I shut you up! If you think I'm gonna let you say stuff like that about my brother..."

"It's okay, Sis," Ranma said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Remember who you are, and who I am..."

Ukyo glanced up at her, and blushed, although a good part of her redness was still due to anger. She glanced down at the ground, obviously fighting to hold herself back.

"Yo, Kuno. Let me talk to you for a moment." Ranma stepped forward, her manner a bit more gentle than usual, and pulled Kuno aside. "I can understand how you feel, really I do, but first of all, Ranchan is my brother. He and I already share plenty of secrets, you know, like you and your sister Kodachi do, I'm sure."

Kuno turned to regard Ranma somberly, while both Ukyo and Akane studied the girl, grinning a little. It escaped neither of them that Ranma had affected feminine speech, and was trying to imitate his sister. "Now I want you to think about this for a moment. You and I both know that Ranchan is really a guy, and that body is just an illusion. But look at it. Look at it closely." She pointed at Ukyo. "It may be an illusion, but it's a perfect illusion. To all intents and purposes, 'Ranko' over there is a girl. Just like any other."

"Now just picture that girl, that body, trying to take a shower in the men's locker room." Ranma wrapped an arm around Kuno, in a friendly manner, drawing him in. "Imagine those full, rounded hips, those big, luscious breasts, fully nude, in the shower..."

Kuno suddenly put a hand up to pinch his nose, to stop the blood that was about to spurt out. "I will do no such thing!" He protested huffily. "That body is... an abomination. An abomination!"

"Yes, yes," Ranma said, grinning a little. "So you've said. I know that, and you know that. But all those other boys in the locker room, they don't know that. All they see is a beautiful, shapely redheaded girl, showering with them. Is that really what you want, Kuno? For her to share a shower with all of those boys? To be surrounded by them? What if they fall under the spell of her foul beauty, Kuno, what if they dishonor the school with their lustful depravity? Do you want the sorcerer Saotome to take control of the 'righteous' boys of this school through their base desires?"

"No... No I suppose I do not," Kuno said, reluctantly. His expression was intense, as if he were putting little used brain cells to work for once, to try and come up with some argument against the girl's words.

"That's why Akane and I insisted that he take a shower with us," Ranma concluded. "And I want you to understand something." She pulled Kuno a little closer, leaning his head down to look him in the eye. "Ranchan is always the last one to enter the shower, and we always wait until everyone else is through. Then I lead Ranchan into the shower, and I make sure he keeps his eyes locked on my face. We walk to the very back of the shower, and then he uses the last stall, while I shower right next to him to block his view. Ranchan can't see anything, I swear it, Kuno."

Of course, it was actually the other way around, it was 'Ranko' blocking 'Ukyo's' view, but hopefully Kuno wouldn't find out that. "And one more thing, Kuno," she said, pulling him down, her grip turning a little more harsh. "Ranchan is my brother, so I don't like the sort of things you've been saying he does with me. He casts his spells on me, yes, and he switches bodies with me, but he doesn't ever do anything inappropriate with me! I'm his sister, Kuno, an' that's sick!"

Kuno had the good sense to look appalled. "I... I am sorry, my ponytailed goddess, I did not mean to imply..."

Ranma continued as if she hadn't been interrupted, her arm wrapped around Kuno's neck. "Ranchan is my Bro, and I love him. So I won't let you say bad things about him. The next time you feel like sayin' stuff about my brother, you better just shut up!"

With that, she brought her knee up into Kuno's face, laying him out flat. She then turned to Akane and Ukyo, finishing up her performance with one word. "Jackass." Ukyo broke out in applause, while Akane was giggling, still turned so the cat was out of sight.

"Wow, Ranma," Akane said. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Yeah," Ukyo agreed, with a wide grin. "That's exactly what I would have said!"

"And such big words, too," Akane put in, her voice teasing.

"Hey! I'm not a complete idiot, you know!" Ranma paused a moment, then grinned back. "Just an obnoxious idiot..."

"Ranchan..." Ukyo gave her a coy smile. "Did you really mean that, about my breasts being 'luscious'?"

Ranma turned beet red, looking at the ground. "Geez! Ucchan!"

The redhead struck a pose, putting a hand on her hip. "It's okay, Ranchan. You'll get a good look at 'em in the shower this afternoon anyway."

"Cut it out, Sis!"

Akane began to giggle again. "Come on guys, we should get Shampoo to the equipment shed and turn her back. There should be some hot water there. Or I guess you were getting hot water from somewhere, Ukyo, for Ryoga anyway."

"Sure, I'll take care of it," Ukyo said.

"And Ranma..." Akane glanced back at the ponytailed girl, with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "I happen to think your breasts are pretty nice, too. So don't be TOO jealous."

"Gah!" Ranma protested, as she followed them to the equipment shed. In Akane's arms, the cat made a sound that sounded very much like a snicker.

* * *

In the equipment shed, they quickly returned Shampoo to human form. Akane provided her with a towel to cover her nudity, until she could put back on her clothes. She enthusiastically continued her explanation, even before she got dressed.

"Great-Grandmother has pill," she said, "to cure Cat's Tongue. Is Phoenix Pill!"

"Is that true?" Ranma asked, kneeling in front of Shampoo. Her voice was just as enthusiastic as the purple haired girl's. "I can be a man again?"

"Do these eyes that lie?" Shampoo asked.

"Phoenix Pill..." Ukyo mused. "As in the fiery bird of legend, consumed by its own flames but reborn again?"

"Champion of heat resistance," Shampoo agreed.

"And the Old Ghoul has it?" Ranma asked.

"Hold on, Ranma," Akane put in. "This could be another trap."

"She did say she could cure the Cat's Tongue, though," Ukyo said. "Maybe she wants you to earn it somehow." It had not escaped Ukyo's notice that Shampoo's vocabulary improved with that "Champion of heat resistance" remark. It sounded like it had been rehearsed.

"I don't care!" Ranma stood, clenching her fist. "I'll just take it from the old hag." With that, she charged out of the shed.

"Hold on!" Akane called again. "Wait for us!" She turned to glare back at Shampoo. "Why are you helping us, anyway?"

"You want Ranma to stay in girl form, Pervert Girl?" Shampoo asked her. "Tell true now, Pervert Girl like Shield Sister better? Like Shield Sister breasts?" She gave Akane a knowing glance, looking her over.

Akane turned beet red, both at the reminder of her earlier words, and their kiss in Ranma's bedroom that morning. But that gave her another thought. "And would you reject him, if he were stuck that way?" Akane asked, meeting Shampoo's smirk with a glare. "Do you only want to be with him because he turned out to be a man? Even worse, would you go back to trying to kill him if he weren't?"

"Airen is man!" Shampoo protested. "Shampoo not kill! And Great-Grandmother has cure! Airen not stuck."

"What if he was? Cologne is the one who trapped him as a girl this time, but what if someone else does it next time? What if there is no cure?"

"Great-Grandmother find cure!" Shampoo protested angrily. "Great-Grandmother can do anything!"

"Oh, really?" Now it was Akane with the knowing smirk.

"All right you two, that's enough of that," cut in Ukyo. "Let's go find Ranchan before he gets in trouble. Cologne may have her own plans, but I'm sure she's not just going to turn the Pill over."

Shampoo huffed and turned to follow Ukyo, but Akane hesitated a moment, to calm her nerves. She didn't want Shampoo to know it, but her words had disturbed Akane deeply. She did have to deal with Ranma's female form, and it did frighten her. She had kissed him this morning because she didn't want him to think she'd rejected him, so soon after they had begun to get close. But it was still something she had to think about.

As soon as she got a chance. Steeling her determination, she headed out of the equipment shed. One disaster at a time, she thought.

* * *

Ukyo, Akane and Shampoo arrived at the Cat Cafe, just in time to see Ranma come flying out of the door, and land in a pile of garbage cans. She leaped back to her feet yelling, "No ya don't, Old Ghoul! I'll get that Phoenix Pill from ya if it's the last thing I do!" She then charged back into the Cafe.

A few moments later, some crashing and banging was followed by Ranma flying out the door again. She leaped to her feet again, and ran back in through the door. Ukyo shook her head. "I knew it wasn't going to be that easy," she commented.

After about the tenth time Ranma flew out the door, she was not so fast to get back on her feet. She dazedly stumbled to the door, only to be thrown right back out. She slammed into a telephone pole, snapping it in half. Akane spoke up this time. "Maybe you'd better think of another plan, Ranma."

Ranma stood up and looked around herself, still shaking her head as if woozy. Finally, her gaze settled on a flyer that had been taped to the telephone pole. She picked it up and read it.

"Waitress wanted?" Ukyo asked, reading over her sister's shoulder. "Ranchan... you can't be seriously considering..."

"Hey, Old Ghoul!" Ranma called out, charging back towards the door again. "Is this job open for anyone?"

Ukyo followed as Ranma disappeared into the Cafe. She heard Cologne answer, "Of course, Son-in-Law," as she stepped inside. "If you'd like to apply for the job, it's all yours." The old Amazon was at work in the kitchen, but could easily be seen over a counter that separated the area from the diners. Around her neck was a locket, which bore a label marked "Phoenix Pill." Ukyo snorted, at the audacity of the old lady, as well as Ranchan being stupid enough to just try to walk in and grab it.

Ranma, in the meantime, glanced around the Cafe, not recognizing any of the customers. Then again, school was still in session, and the Cafe was close enough to Furinkan. It was likely that some of the students would come here. Ranma looked over at her redheaded sister. "You don't mind, do ya Sis?"

Ukyo shrugged. "I'm 'Ranko' for the moment, so I suppose if 'Ukyo' wants to get a job here I can't stop her." She looked over at Cologne. "But I'm not taking your place once you get the Phoenix Pill."

Cologne laughed good naturedly. "Understood, Shield Sister."

"Just don't embarrass me, Ranchan," Ukyo told her. Then she grinned. "Although I'm sure you will."

"This'll be a piece of cake," Ranma said confidently. Cologne then called out from her position behind the counter.

"Order up, Son-in-Law! Be quick about it!" Ranma was suddenly surprised by several bowls of ramen coming at her, and leaped to catch them all. Before she could even catch the last of them, Cologne was already barking rapid fire orders about where to deliver them. "And if you think you can grab the Phoenix Pill while you're picking up orders, you're in for a surprise."

Ranma had indeed tried to get close enough to make a grab for the pill, but her hands were full before she could even make the attempt. She even had to balance some of the bowls on top of each other, or on her head. "Aiyah," Shampoo put in. "Not drop any. Broth be very hot."

Cologne snapped back at her. "Shampoo! We still have deliveries that need to be made! Hop to it!"

"Yes, Great-Grandmother!" Shampoo quickly darted through the door into the kitchen.

Akane watched as Ranma raced around the room, delivering the orders. She then had to catch even more bowls as the Elder tossed them at her along the way. Ranma seemed only slightly ahead of each, overreaching slightly in Ukyo's lanky body. At one point, she tripped, and was forced to do a flip in midair, which brought out applause from the audience as she caught the bowls at the top of her arc. "Do you think we should help?" Akane asked, hesitantly.

Ukyo shook her head. "Naw. Looks like the Old Ghoul does want him to earn it, after all." She called out a little louder, to Ranma. "Keep your focus! Remember our sparring, UCCHAN." She put a definite emphasis on the name, and Akane glanced at her. Ranma's movements seemed to become smoother, and after a moment, she smiled at them.

"Let's go," Ukyo said. "I guess we won't have to worry about gym this afternoon, at least. You and I should get back to school, though"

Akane nodded. As they walked out of the Cafe, Akane asked, "What did you mean, back there, about sparring?"

"When Ranchan and I were first cursed, we sparred, in cursed form, to get used to our new bodies. I gave him some pointers on fighting in my body, and he gave me some for fighting in his - although I had to adapt it quite a bit, of course, for my smaller size."

"So this should help him get used to your body, at least." Akane looked back at the Cafe.

"Pretty much. Fortunately, it oughtta be easy. Cologne seems to be testing his speed for some reason, and I'm much faster than he is. So as long as he stays on top of it and doesn't forget to adjust for my body, he should be able to catch anything she throws at him."

Akane was quiet a moment, remembering Ryoga's words during his fight with Ranma, over the lake. "You're weak in this form", he had said, "Your sister was more of a challenge to me." And Genma, during the fight with Mousse, pointing out that Ukyo used weapons to make up for her body's lack of physical strength. She looked over at the stocky frame of her friend's cursed form, the pronounced musculature hidden under her soft, feminine curves. She seemed comfortable in this body, but had Ranma adjusted as well to hers?

"Do... do you think he'll be all right?" Akane asked, the concern plain in her voice.

Ukyo glanced at her. "Don't worry. He'll be fine. I'm not sure what the Old Ghoul has in mind, but it won't take my Bro long to figure it out. And once he does, she'll be laughing out of the other side of her mouth." She clenched her fist, grinning. "She's gonna find out that it's a mistake to challenge Ranma Saotome."

Akane couldn't help smiling, as well, at Ukyo's confidence in her brother. "I'm sure you're right."

* * *

Over the next few days, Akane's concern only increased. Ranma would come home exhausted, and eat her meal and go to bed. Akane did not see her much during the day, as Ranma no longer accompanied them to school, and she often found herself staring at the empty seat just behind her. Ukyo took the opportunity to sit next to her in Ranma's place, and often engaged her in conversation, as she could easily see that the dark haired girl was distracted.

"So Ukyo's working at the Cat Cafe, huh Ranko?" Daisuke asked Ukyo. "And Ranma is still out sick?"

Ukyo sighed. "Yeah, I'm worried about her. Um, Ukyo is really getting worked hard by that Old Ghoul and she's always really worn out by the time we see her in the evenings. I swear, I don't know who's looking sicker, Ranchan or Ucchan." Ukyo grinned a bit, and Sayuri and Yuka giggled as well, a private joke between the three of them.

"Maybe 'Ukyo' should just take a break for a while," Yuka said, with a knowing grin of her own. "It wouldn't do for her to get sick like 'Ranma'."

Ukyo shook her head. "Nah, she'll be fine. Ranma and Ukyo are both used to hard work. This is no tougher than what the Old Man put them through, with their martial arts training."

"Sounds to me like Shampoo and her grandmother are just using Ukyo for cheap labor." Sayuri suggested.

"Or to drum up business for the Cat Cafe," Daisuke put in. "From what I hear, everyone's been going to see the 'cute waitress'. The place is like, packed. All the time."

"Really? People think Ukyo's cute?" Ukyo's eyes sparkled at this.

Daisuke looked her over, his gaze anything but subtle. "Actually, maybe you should apply for the job. I bet you'd bring in even more business."

Ukyo blushed, but somehow looked hurt at the same time. "Oh... well, I'm sure Ukyo is pretty cute too..."

Sayuri and Yuka giggled again, but Akane wasn't really paying attention to them. She glanced at the clock, noticing that there were only a few minutes left before the last class bell. Then she could go home and see Ranma, although it would still be a couple of hours before he got through at the Cafe. To her surprise, Akane realized that she was really missing Ranma terribly, and she wanted to see him. Even when he was home, she couldn't find the time to do more than just sit and be with him.

Even more surprising, she found herself daydreaming about Ranma's male form. It seemed like she hadn't seen him that way in ages. She thought about the kiss they had shared on the roof, and then in his room, and the feel of his strong arms around her. The kiss she had given Ranma when he was in Ukyo's body was a bit different. It had been very short, of course, but there was something else different about it, and she couldn't really say what it was. She wondered if she should kiss Ranma again while he was stuck in female form to see if she was having a problem with it. And of course, there was kissing him once he was a man again...

Akane's mind boggled as she began to notice where her train of thought was going. Was she really thinking about... about... perverted things? But that was just kissing, right? Kissing wasn't a perverted thing, not all the time, anyway. Well, being kissed by a pervert was perverted, but kissing someone that you l-l- that you really liked wasn't perverted. Unless it was... you know... that perverted kind of kissing...

"Akane?"

Akane felt her face grew warm as she realized she was thinking about that. Ranma wouldn't do that, she'd had to almost grab him and beat him on the head just to make him kiss her, and that was a normal kiss. He probably didn't even know how to do that kind of kissing...

"Akane?"

It suddenly entered Akane's awareness that there was a hand waving in front of her face. She turned and looked to see Ukyo grinning at her widely. It took everything she had to keep the blush that had settled over her cheeks from growing MUCH deeper.

"You spacing out, there, Akane?" Ukyo asked her. "The bell just rang." Sayuri and Yuka had apparently left, because their seats were empty.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Akane quickly gathered up her books, keeping her face turned away in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. She didn't think it worked, but Ukyo didn't say anything.

"Why don't we stop by the Cat Cafe and visit Ranchan," she said instead. "We can see what kind of progress he's making getting the pill away from that Old Ghoul."

"Sure, Ukyo!" Akane said excitedly, not realizing until she spoke just how enthusiastic she sounded. She blushed again as Ukyo smirked at her. "Um, I mean sure, let's go see how the baka is doing." Akane managed to keep herself from just leaping to her feet and bouncing out of the room, but she couldn't get rid of the happy smile.

* * *

Akane and Ukyo walked into the Cat Cafe, to find Ranma still running tables with the same speed she had demonstrated earlier. Her eyes were half-lidded, though, and she seemed to be moving automatically, not really thinking about her movements. Ukyo noted with some satisfaction that there were no missed steps or miscalculations in her movements. She had adjusted completely to her body and reach, even when only half conscious.

Akane stepped over to take Ranma's head in her hands, looking into her face. "Ranma, are you all right? You look awful."

"Feh," she said blearily. "At least I'm not an uncute tomboy."

"Baka," Akane said, although not angrily. She let go of Ranma, but still looked worried, as the girl continued on to make her rounds.

"Shield Sister! What Angry Girl doing here?" Shampoo said, as she entered the Cafe through the door. Apparently she was returning from a delivery.

"We're just seeing how Ranchan's holding up," Ukyo said, while Akane said nothing, preferring to just glower.

"Son-in-Law!" Cologne called out, stepping up to the counter in the kitchen. She took note of Ukyo and Akane, and then turned back to Ranma. "Are you finished with the orders I gave you?"

"Yeah, sure, Old Ghoul," Ranma said, her voice still somewhat dazed.

"Good. Shampoo, tell any additional customers that we are closing early. Let me know when the last of the current customers leave, and then close up."

"Yes, Great-Grandmother. Why we close early?"

"I think it's time, Son-in-Law. Come with me."

"Where are we goin'?" Ranma asked, as he followed Cologne into the kitchen and out to the yard behind the Cafe. Akane and Ukyo followed as well. They all stood around watching as Cologne built a large bonfire.

By the time she finished, Shampoo had joined them. She had a bag with her and handed it to Cologne, who held it up. "As you can see, I have here a bag of sweet chestnuts." She then poured the contents of the bag into the fire.

"Now watch closely." She glanced up at Akane and Ukyo. "Shield Sister, you might want to watch as well. I believe you may also be fast enough to learn this technique. Miss Tendo..." She paused a moment, grinning impishly, and Akane regarded her appraising look with a scowl.

"If you can disrupt my Great-Granddaughter's Xi Fa Xiang Gao as she tells me you could, you might be close enough to learning it as well. I would advise you wait to try until you can actually block it, though, not just come CLOSE to blocking it..."

As she turned back to the fire, Ukyo leaned over to whisper in Akane's ear. "I'd listen to her. That training Cologne put Ranchan through, tossing the bowls to him... As I thought, it was a test of speed. I don't think you're quite fast enough, but you're getting there."

Akane nodded, although she didn't say anything, and kept the scowl. "She waited for you and me to arrive, though," Ukyo added. "I don't think that was a coincidence." Akane glanced at her, but then turned back to watch the demonstration.

"This is great honor," Shampoo said, with a bit of a frown of her own. "Legendary technique of Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. Pay attention."

As soon as she had silence, Cologne held up her hands, standing next to the fire. She then jabbed at the fire, her hand moving almost too fast for the eye to see. Her arms became a blur, as she swept them in and out of the fire, moving so rapidly that the individual movements couldn't even be made out. Finally she stopped, and held out her fists. Both were filled with chestnuts.

"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken," Cologne said, "or 'Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire'."

Ukyo smirked. "Cute name. Very... festive."

Cologne cackled. "If it's too silly for you, 'Chestnut Fist' will do just as well. Care to try it?"

Akane was staring, wide eyed. She'd been hard pressed to keep up with Shampoo's Xi Fa Xiang Gao, and she'd even seen the burst of attacks Ukyo had made against Shampoo when enraged, and Kuno's pressure wave technique. But this was on a whole new level. "It must take incredible speed, to get the chestnuts out of the fire without being burned."

"If you can master the Chestnut Fist," Cologne put in. "it should be child's play to get the Phoenix Pill away from me." She hopped off into the Cafe, and Shampoo followed.

"I'll learn it, you'll see!" Ranma shouted back. "And then I'll get that Phoenix Pill!" She clenched her fist, but then she swayed, and her eyes began to droop. She had been awake and attentive through the whole demonstration, but apparently her exhaustion just couldn't be held off any longer.

"Ranma!" Akane exclaimed, as she leaped to catch the ponytailed girl. She collapsed into Akane's arms. Akane bit her lip as she held the girl, worried. This seemed simple enough, but it was obvious to her that the Amazon Elder was just toying with them. Was Ranma up to it, or was this all some kind of elaborate trick?

"Come on, Ranchan," Ukyo said kindly. "You can start on your training tomorrow. Tonight it looks like you need to get home and get some sleep."

* * *

Author's Notes:

While it would certainly be out of character for Ranma, even in this story, to tease his sister about her chest like that, the point above was that Ranma was saying what UKYO would say. And it would be totally in character for this version of Ukyo to flirt like that, knowing exactly how it would effect Kuno. Plus, of course, it isn't her real body. Of course, Ukyo and Akane both put him on the spot about it afterwards...


	40. Trial of the Chestnut Fist

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 40

Ranma sat staring into the fire for a long moment. Her hair looked singed, and her face was blackened with soot, and it had looked like that for a while. Then, she suddenly reached forward. The silence of the Tendo home was shattered by a scream of "Ow! Hot! Hot!" and then Ranma leaped to stick her hands into the koi pond.

The chestnuts still sat in the fire, untouched. "Come on, Ranma," Akane told her. "You can't even get close to the fire. The Cat's Tongue pressure point makes your skin too sensitive to heat. It's impossible. Cologne is just teasing you."

"There's gotta be a way," Ranma countered. She stared thoughtfully into the flames for a few minutes, and then tentatively put her hands up as if to test the heat. Her face twisted in anguish. "It's so hot! It's so hot!"

"Don't be such a coward, boy!" Genma said pompously. "It is a simple technique. Let me show you how it's done!"

Akane watched through narrowed eyes, as the old man crouched in front of the fire. He began to jab at the flames. As Akane expected, he then leaped up, his sleeves on fire, and ran around the yard. He left a blazing trail of flames behind him for a few minutes, until Ranma got tired of his screaming and kicked him into the koi pond.

"Moron," Ranma muttered, and Akane silently agreed. She had tried it herself, without the fire, of course, and the first chestnut she touched had flown across the dojo and smashed a hole in the wall. Maybe she could get Ukyo to throw things at her, like Cologne had in the Cafe, until she felt comfortable with the speed.

Ranma, meanwhile, fell back into her faraway gaze, the momentary distraction of her father already forgotten. Soun stepped up to pat her on the back. "Buck up, Son," he said. "You'll find a way to do this."

"But if I don't... if I don't, I'll never be a man again." Akane was shocked to see tears start to fall from Ranma's eyes, and then she leaped to her feet to run. But she only got a few steps before she collapsed to her knees, pounding on the ground with her fists. "It's so hot. It's so hot. This isn't fair."

Akane quickly rushed to her side. She wanted, more than anything else, to wrap her arms around Ranma, but with the fathers watching, she settled for just putting an arm around her shoulder. "It's okay," she said. "There's got to be a way."

Akane didn't want to admit it, but she was frightened. She'd seen Ranma cry before, but only under severe stress, like when Sanzenin kissed him. For Ranma to fall apart now, she had to be on the verge of something even worse. If there really was no cure, if there was no way to change back, could he handle it? For that matter, Akane asked herself, can I handle it?

"Hey, Ranchan, you can do it." Ukyo came around into the yard, from the direction of the dojo. "It's just a matter of working your way up to it. Let me show you."

She was in her normal form, so she was identical in appearance to her 'sister', for the moment. She quickly used a branch to nudge the chestnuts out of the fire, and picked out six of them. She then tossed them into the bonfire.

"The thing is, the Cat's Tongue makes you feel like you're going to hurt yourself, but as long as you're fast enough, you won't. Since you can't trust your pain senses to let you know what's real, you need to build yourself up to it instead. Just start with six chestnuts, so you'll just burn yourself a little bit. It also means you don't have to endure the pain as long, as well..."

She sat down next to the fire, and took a deep breath. With a blur of motion, her hands flashed into the fire, and came out with three chestnuts in each hand. She immediately dropped them on the ground, and began shaking her hands to cool them. "I can't hold them in my hand like the Old Ghoul could," she said with a sheepish grin. "They're pretty warm from the fire..."

"Wow, Ukyo!" Akane smiled widely, impressed by the demonstration. "You've learned the Chestnut Fist!"

"Only for about a dozen or so," she said modestly, waving off Akane's praise. "I'm sure Ranchan will be able to do even better than me. After all, we're in exactly the same body." She looked over at Ranma, grinning. "So if I can do it, then obviously you can do the same thing."

"Yeah..." Ranma clenched her fist, her eyes shining. "You didn't get burned, so I won't get burned. I just have to ignore what my body's telling me and just do it."

"And we've endured worse pain than this in training," Ukyo said. "You just have to have faith that you won't really get hurt." She stood for a moment, and gave Ranma a hug, reassuring her.

"All right, I'm ready." Ranma sat down in front of the fire, and Ukyo tossed the six chestnuts back in, very close to each other. Ranma studied them for a long moment, as if memorizing their position, while Ukyo again put an arm around her shoulder. Ranma's hands darted out, and before even a heartbeat could pass, the chestnuts were out of the fire.

Ranma then let out a blood curdling scream. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell sideways, passing out.

"Ranma!" Akane leaped to her side, and Ukyo bent over her as well, worried. She gasped as blisters began to form on Ranma's hands and up her arms. They turned very dark, an angry red, even as more blisters started to erupt, until the whole of her arms were covered.

"Ukyo! Look!" Akane pointed, her eyes widening in fear, as blisters formed on Ranma's face. She quickly leaped to the koi pond, gathering up water in her hands to pour it over Ranma's arms and face. Kasumi came out a few seconds later with several towels, soaked with cold water, and a first aid kit. Akane began to lay the towels over Ranma's burns.

"I didn't... I didn't mean to..." Ukyo looked in shock, her face pale. "I didn't think it would..."

"You should call Doctor Tofu," Akane told her.

"That won't be necessary," came Cologne's voice, as she bounded over the wall. "What has happened here?"

"You!" Akane called out, rising to her feet. She handed Ukyo the towels. "You knew this would happen!"

"I suspected it might, yes. That's why I'm here." Cologne regarded Akane evenly, no hint of amusement or deviousness in her expression. She reached into her robe and pulled out a jar. "This salve should ease his pain and help with healing of the blisters."

Ukyo leaned over Ranma and started to gently press the towels against the worst of the burns. She could feel tears rolling down her face, and wasn't surprised when she saw them fall onto Ranma's chest. "I'm sorry..." she muttered. "I really thought..."

Akane stared at her for a moment, then looked back at Cologne, her teeth grinding. She took the jar and crouched next to Ranma. She started to spread the cream over Ranma's skin, while covering the blisters that had burst open with bandages from the first aid kit. "Were you expecting us to try this?" Akane asked Cologne. "Is this all a game to you?"

Cologne smiled slightly. "If you had asked me, I would have told you that the Cat's Tongue is no illusion. Son-in-Law's skin really is as sensitive to heat as it feels to him."

"I didn't know... I didn't know..." Ukyo's voice was weak, far away. "I thought... I thought he would be okay."

Akane gave her a hug. "You couldn't have known. It's not your fault. It's HER fault." She glared back at Cologne.

"No, I did this. I did this to him." Ukyo stared down at Ranma, her eyes haunted. Tears were still running down her face. "I didn't think it would hurt him..."

"You didn't know," Akane hugged her tighter. "I threw that lukewarm water on him. If I hadn't thrown the cold water on him right after, he might have blistered then. I might have tried again, thinking he just had to endure it long enough to change. He might have even suggested it himself. We didn't know!"

Ukyo sniffled. "I guess so," she said, but she didn't sound convinced.

"It's Cologne's fault," Akane said darkly. "She knew he couldn't do it. He has to learn the Chestnut Fist to get the Phoenix Pill. But he has to get the Phoenix Pill to learn the Chestnut Fist. I knew it was a trap!"

Ukyo's head came up, and she gritted her teeth, wiping away the tears. She looked back at Cologne. "Is that what this is, Old Ghoul? You never intended to teach him the Chestnut Fist in the first place! Your real plan was to teach it to me!"

"I still believe Son-in-Law can learn the technique, Shield Sister, but yes, I don't expect him to learn it this way. If he is as resourceful as I think he is, he will find a way. And I did plan for you to learn it as well."

Ukyo snarled, clenching her fist. "Well then, you got what you wanted! You taught it to me. And now I'm going to make you pay!" She darted forward, and before anyone could react, her arms flashed into a blur. She and Cologne parried for the Phoenix Pill around her neck for several seconds, before the Elder leaped away.

"You DO know the Chestnut Fist!" Akane exclaimed.

Ukyo blushed a bit, but her eyes were flashing with fury. "I just said that because I didn't want Ranchan to know I learned it before he did." She glanced down at Akane, her expression turning a bit more gentle. "Don't tell him..."

"I won't... but are you sure you want to do this?"

"If that Old Ghoul thinks she's going to toy with me, I'm going to show her how wrong she is." She looked back at Cologne. "Your move."

Cologne laughed her old familiar cackle. "Very well then. Join me at the Cat Cafe, Shield Sister! Take the Phoenix Pill from me if you can!"

She bounded out of the yard, and Ukyo charged after her. "Watch over him," Ukyo called back over her shoulder. "I'll be back with the Phoenix Pill. And then Ranchan will be okay."

* * *

Ukyo charged into the Cat Cafe, calling out, "Okay, Cologne, I'm here!" Before she even finished her sentence, a trap door opened under her feet. She found herself falling into darkness, and then instinctively dodged an attack as something came at her. It was difficult to see, as there was a rolling fog filling the room, but she was able to make out several weird creatures, including a pig, a snake, and a monkey with a staff, all using martial arts attacks to strike at her.

"Reminds me of a legend, I think," Ukyo said to herself, as she dodged the snake. She threw a kick at the pig, and as she expected, the attack went right through it. "This is just an illusion, Cologne! Clever, but I see through it!"

The monkey's staff then struck her across the head. "Okay, the monkey's real. Or so it would seem." She quickly jumped up to the supports for the floor above and looked down at the room below her. An incense brazier was set in the center of the room, pouring out the smoke that filled it. A figure could be seen moving around, but Ukyo could not make out what it was. She quickly jumped down next to the brazier and kicked it over.

The fog cleared, to show Cologne was the one that had struck her, with her staff. Ukyo quickly looked around, a bit startled to find that they were in a huge bathing room, the entire far side of which was taken up with a furo, which looked to be several yards across. It was filled with steaming water.

"You Amazons must really like baths," Ukyo commented.

"I set this up for Son-in-Law," Cologne countered. "I wanted to see if he would have the courage to fight me over the boiling water. But of course that little feature won't affect you."

"Not at all." Ukyo darted forward, and her arms became a blur, as she grabbed at Cologne. Cologne's hands blurred as well. After half a second, the movement stopped, and Ukyo turned a back flip, her hands grasping the Phoenix Pill locket. Cologne had replaced the twine she had used to tie the locket around her neck with a chain, and it didn't break. Ukyo was flung over her head and landed sprawled on the floor.

"What the..." Ukyo muttered, pulling herself to her feet. She tried again, but while she was able to grab the locket, she couldn't free it from around Cologne's neck.

"The Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken is useless to you, Shield Sister," Cologne said, her expression serious. "While you can manage the speed of the technique easily, it takes physical strength as well, to force your body to move at those speeds. You are using up all of your energy just on overcoming the wind resistance. There is nothing left for you to strike with. You don't have the strength to break the chain around my neck."

"We'll just see about that!" Ukyo replied. She leaped into the air, coming down on Cologne from above, and her legs flashed into a blur, followed by her arms as she landed near Cologne.

The Amazon stepped back, smiling as she checked the locket around her neck. "A good try, Shield Sister, but you failed again."

"Did I?" With a wry grin, Ukyo twirled Cologne's staff, bringing it to rest under her arm.

"Oh, I see." Cologne's smile seemed just as ironic. "Very good."

Ukyo charged forward again, bringing Cologne's staff around to jab at her with high speed. It didn't seem to achieve the speeds of the Chestnut Fist, though, and Cologne was able to counter the blows easily with her own blurred hands. Ukyo stepped back, panting.

"An admirable attempt, Shield Sister. But unfortunately, the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken cannot be performed with weapons." Cologne grinned widely. "Did you think I had not trained my Great-Granddaughter in the technique? She can perform the Xi Fa Xiang Gao, after all. But Shampoo chooses not to use it, because she prefers to use weapons over her bare hands."

Ukyo lowered her head. "So... I failed."

"I will tell you now, Shield Sister, Son-in-Law will get the Phoenix Pill from me when he agrees to marry my Shampoo, and not before. That is the deal. Teaching you the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken was just a bonus, because I wanted to see if you two could learn it."

Ukyo's head came up, and she met Cologne's eyes. "Do you really think that Ranchan would be happy in your village? Do you really think that he would enjoy being married to Shampoo, or even that he could love her?"

"Love is a fickle thing," Cologne answered, "And the Laws of the Amazons do not concern themselves with the heart. The Kiss of Marriage is a duty, a matter of honor, and your brother has a responsibility to Shampoo for dishonoring her in front of the tribe. If love results from it, so much the better, but it is not required.

"As for Son-in-Law's happiness, we have much to offer him, and you as well. We have three thousand years of martial arts history to share with him. We can make him the greatest martial artist of this generation or any other, and he can give us that legacy for his children and his children's children."

"But what is the price he has to pay for that?" Ukyo regarded the Elder, frowning. "Your Granddaughter acts as if she is willing to do anything for her 'Airen', but I have seen the arrogance in the way she treats people, Akane especially. Your culture is built around dominance of the female over the male. In your tribe, Ranchan would be a second class citizen, and he would never allow that. And if Shampoo starts acting as if she is superior to him, and starts ordering him around, my brother will resist."

"All couples have their challenges," Cologne said with a chuckle. "Including Son-in-Law and the Tendo girl."

"I don't deny that. But this is Ranma's home." Ukyo shook her head. "That nonsense the Old Man filled his head with about 'women are weak' is just as bad as your Amazon Laws, but at least I have tried my best to punch holes in that when I was growing up with him.

"More importantly, Ranchan loves Akane. I know it, he knows it, Akane knows it, and I know you know it, too."

"And what about you, Shield Sister?" Cologne's voice was teasing, probing. "What are your feelings for your Ranchan...?"

Ukyo's eyes narrowed. "Is this another of your tests? You want to know whether or not I know my own heart?"

She was silent for a long moment, while Cologne grinned at her impishly. Finally, Ukyo's expression turned pensive, and she took a deep breath. "I admit it. I love Ranchan. As more than a brother. All my life, growing up, he's been at my side. I don't think I could stand to lose him. I don't think I could stand being away from him. Every fiber of my being is wrapped around taking care of him and protecting him. It's all that I have lived for over the last ten years."

She looked up. "But I love Ranchan, enough to give him up. If he's chosen... her..." her voice choked, "then I want him to be happy with her. I want to do everything in my power to make sure that she treats him right, and that he treats her right. Maybe there's a part of me that doesn't want to do that. Maybe there's a part of me that remembers playing house with him when I was a little girl. But that was when I was a little girl."

There was a momentary silence, and then Cologne turned. "Tell Son-in-Law that when he is ready to marry my Shampoo, I will give him the Phoenix Pill. If you have nothing more to say, then I believe this battle is done."

"Not quite..." Ukyo suddenly turned, and in the momentary distraction, turned on the cold water tap next to the huge furo. Seconds later, she was in her cursed form, and rushed at Cologne. There was a momentary struggle, both figures flashing so fast they could almost not be seen, and then a loud snap echoed in the room. The links of the chain around Cologne's neck went flying.

Ukyo held up the Phoenix Pill, grinning. "My cursed body has greater strength than my normal one. Plus, with my smaller hands, it takes even LESS energy to move them. Thanks, Old Ghoul. You've given me a technique that allows me to fight without weapons, even if I have to be in my cursed body to use it."

Cologne was grinning as well, as Ukyo opened the locket, to look at the pill. "It looks like a candy drop."

"Sorry, Shield Sister," Cologne said with a cackle. "It is a candy drop. I switched the contents, just in case."

"Why, you!"

"Don't be so angry, Shield Sister. You did very well, better than I expected. I expect as much from Son-in-Law as well. I've already told you what he needs to do to get the Phoenix Pill. I'll be waiting." With that, she walked out of the bathing room, leaving Ukyo seething.

* * *

That evening, Ukyo offered to make dinner, and Akane helped. Although she was nice enough about it, Ukyo seemed particularly strict in correcting Akane and watching for her mistakes. The memory of Ukyo blowing up in the dojo was still fresh in her mind, and Akane found herself doubling up on her efforts to keep her focus and not argue with Ukyo for any reason. By the time the meal was ready, Akane felt more unnerved and exhausted than if she had been fighting a martial arts battle for hours - and losing.

Everyone complemented her for her part in the preparation, even Ranma, but Akane still felt uncomfortable. Part of it was that Ranma was obviously so quiet and depressed. Ukyo had told them what happened at the Cat Cafe, and how she couldn't get the Phoenix Pill, even with the speed of the Chestnut Fist. Ranma had obviously been hit very hard by this news. With her arms burned as they were, she couldn't try again right away anyway, but she had been anxious to learn the technique herself once she healed. When Ukyo got back from the Cat Cafe, she just stopped talking about it.

Ukyo was doing everything she could to get Ranma's spirits up. The two twins were sitting together, Ukyo laughing and joking, and Ranma would laugh at her antics from time to time. She pointed out various dishes that she thought had turned out well, and Ranma devoured them with her usual gusto. The two of them joined forces in picking on their father, and keeping him away from their food, and by the end of the meal, Ranma seemed to be feeling somewhat better.

Akane picked at her own meal, not saying anything. She could tell the portion that she had cooked wasn't anything close to Ukyo's. For a moment, she considered the possibility that Ukyo had intentionally sabotaged her by not letting her do anything that might have improved her cooking. But then she chastised herself for having the thought. Ukyo hadn't really held her back; she had held herself back, too worried about what Ukyo would think. And her cooking didn't need to be sabotaged. Maybe it was just time she admitted that she couldn't cook - that she would never be able to cook.

After dinner, she went to take her bath, so lost in her own thoughts that she forgot that she hadn't checked with either Ranma or Ukyo about their plans. Thus, she was shocked to find the twins in the furoba together. The two were sitting on a couple of stools, one washing the other's back. The girl with her back turned glanced up at Akane, and then immediately blushed and looked away, covering her face. Even if the bandages on her arms didn't give it away, she would have known that was Ranma.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Akane said, as Ukyo looked back at her as well. "I'll... leave you two alone." Akane couldn't help swallowing, at the flare of jealousy that went through her. But she knew nothing like that could be happening. Ukyo had said several times that she and Ranma bathed together, and it was totally innocent. Fighting a blush of her own, she turned back to the divider.

"Don't be silly, Akane," Ukyo said with a smile. Her tone was welcoming, but there was just a hint of a challenge there. "We were just talking! Why don't you join us?"

"I... I couldn't!" Akane's eyes widened and her blush grew deeper. It had been uncomfortable enough in the locker room, even though she knew Ranma only ever looked at his sister, usually just chatting with her so it wouldn't seem suspicious. She could see he was keeping his eyes turned to the floor now, as well.

"Come on, it's okay. Ranchan can't change back to his male form, so you won't have to worry about seeing anything. And he promised he wouldn't look." Ukyo grinned mischievously. "You may not get another chance... not for a while, anyway." She chuckled.

"Uh... well..." Akane hesitated, her hand on the divider.

"You don't haveta if you don't want, Akane," Ranma said. "Leave her alone, Sis. It's different with you."

"How so? Because you already know what my body looks like? You knew that long before you got cursed." She turned back to scrubbing Ranma's back again.

"You don't have to, Akane," Ranma repeated.

Akane found herself taking a step into the room. Ranma was still staring intently at the floor, which helped a lot. But then the girl cut her eyes up at Akane's reflection in the mirror. Akane froze as Ranma turned away suddenly, realizing what she was doing, and Akane's heart began to beat wildly.

"Ranchan, behave," Ukyo scolded, but she was grinning.

"I'm sorry!" Ranma protested. "I didn't mean to! I swear, I..."

Akane quickly walked into the room, and sat down on a stool. She turned her back to Ranma, making sure her back was to the mirror as well. But she smiled back at the two girls, over her shoulder. "It's okay, Ranma. You promised, and I believe you. And I'm going to have to get used to this. You'll probably be taking a shower with us for the rest of the week, at least."

"I don't mind, really." That was a lie, but not enough to matter. She paused a moment, then laughed. "I sure hope Father doesn't find out, though..."

"Yeah," Ukyo agreed, laughing herself. "I can hear him now. 'My little girl took a bath with her fiance' and his sister! WAAAAAH!'"

Ranma seemed to relax, as Akane began washing herself. Ukyo turned from scrubbing her back to finish her own bathing, and then helped Ranma lather up her long hair. Both Ranma and Ukyo had pulled their hair out of their ponytails, and it hung loosely over their shoulders.

"You want me to wash your back as well?" Ukyo asked Akane.

"Sure." There was a moment's pause, and then she looked back at her friend. "So what were you and Ranma talking about?"

Ukyo glanced at her "sister". "Well, more I was thinking we hadn't done this in a long time. And with Ranchan's hands burned, he can't wash himself that well. So I asked him if he wanted me to help."

"I guess I kinda miss it too, Sis," Ranma said.

"Then we got to talking about the Phoenix Pill, and what we're going to do," Ukyo put in. "That Old Ghoul is one sneaky old biddy."

"I guess we just wait for another opportunity to present itself." Akane paused thoughtfully, as she poured some wash water over herself. "It's obvious Cologne's going to continue to test you two. Eventually she's got to slip up."

"I hope so," Ukyo said, while Akane turned to scrub her back. She kept an eye on Ranma, but even though she was looking in the mirror, Akane could tell her eyes weren't on her. She was staring at herself, studying her own face carefully. At least the blisters on her face were gone; the salve had done a good job of healing them, although there was still a redness there that wasn't due to a blush.

Ranma shook her head. Then she lowered her head into her bandaged hands. "What am I gonna do, Sis? I can't be you for the rest of my life..."

Ukyo helped Akane as she grabbed the rinse bucket, and they both used it to rinse the suds off their bodies. "Go ahead and get in the bath. Ranchan will be able to turn around then."

Akane did so, while Ukyo used the bucket to rinse Ranma's body and hair. She then joined Akane, leaving Ranma sitting alone outside of the furo. She slumped down on the stool, finished with her bath, but obviously unwilling to go near the tub.

"I wonder if that Old Ghoul really is after the both of us," Ukyo commented thoughtfully. "Maybe even you too, Akane, huh?"

Akane shook her head. "I'm not going to leave my family and friends to go live in China. And I'm sure you guys wouldn't be happy there either." She smiled at Ukyo. "This is your home now, and you're my family. I'm not going to let Cologne take either of you."

Ranma had gathered her hair into her hands, and had drawn it over her shoulder, running her fingers through the soft tresses. Her thoughts were elsewhere, though, her eyes staring off into the distance. "But if I stay here..."

Ranma continued to idly play with her hair for a while, while she thought. Akane watched her, leaning down in the furo with her arms on the edge, so she was shielded from Ranma's view. She was amused when Ranma looked up at her, staring her in the face for a moment, and then turned away, blushing.

Surprised by her own boldness, Akane nonetheless crooked a finger at Ranma, beckoning her to come closer. Ranma's blush deepened, and for a moment, she refused to move. But when Akane insisted, she finally, reluctantly, slid her stool forward, just close enough that Akane could keep her chest hidden behind the edge of the furo.

Akane reached forward and tipped Ranma's head up. She stared into her eyes for a long moment, smiling at her with that gentle smile that made Ranma's heart pound in her chest. Then she tilted Ranma's head back down, and kissed her on the forehead.

"You'll get through this, Ranma. We'll get through it together." She could feel Ukyo's eyes on her, which is why she didn't have the courage to kiss Ranma's lips. She hoped he understood anyway.

Ranma was about to respond, when the divider slid open again. The three girls looked up, startled, to see Kasumi walk in. She looked around at the two girls in the furo, and Ukyo's identical twin sitting on the stool. "Oh, my..."

Just as before, Ranma immediately turned her face towards the wall, and blushed deeply. "I'm sorry! I didn't see anything!"

Kasumi, of course, smiled pleasantly. "That's all right, Ranma-kun. Obviously, with your injuries, you need help bathing. And it's nothing unusual for you to see a female body, after all, since you have one of your own. I'm just a bit... surprised, that's all."

"It's, uh, all perfectly okay," Akane protested, a little too vehemently. "Ukyo and Ranma were just in here chatting, and I walked in. Since Ranma was in his female body, and Ranma's been showering with the girls, since he's trapped that way, and well..."

"There's no need to explain, sister," Kasumi said. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

Akane's eyes almost bugged out of her head, but Ukyo grinned widely. "Not at all! Ranchan, why don't you move over until Kasumi can finish cleaning up?"

"Of course." Still blushing madly, Ranma turned in her stool to face the wall next to the tub, where she couldn't see either Kasumi or the mirror. Kasumi pulled up a stool behind the girl, and began to bathe herself.

"You don't mind if I help do you?" Ukyo asked, climbing out of the tub. Kasumi shook her head, smiling gently, and in a few moments Kasumi had finished cleaning up, and had joined Akane and Ukyo in the furo.

"Well, this is nice," Kasumi said, as she lay back in the soothing warmth of the water. Ranma had turned back in her stool, but was still staring at the floor, unable to meet any of the girls' eyes. "... All of us 'sisters' together, except for Nabiki."

Akane giggled. "I think if Nabiki knew Ranma was in here, it would be worse than if Father found out."

Kasumi laughed gently. "True." She regarded Ranma with a twinkle in her eye. "I'm glad to know that the girls are helping you with being trapped in this form. You shouldn't miss gym, even though I'm sure it's an inconvenience."

Ranma glanced up at her, cutting her eyes to Akane, and then back to Kasumi. "Actually... it was Akane's friends Sayuri and Yuka who suggested it. I thought that was... um... real nice of 'em..." She turned her eyes back to the floor again.

"Yes, it was." Kasumi looked at Akane and Ukyo, who both nodded, smiling.

There were a few moments of awkward silence, while Ranma kept her gaze on the tiles of the floor. Finally, Ukyo gave a good natured laugh. "Well, I think I've put my Bro on the spot long enough. Come on, Ranchan. Let's let Akane and Kasumi finish their bath."

Ranma looked up, obviously relieved, and then the two sisters left the room. Silence fell over the room again, until Akane hesitantly cleared her throat. "Big Sister? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Akane. What is it?"

Akane stared down into the water of the furo. Gathering her courage, she spoke. "Kasumi... please be completely honest with me. Did I really do okay on dinner tonight?"

The eldest Tendo daughter studied her sister for a moment. Then she scooted over, and pulled her sister into a hug.

"It was... a little bland, Akane, but much, much better. You were obviously trying not to make it as spicy and strong as you have in the past. You just overcompensated a little bit, but you're getting there."

"Well, I guess it was edible..." Akane said, her voice sad. "At least it didn't poison anybody."

"Now, now, Akane," Kasumi said with a gentle smile. "That was just the one time, when you put dishwashing soap in there. You haven't done anything like that since Ukyo arrived."

Akane sniffled, and wiped at her eyes. "Am I just fooling myself, Big Sister? Maybe I should accept that I'm not a good cook. I mean, you're here, and Ukyo, and you're both wonderful cooks. Do I even need to...?" She paused a moment, her voice going silent.

"Do you even need to what?" Kasumi asked, in a tone that suggested she already knew.

"Do I even need to cook for him?" She whispered, her cheeks turning pink.

"That's for you do decide. If you want to."

Akane hugged her sister tighter. "That's just it. I keep thinking about what he said. 'It you're not having fun, you're not doing it right.' It wasn't fun, it was hard. It was so hard. It was like torture, watching every little step I made, double and triple checking everything I picked up. And Ukyo..."

She fell silent a moment. "At least it turned out okay, but was it worth it? For just... 'a little bland'? Do I have to work THAT hard, just to be ADEQUATE?" She shuddered, and began to sob.

Kasumi held her, rocking her gently. "It's up to you, Akane. But you should know, as natural as it is for me to cook for the family now, it hasn't always been that easy. When... when mother first passed away, it was really, really hard. I didn't really know what I was doing, and I made many, many mistakes. But I had no choice, I had to learn to cook, and I set myself to do it, no matter how hard it was.

"Eventually, it got easier. But there were times when I felt like giving up. There were times I felt I wouldn't be able to do it. But eventually, I did."

Akane looked up at her, and Kasumi smiled, wiping her tears away. "I'm sure it will be the same for you. It wasn't always so easy to keep up your martial arts training, was it? There was a time when it was more work than fun, right?"

"Sometimes it still is," Akane said with a giggle. She wiped at her eyes herself. "Thanks, Kasumi."

They fell silent a moment, and then a thought occurred to Akane. "Big Sister... it doesn't bother you that I asked Ukyo to teach me to cook and not you, does it?"

"No, of course not." Kasumi smiled at her. "Of course, I would have loved to be the one to give my Little Sister her bridal training." Akane blushed at the reminder of her engagement, but said nothing. "But Ukyo has discipline, which quite honestly, is something you really need when you're cooking."

Kasumi stared at her sister for a moment. "Akane... is there some reason you asked me that? Did Ukyo say something about your cooking?"

Akane's eyes widened. "No, no! Ukyo's never said anything like that! It's just... well..."

She paused a moment, trying to decide what to say. "It just occurred to me... well... I think Ukyo is a little hurt that I can help Ranma with the Neko-Ken. It's like something special between her and Ranma. Like you teaching me to cook. And now I'm here, and... and I can help him too. I think it upsets her a little."

"I see," Kasumi said. "Well, if that's true, then you just need to give her space and let her deal with it. But you and Ukyo are really good friends, I can see that. Once she realizes that you can help both her AND Ranma with the Neko-Ken, I'm sure she will appreciate that, too. Just as I appreciate how much she has taught you about cooking. Ukyo's style suits you much better. She thinks more like you do - like a martial artist."

Akane giggled again. "I guess you're right. Although I'll never be as good as she is..."

"Don't think that way. Ukyo is extraordinarily talented; I have found myself learning many things from her. But you shouldn't compare yourself to Ukyo or me. Just be the best that YOU can be, Akane."

Akane swallowed, hard, her eyes tearing up again, and gave Kasumi another hug. "Thanks, Big Sister..."

"Any time, Little Sister."


	41. Love and Loss at the Fair

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 41

In an abandoned shack in a middle of a forest, a young boy wearing a yellow bandanna sat at a desk, poised over a sheet of paper. He chewed thoughtfully on the end of his pencil, and then began to write.

"Dear Akane. How have you been? Are you doing fine? Bet you never thought you'd hear from me again, huh?"

With a snarl that showed his fangs, the Lost Boy crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it over his shoulder. There was already a huge pile of wadded up paper in the corner, and the new addition bounced off of it, sending a few paper balls tumbling down its sides.

Ryoga Hibiki put both hands up to rub his eyes, fighting to regain his focus. "I've got to let her know that I've changed!" He exclaimed to himself. "I've got to tell her that I've been thinking about what she said, and she was right. I knew I was doing something wrong to her, but I couldn't stop myself! And I'll show her how sorry I am about what I did... just as soon as I pay back Ranma Saotome for making my life a living Hell!"

An awkward silence fell over the cabin. A part of Ryoga knew that he was still making excuses. Ranma wasn't directly responsible for anything that had happened to him, but old habits were hard to break. And this was a rivalry between men. Women like Akane and Ukyo just couldn't understand. This was a matter of honor and competition, not jealousy and revenge. Ranma was his rival, not just for Akane's heart, but for the challenge, and the drive to improve himself. When he could beat Ranma, then he could prove himself the better man.

Not that he didn't realize that he didn't deserve Akane's heart, not any more. He had finally admitted to himself that he had dishonored her, and she was right to make him leave. He'd allowed the fact that Ukyo had known about it to shield himself from the guilt, the shame that he should have felt at being so close to a woman. He'd told himself that since Ukyo knew what he was, that she believed it was okay.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of something coming at the shack from outside. He turned just in time to see a huge boar crash through the wall. He stopped it effortlessly with his umbrella, and then shoved at it to send it flying into the air. It landed on top of the pile of crumpled papers, scattering the pile in a flurry of white.

Reassured by his victory, he turned back to the desk.

"Dear Akane. I know that you have asked me not to return to your home. I probably have no right to even send this letter to you, but I hope you will forgive me anyway. I will not deliver it in person, as I do not wish to hurt you any more than I already have.

"I have given a lot of thought to what you said, but I am afraid that I cannot seek your forgiveness yet. I have been training very hard. Tell Ranma to be ready, because I plan to meet with him tomorrow, and this time I will finally defeat him. Once I have finally proven that I am the best martial artist, then maybe I can put the past behind me."

* * *

Ranma shook her head, frowning as Akane read the letter. "That pig Ryoga. Does he really think he can win you over now, just by defeating me?"

"I don't think that's what he means," Akane answered. "I think he realizes what he did wrong, or I hope he does, anyway. But he can't get past that until he deals with this rivalry with you." She gave Ranma a half reproachful smile. "A lot of it was your own fault, baka, picking on him all the time."

"Hey! He was always goin' on about how he was in love with you, and how he was gonna take you away from me! He always started it!"

"I know, Ranma, I know." Akane's smile was genuine this time. "And you never picked on P-chan, which I really liked. Especially when he was biting you all the time."

Ranma scowled, her expression sour. "If I'd known, I woulda beaten the snot out of him, the pig. I still can't believe he could DO that. I mean, he always seemed so shy around you and Sis. Yet he was... you know..." Ranma couldn't finish, and she looked at Akane apologetically.

Akane shuddered. "Yeah, I know." She took a deep breath. "But maybe it was different for him, because he was a pig. He couldn't... you know, he couldn't tell me how he felt. But when he was P-chan, I didn't know who he really was, so he could be closer to me. Without... without being afraid I would reject him, as Ryoga. And I guess he could be less shy that way, too."

"That sounds really pathetic."

"Yeah, it really does." Akane shook her head, and then looked up at Ranma. "Come on, Ranma, you said that you'd spar with me. We've wasted enough time, let's spar."

She knew Ranma was bothered by the Cat's Tongue, and being trapped in her cursed form. Over the last few days, her burns had healed, but her mood had become more quiet and subdued. As soon as Doctor Tofu gave them the okay to remove Ranma's bandages, Akane had insisted that they spar. She had said that it was to work Ranma back up to speed slowly, since she would be more considerate of his burns than his father was. Secretly, though Akane was just afraid that Ranma was going to lose some of his drive and confidence, or at least that he would give up on learning the Chestnut Fist.

Ranma, of course, was still arguing about it. "I don't need to spar with some girl just because I got a few burns."

"Did you spar with your father this morning?" Akane asked. When Ranma nodded, she continued, "And did he hit you as hard as he could on your arms, so you wouldn't become 'so weak as to think an opponent would go easy on you because you got injured'?" Ranma nodded again. "And did you then dodge his attacks so they wouldn't hit you on the arms?"

"Of course," Ranma answered, scoffing as if Akane was stupid.

Akane smiled back at him, although not without inwardly cursing Genma. "So then you need to block these attacks instead of avoiding them, so you can build back up the strength in your arms. You think you can do that?"

Ranma scoffed again. "You think a slow chick like you can throw a punch fast enough that I can't dodge it?"

"I've gotten a lot faster since I've been training with Ukyo. I think you'll be surprised. So quit stalling."

The implied challenge was enough to get Ranma's curiosity aroused, and so she began to tentatively spar with Akane. In a few minutes, they had fallen into a comfortable rhythm, neither of them pushing yet, just testing each other's defenses. Ranma was surprised to find that she no longer had to hold back to force herself to block Akane's blows, they were fast enough that she had to make an effort to keep ahead of them.

"You're right," she commented. "Sis has been doin' good. You're a lot faster."

Akane's eyes lit up at the praise, and Ranma had to concentrate not to be distracted by her smile of happiness. "It was a mistake to only work on my strength," Akane said, a bit regretful, but mostly proud of the progress she had made. "I'm glad you and Ukyo came along when you did."

The black haired girl then set her stance, and her attacks became more purposeful. Ranma quickly adjusted, and found herself hard pressed to hold her ground, without striking back. From the grin Akane gave her, this was intentional, and Ranma threw a few half hearted punches to keep her from getting too upset. Akane dodged them, obviously pleased that the match had gone up a level.

"Why don't you see how fast you can punch at me," Akane suggested.

Ranma felt her mood turn sour. "You mean like the Chestnut Fist?"

Akane's voice was soothing. "Come on, Ranma. Don't be mad. You can't learn it right now because of the Cat's Tongue, but maybe you can practice for it. Ukyo's been using hers against me, and I can tell you how close you're coming."

Ranma sighed, but she could see how hard Akane was working at it. "Okay. I suppose it could help to have it when I take on Ryoga."

There was a moment of silence, and Akane nodded. "Good point. All right, give it a try."

Ranma threw a flurry of punches, and to her surprise, Akane blocked most of them. She stepped back and shook her head. "You'll have to do better than that. Ukyo's Chestnut Fist is much faster than that."

"Geez, Akane!" Ranma said in response. "How in the world are you able to block her if she's that fast?"

Akane shook her head. "I can't, Ranma. Not more than a handful of attacks anyway."

"So... she hits you?"

"Yeah." Akane's voice was turning snappish. "I can take it."

"Okay, okay. I get the point, tomboy." Ranma focused her concentration, and then pushed herself. She pictured her attempt to get the chestnuts out of the fire, before. This time, her fists flashed out at a much greater rate of speed.

Akane still blocked about half of them. "Better! That's really close!"

It wasn't, actually, but that wasn't what was bothering Ranma. "You really are faster than you were before, Akane. Are you sure... Akane, um, don't tell me you learned the Chestnut Fist, too."

The disappointment in Ranma's voice was obvious, and Akane swallowed. She looked away, blushing, but shook her head, firmly. "No, Ranma. I'm not fast enough. But Ukyo's been testing me with her own Chestnut Fist, and I've just gotten really good at blocking it, that's all." She looked up. "I did have my experience with the Xi Fa Xiang Gao to go on, after all."

"But you're faster than me..." Ranma said, her head hanging.

"No, no, I'm not!" Akane lifted Ranma's chin. "You're just not pushing yourself to the same level." Her expression turned to a scowl for a moment. "Despite the fact that you hit me as fast as you could, you still just tapped me. I barely felt it."

Her scowl deepened. "I'm not fragile, Ranma! I can take Ukyo's full strength in her normal body, that's the body you're in right now, and I can take punches from Ukyo's cursed body as well. And the more she spars with me, the harder she hits me, the stronger I get. If you were to hit me as hard as you could, I could get even stronger still..."

Ranma's eyes widened. "I can't! I... I can't hit a girl!"

"Of course you can! You hit Shampoo when you first fought her, and you hit Ukyo when you spar with her. You hit me and Ukyo in that fight with Mousse! You just won't hit us HARD!"

Akane stared into Ranma's eyes, as she just stood, silently. Then she let out a breath. "Look... I won't hit you with my full strength. Ukyo knows, and she's just..."

"Ranma, you hit Ukyo a lot harder than you hit me. And you spar with her a lot more than you spar with me. And you don't spar with EITHER of us as much as we spar with each other, or you do with your father. Is there something... you want to talk about, Ranma?"

Ranma shook her head. "Look, I've talked to Sis about this. I won't go all out. She's happier sparring with you." She cut her eyes up at Akane, watching her reaction. "You do go all out."

She looked away again. "Just... don't ask me to."

"All right. But Ranma, you're going to have to push yourself to reach the Chestnut Fist speed. If you're holding back worrying about me, you won't make it. So just let go." As Ranma looked up about to protest, she interrupted. "I just told you, I can take punches in Ukyo's form. I know you're stronger than her, but you can't be that much stronger, and she has to go all out just for me to feel it. So don't worry about it."

"But... I'm not sure I can control it that precisely. What if I..."

Akane put up her hands, in a blocking gesture. "You let me worry about that."

Ranma swallowed, but reluctantly, she took a stance. She threw another flurry of punches, and this time Akane only blocked about a third of them. Akane frowned, deeply; she still had only barely felt the punches. But Ranma tried again, and this time Akane seemed a little happier with the results.

Even though Ranma was faster, though, it was still not up to Ukyo's speed. There was some sort of threshold there, Akane had seen Ukyo push past it, somehow, and Ranma just didn't seem to be able to cross it. As Akane was considering what she might suggest next, Nabiki wandered into the dojo. She was wearing a kimono, and looked impatient. "Akane, shouldn't you be getting ready for the fair?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Hold on just a few more minutes. I should still have time to get ready, even after I'm done here."

Ukyo had come up behind her, still in cursed form, in the shirt and pants she had worn to school. "Ranchan, are you planning to go, too? I told Sayuri and Yuka I'd meet them there, and I'd like to know if I should go as me or Ranko."

Ranma glanced up at her, but didn't say anything. Akane expected her to come back with a protest about how silly it was to waste time at a fair, but instead, she just let out a sigh, looking dejected.

"I think we'll both stay and practice," Akane said. She didn't want Ranma to be alone "I think we're getting close to this Chestnut Fist thing."

"Don't bother, Akane," Ranma said quietly. Her shoulders seemed to sag even further. "I'm not getting anywhere. I... I don't wanna keep you an' Sis away from your friends."

Akane bit her lip as she studied Ranma. She noticed that Ukyo looked a little upset by her reaction, too. "Hold on, Ranma. Maybe... maybe you should go after all. Like you said, we've been working on this for a long time, and you could use a little rest. Just to let your mind work on it for a while."

Ranma still didn't say anything. After a moment, Ukyo turned to walk out the door. "Okay. I'll go as Ranko then. Can I borrow one of your kimonos, Akane? I think it'll fit me..."

"Actually, Ukyo, why don't you go as yourself?" Akane glanced at Ranma again, hoping she was guessing correctly. "Ranma and I can get ready and follow later. As long as we don't meet up, no one will notice there are two of you."

Ranma looked surprised at that. "Don't you want to meet with your friends?"

"Sure, Ranma, but I'd rather be with you." She stepped forward to take the brown haired girl's hand. "Doesn't that sound nice? Just... just the two of us."

"Ooo," Nabiki said teasingly. "A date..."

"No, no..." Akane turned red. "It's not a date, just..." She suddenly turned and looked at Ranma. "Unless... Unless you want it to be a date. R-Ranma."

Ranma put a hand behind her head. "Um... well... it can't really be a date... with me like this..." She gestured at herself. "But..."

"It's a night out for a couple of best friends, then," Akane said with a smile. "Okay?"

Ranma nodded, returning the smile. Ukyo looked thoughtful, but she was smiling too. Akane looked at her. "Have you got an extra kimono?"

"I ain't wearing no girl's kimono!"

Akane giggled, having already anticipated the protest. "Don't be silly, Ranma. Men wear kimonos too."

"But not a GIRL'S kimono!"

"Ranma..." Akane kept her voice firm, although she couldn't hide the amusement. "If people see you and Ukyo wearing too different a kimono, they will figure out something's wrong, even if they don't see you two together."

Ranma scowled, but she knew she had been outmaneuvered. "Fine. But it better not be too girly."

"It's one of mine, Ranchan," Ukyo said. "It's not going to be too 'girly'."

* * *

At first, Ranma seemed morose and depressed, and hesitant about going to the fair. It took some time to get her properly dressed in the kimono, and a couple of times Akane had to insist that they were going, and there was no sense arguing about it. They started off in the fading light of evening, to walk to the shrine grounds where the fair was being held. Ranma and Akane held hands as they walked, and while Ranma didn't say anything, her grip on her fiancee's hand was tight and secure. Akane would smile at her from time to time, although Ranma seemed caught up in her own thoughts.

Finally, they reached the fairgrounds, and Ranma seemed to become caught up in the lights and sounds of the action going on around her. Her head came up, and she started to eye the various sweets and other foods that were being sold in the booths along the midway. She stopped at first one vendor and then another, and before long she had a handful of treats that she munched on as they walked along.

Akane smiled fondly as she watched Ranma. She seemed to have forgotten her troubles, although as they set out walking between booths, her mood would turn more somber. From time to time, Akane caught Ranma staring at her, studying her face intently. She wouldn't even look away, even when Akane would get embarrassed and start to blush. Eventually, she asked her, "What's wrong?", and Ranma only shook her head and looked sad for a moment. Then she ran ahead to another of the booths.

Akane smiled again, as Ranma had noticed a shooting gallery set up at one of the booths. Ranma stepped up to the target range and easily hit a bull's-eye on each of the targets. Within a few minutes, she was darting from booth to booth, testing her skill or just seeing what was available. Akane couldn't help laughing to herself, at seeing Ranma so obviously happy, finally forgetting about all of her troubles and just having fun.

As Akane joined her at another skill game, Ranma sized her up. "Hey, why don't you try this one, tomboy?"

It was a simple one, a knock down the stacked milk bottles game, more than easy enough with her strength, but Akane still wasn't sure she trusted her aim. "Are you sure?"

"Think you can beat me?" Ranma raised her eyebrows, taunting.

"A challenge?" Akane grinned. "Okay, baka, you're on!"

From that moment on, they both played the games, and Akane really enjoyed it. She could rarely beat Ranma, but her taunts and insults weren't all that cutting, and sometimes she would throw out a compliment, as well. The one time she did beat Ranma, on the strength tester machine, she didn't even get mad when Ranma pointed out the machine had rated her "Gorilla". For one thing, Ranma could have said that she would have been stronger in her male form - and she would have been - but she didn't even mention it. For another, the twinkle in her eyes made the teasing a lot easier to take.

Eventually, they just walked along the midway, hand in hand, their shoulders almost touching. Akane looked up into Ranma's face, and was a bit concerned to see a little sadness there again. She had noticed that Ranma had been edging closer and closer to her all night, as if seeking comfort in her presence. They were surrounded by people, a crowd of active, happy people, shutting out the darkness of the night around them. And yet, she still felt as if this was a moment for the two of them alone.

Finally, Ranma's mood seemed to turn even more melancholy. As if she had reached some sort of decision, she drew Akane off down a walk away from the fair, until they had left the lights and noise behind. It was very dark, getting quite late at night, and in contrast to the fairgrounds, it was dark enough to afford them as much privacy as they might need. A few other couples had wandered off into the park as well, sharing the same thought, but Ranma kept going until they were well out of the way of any sightseers.

Akane swallowed a bit, trying to force down her nervousness. Was Ranma looking to get a little alone time with her? She had long since passed the point where she suspected anything improper from him, but she wasn't surprised to find that she longed to be alone with him, too. It had been difficult trying to hold back her affection for the cursed boy turned girl in the crowds of the fair, and she wouldn't mind a little kiss or two.

Even as she had the thought, and struggled with trying to get the pounding of her heart under control, Ranma brought her over to a bench, and they sat down. The brown haired girl just sat in silence for a long time, staring back at the light coming from the busier section of the grounds. Akane sat, fidgeting, waiting for Ranma to speak. After a moment, Ranma finally turned to face her.

"You know... I really had a good time tonight. I... I enjoyed bein' with ya." She looked away, staring down at the bench.

Akane felt her heart start to flutter. "I enjoyed being with you, too, Ranma."

"Good, good, 'cause... I wanted ya to be happy. I wanted this to be nice. S-Special. You... you know how I feel about you, right?"

"I... I think so, yes." Akane swallowed.

Akane expected Ranma to say something nice to her, to smile or move to kiss her, but instead she just sighed, deeply, and looked down again. "I... I just wanted to make sure we had one, last, good memory together. I wanted you to remember that. The good times, we've had together. Rather than thinking... I don't like you or somethin'..."

This was definitely not going like it was supposed to. Akane felt her heart begin to race again, but it was not a happy feeling. She began to tremble. "Ranma... what are you saying?"

Ranma sighed. She glanced at Akane for a second, uncertain of her reaction, and then plunged on anyway. "I think you were right before, Akane. This engagement... it's been comin' between us. And it's all happening too fast. I think... that we should break it off."

"No..." Akane felt her heart stop in her chest, then an aching emptiness even before it started beating again. "Ranma, you can't be serious!"

"Sis too," Ranma continued, as if she hadn't heard her. "Between this curse, and my stupid Pops, I've messed up her life, too. I..." She glanced up at Akane. "I want to accept the Old Ghoul's deal. Go back to China, and get the Phoenix Pill."

"And marry Shampoo?" Akane voice came out hoarse, strained. "H-How can you just give up?"

"It's more than just me, Akane. Sis is caught up in this, too. As long as I'm stuck like this, because of the Phoenix Pill, Sis is stuck too. She has to be Ranko, so I can be her. She can't live her own life, she can't be herself, she's got to pretend to be somebody else." She paused a moment, looking at the ground. "An' so do I..."

"So? Just because of that, you're just going to give up?"

"It's not just that! It's not just that I'm stuck, as a girl! I've got this Cat's Tongue thing, too. What if Ryoga finds out about it? What if he uses fire against me? He almost beat me the last time I fought him in this body." Ranma clenched her fist, her voice getting louder. "He almost KILLED me!"

"That was because he caught you off guard! He had that picture!" Akane's voice rose as well, as she tried to fight the sense of desperation. "He goaded you into attacking, and you lost control! You won't fall for that again."

"It don't matter, Akane. I'm just..." she put both hands to her face. "... too weak like this. Sis has got her weapons, but I'm... I don't have her knack for makin' weapons outta nothin'. I can use a weapon if I have to, but I don't dare depend on it. The moment I do... I'm as good as defeated."

Akane snorted. "So that's it, then. 'Women are weak', like your panda of a father said. After all your sister's done, after all I'VE done to try and get stronger, I'm just too weak to be a martial artist. Is that it?"

Ranma looked up at her. She could hear the hurt in her voice, the anger in her narrowed eyes, but said nothing. She didn't have to, her silence said enough.

"I see," Akane said, her voice tight. "What about me, Ranma? What about what I said, about how we'd get through this together? Do you just not care?"

"Of course I care! That's why I've gotta leave, so I don't get you or Ucchan caught up in this any further. That Old Ghoul could have killed Sis! I wasn't even able to protect her, and she went rushin' in there..."

"Yes, because she cares about you! And I do too, baka! I don't want to see her using you, manipulating you, like..." Akane paused, her voice getting quiet. "I don't want her to take you away from me."

Ranma sighed. This was the hardest part of what he planned to say, and he knew it was a lie. Or at least, it was a lie on his part, he hoped it was still true, for Akane. "I... I don't l-love you, Akane, and I know you don't love me, at least not yet. You're special to me, and I care about you a lot, but if we're going to end it, now is the time... before we really start to fall for each other."

Akane's eyes had gone very wide. She flinched, as if struck. "You're... you're lying," she said, although her uncertainty was clear. "You... you kissed me..."

"I know, Akane, and that kiss will always mean a lot to me." Ranma was looking away again, unable to bear what he was seeing in Akane's eyes. "But I told you, I wasn't sure, and I shouldn't of done that. Not unless I was sure. It was wrong and... I'm sorry." She hung her head.

"No. You kissed me." Akane almost couldn't be heard, her voice breathless. "I felt... I felt it..."

"It's over, Akane. We gotta end it now. Before you get any more hurt."

There was a long, painful silence. Then anger. "It's over? After all that, it's over? You don't even want to FIGHT?"

When Ranma said nothing, Akane stood up. "You do like Shampoo better, don't you? You remember she tried to kill your sister? She erased her memory? Not to mention that she tried to seduce you. But maybe you LIKED that..."

Ranma's teeth clenched for a moment. But then she relaxed. "It's got nothing to do with that. It's what you said, about only bein' able to stall for time for so long, before ya have ta make a decision. I can't live up to my obligation to you or Ucchan as long as I'm like this. At least with Shampoo, I can set things right for her, with her tribe. An' then I get to be a man again."

"That's all it is to you? An obligation?" Akane clenched her fists, although she could not keep the sob from being forced out of her throat. "I guess you didn't care about me after all.

"Don't bother to deny it," she said, as Ranma looked up at her. "I won't believe you anyway."

Akane turned to walk away from the bench, while Ranma slumped over, her head in her hands. The darkness closed in on Ranma as she was left alone, although she could hear Akane's sobbing clearly. Akane stumbled dazedly along the path, her footsteps erratic. Finally, she fell to her knees, crying, just as alone and in the dark as Ranma. And then there was nothing but the sound of quiet sniffling in the night. Even the sounds of the fair seemed to fade into the distance.


	42. Never Give Up

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 42

Akane crouched on the cobblestones of the path, shaking harder and harder, as the tears rolled down her face. The despair and hopelessness seemed to sap at her strength, until she wasn't sure she could even remain kneeling, much less stand. She wrapped her arms around herself, to ward off the chill of the night, and an emptiness inside her that seemed even colder.

Then, her head came up. "No. I SWORE I would believe in you, you jerk!" Akane rose to her feet, turning back with fire in her eyes. "I made you a promise!" Akane yelled, as she charged back towards Ranma.

Ranma gaped at her, shocked, as Akane grabbed her by the collar and pulled her off the bench. "There is no way I'm going to believe that you're just going to give up! That's a lie and you know it! So you'd better tell me what's really going through that thick skull of yours!"

Ranma looked away from her, down at the bench. "Akane..."

"Talk to me, damn you! Because if you don't, so help me, I will BEAT it out of you!"

There was just a moment of silence, and then Ranma spoke, her voice soft. "You... you deserve better than a freak like me."

"Don't you tell me what I deserve!" Akane shook Ranma, angrily, as she yelled at her.

"I can't be with you like this!" Ranma answered, her eyes meeting Akane's in a determined stare. "Sis said it herself! She doesn't want any woman touching her, and neither do you!"

"I never said any such thing..." Akane growled.

"Don't lie to me!" Ranma countered. "I KNOW it bothers you. Believe me..." she sighed. "I know what you've been doing lately, how you've been... you know... for me. Kissing me an' stuff. But I know it bothers you, I can feel it. And it bothers me, too."

Akane was silent a moment, unable to hold her gaze either. They sank to their knees in front of the park bench, and then Ranma continued. "I don't want to... dishonor you, Akane. Or Sis. Particularly when you're doin' it for my sake."

"It's not just for your sake," Akane said, blushing a little. Her anger had quickly faded, replaced by tears. "I want to deal with it too. I NEED to deal with it. Yes... yes it bothers me, but I don't want it to come BETWEEN us..."

"I know, Akane, and that's why I think we need ta stop, while we can. If I can find a way to get back ta bein' a man, not just cure the Cat's Tongue, but find a cure for the curse... then maybe you an' I... but I gotta be a man for you, Akane. And a full man, not a half girl, that's always goin' to be worried about bein' stuck as a girl again.

"I know that you think I'm a pervert because I turn inta a girl, an'..."

To Ranma's complete surprise, Akane suddenly burst out laughing. She stared for a moment, and then scowled, wondering what was so funny. But then, the dark haired girl smiled at her.

"Ranma," Akane wiped her eyes. "Did you really think that I was calling you a pervert because you turned into a girl?"

"Yeah." Ranma was still scowling. "Didn't you?"

"No!" Akane laughed again, brightly. "I called you a pervert because you turned into a BOY!"

"What's that supposed ta mean!"

Akane laughed again, at Ranma's offended protest. "Ranma... this is me, remember?" Her voice turned gentle, as she reached out to touch Ranma's cheek. "Akane Tendo, the boy hater? The girl who fought off every boy in the school each morning because they wanted to win a 'date' with her? I think ALL boys are perverts."

Ranma scowled at her, but Akane took her hand, smiling. "But I don't think you're a pervert, Ranma, not any more. I haven't called you that in a long time have I?"

"Um... no." Ranma looked confused, as she thought about it. "I think Sayuri was the last one who called me a pervert..."

"That's right, and your sister yelled at her about it. I would have, if she hadn't. I don't think you're a pervert any more, Ranma. I may have thought that at one time, and I'm sorry." She gave Ranma an apologetic look. "But it was just because... well, I was afraid. I wasn't sure I could trust you. I wasn't sure I could trust any boy."

"Oh." Ranma looked unsure, like she didn't quite believe her. "So, what made you change your mind?"

Akane's expression turned more pensive. She stared into Ranma's blue green eyes for a moment, and then shook her head. "It's not important. Let's just say that I was able to see you as someone I could trust. Someone who wasn't just another perverted boy. Someone who might... understand that I was a little nervous and give me time."

Her voice became quiet as she said the last, and she paused a moment. Then she smiled. "Part of it was that you obviously cared about your sister, and respected her body. I did get kind of upset when things happened like during the fight with Ryoga, when your shirt got ripped, but then you got upset, too. And Ukyo didn't seem to mind, and she forgave you. I figured she wouldn't do that if she didn't trust you.

"And part of it was that, you know, you were a girl yourself." She smiled a bit sheepishly. "It made it easier for me, during the shower and stuff." She blushed and looked down. "Although I know you're a guy, inside, it was easier for ME, because... well, you're not a guy on the outside..." Her blush grew much deeper.

There was a short silence, and then Ranma looked up at Akane again. "So... you think I'm overreacting, huh?"

"No, Ranma." Akane sat for a moment, considering her again. Then she smiled. "If you think this is the right thing to do, if you want to protect me, my honor, then I won't argue with you. If you want to wait until you get your cure, then that's okay with me. I won't pressure you or force you. I wouldn't want anyone forcing me, and I'm not going to do that to you.

"But I want you to remember something." Akane leaned forward, and took Ranma's chin in her hand. Then she leaned forward, and kissed her on the lips.

Akane held the kiss for several minutes, while she savored the feelings it awakened in her. She immediately recognized what she wasn't feeling, what had been missing before. It was that eruption of heat, that passion and desire that had made her body become so warm. In fact, now she felt a soothing coolness, while it seemed that Ranma's body had become warm instead. They had not put their arms around each other, still a bit too timid for that, but Akane still felt secure and comforted. She did feel Ranma put a hand to the back of her head to draw her closer, an unconscious mirror to their kiss in his bedroom.

The sense that everything was all right, though, that everything would work out, that was still just as strong and intense as before. It was a cooler, quieter kiss, but it was no less powerful for being less insistent. As Akane drew away, she smiled at Ranma, and she smiled back. They were still uncomfortable enough to take a quick glance around, to make sure no one was watching, but it was dark, and they were all alone.

"I broke off the engagement once before, and I told you that I didn't want to break it. That I wanted the engagement back. And that's because I realized almost immediately that I'd made a mistake. Because... I felt empty inside. I felt confused but... lost... like..." She shook her head, unable to come up with the words. "Well, pretty much like I feel right now. How I'm sure you feel right now."

Akane looked into Ranma's eyes. "Even then, before I even knew how I felt about you, I knew that there was something. And it was something... important. This is important, Ranma, it's important to me, and I know it's important to you. Because it's more important than just you, or me. It's more important than the curse, or Shampoo, or Cologne, or the Cat's Tongue. It's more important than your sister. It's more important even than our engagement, and our obligation to our families. It's not about any of that stuff."

She took Ranma's hand, and helped her to her feet. "It's about us, Ranma. And we, us, I want us to fight for it. Together. Because it is important. If you want to go to Cologne and get the Phoenix Pill, Ranma, fine, but please, talk to me first. Let's both agree on it."

"And please, just wait a little while. Give it a little more time. I know you're frustrated, and you're worried about your sister. But she has a chance to be herself, when she's at home. It's only at school that she has to be Ranko. And we can always eventually say that you're her twin sister, or something. If we have to. You don't have to continue to act as if you're Ukyo, if that gets to be a problem. So let's talk about it first."

"And Ranma..." She stared into her eyes, those blue green eyes, so different from Ranma's ice blue, and yet fundamentally the same. "You're not your sister. I've always been able to tell the difference between you and your sister, even like this."

She ran a hand down Ranma's slender arm. "This... this body is yours, Ranma. You're the one that has to take care of it, to live in it, to deal with how... different it feels from your own. It's nice that you protect your sister's reputation the way you do, and I really like the way you care about her feelings, and what she thinks, about sharing a body with you.

"But when you get right down to it, Ranma, it's you that I... care about, no matter what you look like. It does... bother me, but being with you as a man bothers me, too." She looked uncomfortable, blushing, and cutting her eyes away to avoid Ranma's gaze. "It... scares me. So for right now, it doesn't really matter. Whether you're a guy or a girl. I'm not ready for that either way, and what I AM ready for, well... I guess I'm okay with kissing you as a girl."

She did look away, then, her blush deepening. "When you're ready, Ranma... whether you cure your curse or not, I just want you to know, I'll be there."

"Okay, Akane. Sorry I made ya worry."

"Baka. I want to worry about you. Now, let's get back to the fair. I brought you here to cheer you up, not to yell at you." She gave Ranma a gentle smile, as she took her hand, and then they walked back to the lights of the midway.

As the couple disappeared into the distance, joining with the crowds, Ukyo stepped out from behind the tree where she had been hiding. She stared at Ranma and Akane for a moment, even after she lost sight of them. Then she put her arms around herself, trying to not to think about the feelings of loss and betrayal going through her, and failing.

She had seen the kiss, and while she could tell it wasn't exactly passionate, it had been clear enough. This wasn't like the Neko-Ken kiss or the kiss on the forehead, in the furo. And Akane's words afterwards had been clear, too. This wasn't their first kiss, they had obviously kissed before. For how long, since the Neko-Ken? How long had she been missing it, or was she ignoring the signs?

Still wondering what she was feeling, and what she was going to do, Ukyo headed off in another direction, hoping not to run into the happy couple for the rest of the night.

* * *

The lights of the midway were just as bright, even though the crowds were beginning to thin out. There was still plenty to do, but Ranma and Akane just walked side by side, enjoying the night. Their mood was still a bit melancholy, but Ranma could not help staring at the short haired girl beside her. Her face was lit up by the midway and that incredible smile.

"This has been such a special night," Ranma said to himself, "and I almost blew it." At least Akane had been... well, she hadn't exactly been patient with him, but she had listened and understood. For an uncute tomboy like Akane it counted as patience. He still wasn't ready to give in to the Old Ghoul, that was just an excuse, but more importantly, he realized what she had meant. He did feel like he made a mistake, the moment he told Akane he wanted to end their engagement. He still felt it was the right thing to do, and if he couldn't cure his curse it could still come to a painful end for both of them. But he wasn't ready to let go just yet.

Akane's eyes rarely left Ranma's as well, and if anyone was watching the two girls they might have noticed that they seemed just a little too intent on each other. But no one noticed, and neither girl said anything. Finally, their silence was interrupted by the crying of a child nearby, and Akane turned to look. It was a young boy, sobbing into his arm near one of the booths. Akane rushed over, and Ranma's smile widened. "She really is so nice and so caring when she gets the chance," Ranma thought. "It's hard to believe she can be so short tempered the rest of the time."

Then, Akane began to argue with the booth vendor, and Ranma had to grin, at how quickly the uncute tomboy part of her had returned. The booth was some sort of skill game to win goldfish by catching them. Ranma had seen the scam a million times in his travels, the scoop used to catch the fish was made of thin paper, and would break when soaked in water. Akane tried to catch a goldfish for the boy herself, but as usual, she was just too clumsy. Or at least, as Sis would probably say instead, she was just trying too hard.

"Hold on, Akane. You've got to be gentle. It's not just about speed, you've got to have precision as well."

Ranma took the paper scoop and began to demonstrate, her arms moving at a blur as she swept the scoop across the surface of the water, knocking the goldfish into a bowl. In a few moments she had caught a couple, and handed them the now happy little boy.

"You see," Ranma was saying. "Brute force isn't enough. You've got to strike at the right angle to keep the paper from tearing."

"Not too bad, little lady," the vendor said, with a predatory grin. "Tell you what - if you can catch them all, I'll give them to you for free."

"Hey, I'm no lady!" Ranma protested, but Akane cut her off with an elbow to her ribs.

"Never mind that, UKYO," Akane said, grinning. "He said if you catch them all, they're free!"

"Oh! Oh, yeah!" Now grinning as well, Ranma grabbed a second bowl and readied her scoop.

Soon Ranma had filled the bowl, and began to fill another. As she watched, Akane suddenly remembered Cologne's words. "I still believe Son-in-Law can learn the technique. If he is as resourceful as I think he is, he will find a way."

"Ranma!" Akane put her hands to her mouth, her eyes shining. "You did it! The Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, the Chestnut Fist, this is the same thing! You're moving so fast the scoop doesn't have time to get wet!"

Ranma suddenly paused, shocked. She looked down at her hands. "That's right... If I can do this..."

She redoubled her efforts, and soon goldfish were flying into the bowls. In the meantime, the vendor was cursing to himself. The ponytailed girl had drawn quite a crowd, and they were all watching breathlessly, waiting for the girl to inevitably meet this challenge. There was no way the vendor could back out, with all these people watching, and if he lost all his fish, he would be ruined.

Ranma, meanwhile, was finishing up the last of the goldfish, while Akane was happily passing the bowls around to the children that were watching. She even handed a second bowl to the boy who had been crying, and he seemed ecstatic at getting so many. Ranma knocked the last of the goldfish out of the tank with a flourish, then stood up and hugged Akane.

She pulled away from Akane, gazing into her eyes. The brown haired girl smiled, sheepishly, but happy. "Thanks, Akane. Thanks for talkin' me into waitin'."

"You bet, Ranma," Akane said, her eyes starting to get teary, and then she gave Ranma another hug.

"Hold on a minute!" the vendor called out. He had never had anyone meet his challenge before, but he had made a backup plan, just in case. It was a bit overkill, but he never thought he'd have to use it. "There is one more challenge before you can win all the fish!"

"Oh, yeah?" Ranma clenched her fist, a very familiar confidence back in her eyes. "Bring it on!"

The vendor pulled out a rectangular glass tank, filled with large, brutish-looking fish. "In this tank, I have the legendary and deadly piranha. If you can pull them all out of the tank, with your bare hands, then you get to keep all the fish. Otherwise, you have to put them back."

"That's not fair!" Akane protested, her righteous anger aroused yet again.

Ranma put a hand on her shoulder, though. "Hold on, Akane." She glanced down at the tank, filled with darting, snapping fish. The vendor had apparently riled them up with the sudden movement. "This is the true test of the Chestnut Fist. All I have to do is get them out of the water before they can bite me."

"But..." Akane paused a moment, then took Ranma's hands. Her expression was worried, as she ran her fingers gently across the burns on Ranma's arms. "Your skin's still sensitive, from these burns..."

"Then I'll just have to be faster," Ranma said, confidently.

Akane studied her for a moment, and then nodded. "I know you can do it, Ranma," she said, although there was still fear in her eyes. But she turned to look at the vendor.

"You're going to regret that," she said with a wide smile. "He's going to win all the fish for sure!" No one seemed to notice Akane's use of the masculine pronoun, as the audience was too caught up in the anticipation. Then the audience began to cheer as Ranma's hands flashed into a blur once again.

* * *

Akane and Ranma walked along the quiet street towards home, Akane with a large tank of piranha in her arms, Ranma with a bowl containing a few of the goldfish. Neither seemed burdened by the weight they were carrying, and in fact their mood was light as they just walked along, not saying anything.

"So why'd you keep them fish?" Ranma finally asked.

"I couldn't just let them go, they would be too dangerous to put in a lake or stream around here. I guess I'll just donate them to a zoo or something."

Ranma paused a moment, looking annoyed, but then her expression softened. She looked back into Akane's eyes, shadowed in the near darkness. "I suppose you wouldn't consider just dumpin' em somewhere, would ya?"

"Just dump them out to die?" Akane looked at her, scowling a bit. "There's no way I'd do that."

"Naw, tomboy, I don't guess you would..." She looked away for a moment. "Yer too kind for your own good, sometimes."

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"I wasn't tryin' ta start nothin'!" Ranma protested. "Just... you can be really nice sometimes." She looked down, her cheeks turning pink.

Akane was quiet for a moment. "Thank you, Ranma." She said nothing for a moment more. "So why did you decide to keep a couple of the goldfish?"

"I thought Kasumi might like 'em. I dunno, it just sounded like something she'd like."

"That's nice. You can be nice too, sometimes." She smiled at the brown haired girl.

Ranma snorted. "Just as long as Pops don't find out."

"Your secret's safe with me," Akane giggled.

As they continued on a little further, a figure stumbled out of the alley. "Where am I now?" He spotted the two girls, and hurried over to them. "Hey, can you tell me how to get to Nerima?"

Both Ranma and Akane frowned as they recognized the Lost Boy. "This IS Nerima, Ryoga," Ranma said. "How'd ya get here so fast? I didn't expect ya for another week at least..."

"What?" He peered closely at them, and then drew back, blushing. "Akane! Ukyo! Um... I'm sorry, I was just looking for..."

Akane's expression grew even more sour at Ryoga's reaction, but she quickly schooled her features. Ranma spoke before she could.

"I know, I know, you were lookin' for me ta fight me," Ranma said. "It's me, Ranma, not Ukyo."

"What?" Ryoga studied her again, and then fell into a stance. "What are you doing, Ranma Saotome, dressed as a girl, in a kimono, and going around with Akane in that cursed body? Is this some sort of sick scheme of yours to drag Akane into your perverted fantasies! Geez, you're even carrying around some little goldfish! How girly can you get?"

"Hey! It's ain't my idea! Akane made me wear this! I didn't wanna wear no kimono!"

"You're disgusting, Ranma! The longer I'm gone, the worse you get! Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!"

Ryoga launched a kick at Ranma's head, which she dodged easily, even while holding the goldfish bowl. In fact, she did a remarkable job of keeping the bowl steady and upright, even while darting and weaving around Ryoga's strikes. She was considering whether to strike back herself, when Akane stepped between them.

"Hold on, Ryoga," Akane said, her voice firm and slightly harsh. "Ranma's just wearing this so Ukyo can go to the fair in her own form. And he's stuck in female form. Shampoo's Great Grandmother used a pressure point that prevents him from changing back. So he's not a girl because he wants to be."

Ryoga paused to look at her a moment and he blushed deeply. "Really? Are you sure?"

Akane nodded. "Ranma's just taking me to the fair, that's all, just so I could have a little fun and see the sights tonight. He hasn't done anything perverted." She glanced at the ponytailed girl, remembering their kiss, and the confessions they both had made to each other that night. A blush settled over her cheeks as well. But she turned back to Ryoga, forcing all other thoughts aside.

"I'm sorry, Akane. I... I didn't want you to get caught up in this." Ryoga didn't seem to have noticed Akane's expressions, as he was looking extremely embarrassed himself, putting a hand behind his head and laughing nervously. He couldn't meet her eyes. "I had no right to do what I did and..."

"I know, Ryoga. Let's talk about that later. Right now, I want to know if you've thought about what I said. About forgiving Ukyo and Ranma."

Ryoga looked up at the lanky girl in front of him, and frowned. Then he hung his head. "I guess I'm sorry for what I did to Ukyo, as well. And I guess I was being kind of selfish, not wanting you to be friends with her. But she cursed me, and..."

He cut himself off, shaking his head. "I can't do anything about that yet. I've got to face Ranma first, and prove I can beat him. Then I can think about forgiving him for... for the stuff he's done."

"I ain't done nothin' to you, Pig Boy!" Ranma protested.

"That's exactly what I mean!" Ryoga yelled back, falling into his stance again. "Quit making fun of me!"

"You deserve it, Pig Boy, for being a pig!"

Ryoga started to charge at him again, but Akane put up a hand. "Stop it, Ranma. I'm not through yet."

Akane set down the tank of piranha, and then looked back at Ryoga. "Are you sure you have to do this? You realize that this isn't going to change my mind. Hurting Ranma is only going to make me more upset with you..."

"Don't interfere, Akane," Ryoga told her. "This is a fight between men. The fight HE ran out on..."

Akane shook her head, sadly. She stepped back, and Ryoga charged at Ranma. After only seconds, though, it became obvious that Ryoga was badly outclassed. Even with Ranma holding the bowl, she was still able to dodge every attack Ryoga threw at her.

"Man, you've gotten slow," Ranma commented. She darted inside Ryoga's reach, and nailed him with a punch that sent him staggering backwards. "And here I was worried about you."

"You can't beat me in that body!" Ryoga countered. He charged, but his wild flailing never came close to hitting Ranma. "Eventually, I'll hit you, and when I do..."

"Time to test out my new technique," Ranma said, as if Ryoga hadn't even spoken. She darted around behind Ryoga, and then as he tried to follow her movements, her arms flashed out in a blur of motion. Suddenly, Ryoga was flying across the street towards Akane.

"Ranma!" Akane called out. Ryoga was headed not just for her, but for the fish tank behind her. Realizing the danger, Ranma suddenly blurred and dashed forward, stopping with her hand right above the tank. Ryoga landed head first in her hand.

"Geez!" Ranma exclaimed. "I can even hold ya in one hand! Some weak body this is..."

"Let me go!" Ryoga yelled back. "You'll pay for humiliating me like this!"

Ranma's hands flashed out again, and she slapped Ryoga about a dozen times. "You better hold still, Pig Boy, unless you wanna fall in this tank of killer fish. From what I hear, piranhas are supposed ta be able strip a cow to the bone in a few minutes. It'll take 'em like a second to finish off a pork chop like you."

Ryoga froze, a bead of sweat forming on his face. "P-piranha?"

"Yep. So you wouldn't want me to drop ya..." Ranma tossed Ryoga into the air, and caught him on her foot. Ryoga gasped, and then struggled to kick Ranma, but she just kept juggling him from leg to leg.

"Ranma!" Akane ducked inside his reach, and grabbed Ryoga. She then turned him over, setting him down on his feet on the ground. "Stop picking on him!"

"Hey, he started it!"

"I know he did, but that's no reason to be mean to him. Now just leave him alone a moment."

"Akane!" Ranma frowned at her. "But I thought... you're gonna take his side? After... what he did!"

"Ranma..." Akane took her hand, and Ranma's expression turned confused. Gently, she pulled the other girl closer, and kissed her on the cheek. "Can you take the piranha and the bowl with the goldfish home too?"

"Uh..." Ranma was blushing deeply, and glanced at Ryoga, before looking back at Akane. The Lost Boy had been stunned into inaction, and was just watching them wide eyed. "Yeah, sure, o'course, Akane. I can carry that tank easy."

"Then just take them home, okay? Let me talk to Ryoga. I'll straighten things out and then I'll be right behind you. All right?"

"Okay, but... uh..." Ranma looked really confused, now.

Akane smiled at her. "That was just on the cheek because we're in public, and Ryoga's watching. And I don't want you to get jealous. I'm just going to talk to him and get him to leave you alone, all right?"

"Okay." Ranma sighed. She picked up the piranha tank, and then walked over to pick up the bowls. "Don't let that Pig Boy get all stupid over you..."

"I won't, Ranma. I'll meet you at home."

Unsure, Ranma backed away, still glancing back at them as he disappeared down the street. Akane turned to look back at Ryoga. He was staring at her. "You... you kissed him..." he finally said, as Akane walked closer.

Akane blushed a bit, but met his eyes with determination. "That's right. It was just a friendly kiss. But Ranma is my friend now. I don't mind giving him a little friendly kiss now and then."

"But... but... he was a... a girl! And he... he..." his expression turned angry, and he grabbed Akane's shoulders. "He's forcing himself on you, isn't he? I knew he was, and I won't stand for it! I'm..."

Akane looked down at the hand on her shoulder, and pushed it away, her eyes narrowing a bit. "I didn't mind the kiss Ranma gave me in the Neko-Ken. I told him he could kiss me, after the Golden Pair. And it's none of your business anyway."

Ryoga looked surprised. "But..." he fell silent, unable to think of anything else to say.

Akane took a deep breath, and put a hand on Ryoga's shoulder, herself. "Look, Ryoga, Ranma and I are close now. It's none of your business how close, but... he's not taking advantage of me." She stopped and hesitated a moment, not wanting to bring it up, but knowing she had to. "Ranma didn't fool me about the Neko-Ken, like you did with your curse. He was honest with me, and I was honest with him. And I've forgiven him."

Ryoga looked away. "But you can't forgive me, can you...?"

"Not yet. You know why." She patted his shoulder. "Ryoga... Ranma has been doing a lot of training lately. Shampoo's Great Grandmother, she's really challenged Ranma, and he's a lot faster and stronger than he was. I think that's why he was able to... beat you so easily. I think you should leave, Ryoga. I think you should stay away from Ranma until you are able to work through this. Until you are able to forget what Ranma did... and what Ukyo did."

"This isn't about Ukyo!" Ryoga protested, his voice growing loud. "This is about me being a MAN, and facing my challenges! Not running away!"

Akane put a hand to her forehead, looking down. She shook her head. "Ryoga... you still don't get it." Her voice was a little choked.

"No, I do get it Akane! What I did was wrong, and I'm sorry. But you... you were the first person to care for me. I knew that I was wrong for using my curse like that, but I couldn't help myself!" He looked down, blushing. "And Ukyo, she didn't care about me, she was just doing out of guilt. Ranma... he was always picking on you and hurting you, just like he did me. I... I had to keep him away from you."

He looked up as Akane met his eyes again, and she sighed. Her expression was pained, as she studied him, noting his anger and humiliation. Ryoga turned away, unable to bear the way she seemed to stare right into his soul. Even worse was the understanding, the concern and the compassion he saw in her dark eyes. She should hate him, he knew, and he could still sense that uneasiness in her, the way she seemed to put just enough space between them. But he would rather have seen that hatred than what he was seeing in her eyes.

"No... Don't look at me like that, Akane." He backed away from her, and then looked down at the ground. "I can take pity from Ukyo... but not from you. Not you, Akane." With that, he turned and fled, running until he was out of her sight.

* * *

Author's Notes:

The last chapter ran a little late because I wasn't quite happy with the fair scene the first time I wrote it. I eventually decided to start over again from scratch, rewriting the scene without referring to the first draft, so I could go through the thought process again without trying to use the same words. Then I selected the best from both versions for the final cut.

As one reviewer noted, at first I almost didn't cut it off at that cliffhanger, and I actually posted a version that included the whole scene. While I had thought about leaving it on a cliffhanger when I was writing it, I wasn't sure if it would seem like a cop out to have Akane straighten everything out so quickly. It ended up running a little long, though, and I decided at the last minute to cut it short. Yes, I know that was cruel. :)

At least that gives me an excuse to post this chapter early, so I can get it done before Thanksgiving.


	43. The Dojo Destroyer

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 43

Ukyo walked into the furoba, first checking to make sure the bathing area was empty. She didn't expect Ranma or Akane to be there, they had run for the dojo, laughing and chatting animatedly, and were likely still in there sparring. But there were other members of the family that she needed to be considerate of. She had the bath to herself, though, and so Ukyo set about stripping out of her kimono, carefully setting it aside in the laundry basket.

Ranma had apparently learned the Chestnut Fist after all, and his excitement at this accomplishment was obvious. Akane seemed just as excited, maybe even more so, and she had almost been jumping up and down as they came home from the fair. It obviously had something to do with the fish tank they brought home as well. Were those piranhas? She would have to ask Akane about it tomorrow. It sounded like there was quite a story there.

The young couple had run to their rooms to change clothes, Ranma into his usual outfit, and Akane into her gi, and then they practically raced each other to the dojo. When she asked about it, Ranma had muttered something about he thought the training had made him stronger, as well as faster, and he wanted to check it out. Ukyo had offered to help, but Ranma had said he just wanted to test it against some training dummies, so he could confirm how strong he was.

Ukyo sighed as she scooped up a bucket of water from the furo and poured it over herself, and then began to wash. She was glad her brother had learned the technique after all, and from the sound of it, his Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken was way more powerful than hers. She didn't think the training had made her any stronger, but apparently he didn't have the limitation of not being strong enough to perform the Chestnut Fist, even in her body. In a way, it felt good to know Ranma was more naturally suited to the attack than she was, it meant that he was different from her, even in her body. And at least it made up for the fact that she had learned it first.

Still, she couldn't help thinking of the Old Ghoul's words to her, that day they fought. It had been almost a week ago, but it felt like yesterday. She had been right, that Ranma would find his own way to use the technique, and she had been teaching it to him, after all. She had known Ukyo wouldn't have the strength to back it up, while Ranma's greater muscle tone and conditioning would make him better at it. In his natural form, it would probably be even MORE powerful.

And if the Old Ghoul was right about that... Ukyo stopped to rinse herself off, and then slipped into the furo. As the warmth of the water relaxed her, she continued her train of thought. Could she really be in love with Ranma, really in love with him, the way Cologne said? Was she really jealous of him and Akane? She thought about the kiss she had seen, and the feelings of hurt and anger it had caused in her. It seemed that she was.

But that couldn't be. Ranma was her brother, and she was happy with that. It's not like his love for Akane would change that. He would always be her brother, and she would always be his sister. Even though they weren't really related by blood, she knew her Ranchan's heart, and she knew that was the way he thought of her. They had chosen to be siblings, a lifetime of shared joys and hardships bonding them even closer than blood. And now they even shared the same body. As close to each other as any twins could ever be.

Did she want more? Was she willing to throw all that away, for the hope of a romance with the boy she grew up with? Was she desperate enough to delude herself into thinking he might feel the same? No, of course she was not that stupid, and neither was she willing to give up something so precious, her love for her Bro, on something that would likely be awkward and uncomfortable. Not to mention that she would have to come between Ranma and Akane, and hurt him even more.

No, after all the time she spent on those two, it was ridiculous to even be considering it now. Ranchan was HAPPY, and Akane was too, the way they had laughed and grinned at each other in the dojo just said it all. She would have to be... the worst kind of person to come between them now.

But... what if there was no Ranma and Akane. If I'm going to be serious about this, if I'm really going to try and find out how I really feel, she told herself, then I'm going to have to think about this seriously. Really think about what it is that I want. Do I really want Ranma as... a husband... as a... a lover?

She tried to picture it. Ranchan, coming in to sit with her in the bathing room. That seemed too familiar; they had done that, so she pictured him next to her in the furo. Sitting with her in his lap, his arms around her, the water around them both. That was something they had unconsciously shied away from, always making sure to alternate using the furo, even when they bathed together. She tentatively let her thoughts take her a little further, to Ranma touching her, caressing her, and finally bending down to kiss her...

"Ew!" Ukyo was overwhelmed by such a sense of revulsion that she had to giggle. No, that thought was really, really disgusting. Not that she couldn't recognize Ranma's handsomeness, and the attraction of his well toned body, but any thought of actually being intimate with him just turned her off instantly. He was her BROTHER! No, that just wasn't going to happen.

The thought occurred to her, as unlikely as it seemed, that maybe her problem was actually just being with a man. She decided to take that seriously, just for the sake of argument. She started to think of other men she knew, and surprisingly, the first one to come to mind was Ryoga. She couldn't really seriously consider him, but she did try thinking about when she first met him, before he had come to hate her. She remembered the look that had come on his face when he first recognized her, and he had tried to reconcile the memory of the "boy" he had known with her obvious curvaceous good looks. The memory of his open mouthed astonishment, not to mention the cute way he fought to control his nosebleed when she mentioned wrapping her breasts made her smile fondly.

The only other guys she really knew were Ranma's friends Hiroshi and Daisuke. They were perverts, and losers, but at least not totally unattractive, and she could see how she might be interested. Maybe. If she were really desperate. And there was Sanzenin, and although he was a jerk and an egotistical maniac, he WAS very, very handsome. She remembered how her body had reacted when she skated with him, even though it had been more a physical attraction than a romantic one. She had just been playing with him, and getting him away from Ranma, but yes, she could admit that she noticed he was a man.

So there was no question about her preference. It was just a shame that her pickings had been so dismal, so far. Was she merely desperate, clinging to Ranma because she had no other options? No, that was selling herself short. There was probably somebody out there for her, somebody other than Ranma. She frowned, at a twinge of uneasiness in her heart. It went away, though, as quickly as it had come.

Ukyo sighed again. "Okay, I'm just making too much of this. The Old Ghoul was playing with my head, as she always does, and she's got me thinking about crazy things. I know I love Ranchan, but he's my brother, and that's enough for me. I don't really want any more than that.

"I'm just really protective of him, because of the Neko-Ken and all, and I want to make sure that he doesn't get hurt. Akane does tend to get a little rough with him. Although I'm beginning to think that Ranma likes that, a little bit..."

She chuckled at the thought. It was probably silly to make it into something kinky. Ranma and Akane were both really timid when it came to things like that, prudish and even a little frightened. But Ranma definitely seemed to like the challenge of dealing with his "tomboy", not to mention her spirit and courage.

"The Old Man sure failed miserably, if he was trying to make Ranchan prefer meek and submissive girls," Ukyo said to herself. Then she grinned. "Not that I didn't have a lot to do with that."

She stepped out of the furo, and began to dry herself off. As she did, her eyes settled on her image in the full length mirror set next to the oversized tub. A brown haired girl, with her hair down, with a slender, lithe body that was neither too muscular, nor too soft. In her own way, pretty, not exactly voluptuous, but not plain, either, with curves in all the right places. Of course, she had another body that was voluptuous as well, more petite than her own, but curved and rounded in a way most men would die for.

Thinking about it for a moment, Ukyo got up and walked to the shower, where she filled a bucket with cold water. Steeling herself to throw it over her head, she shivered at the chill as the water hit her. There was a second's pause, and then her body contracted in on itself, changing shape as her form became both softer and more muscular.

She stepped back over to the stool, and sat down to stare at herself. No, not herself, some other girl. Some other girl she had never seen before. Not Ranma's sister, Ranma was not her brother, just... her, as someone else. As "Ranko". She imagined Ranma coming up behind her. Putting his arms around this girl. Stroking her shoulders, her neck. His hands going lower, as he knelt down behind her. Pressing against her, bare flesh against bare flesh.

To Ukyo's complete shock, her heart began to pound in her chest. She exhaled, letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. Her reflection echoed the movement, her soft, pouty lips falling open. She began to tremble, wrapping her arms around herself, suddenly shy and blushing deeply. She could see other changes in her body as well, changes she didn't want to give a name to, but which she could see clearly in the mirror. She gasped again at a surge of heat that went through her body, pooling in her belly and locations further south.

"No. No!" Ukyo found her mind railing against the conclusions she was reaching. "This body is genetically identical to Ranchan's, save for an X chromosome! That would be WORSE than being his sister! We'd be lucky if our kids had only TWO heads!"

Ukyo laughed a bit. It was funny how her thoughts turned so quickly to children. For a moment, she felt a warm glow settle over her, at the thought of raising a family with Ranma. The thoughts that had filled her imagination since she was a little girl, of being with her Ranchan forever. It was just what it would take to get that family that made her almost laugh out loud at the impossibility of it.

But then her expression turned serious. There was no denying it. Remove their history together as brother and sister from the picture, and her desire for Ranma was obvious. She put her head in her hands, as the true depth of the trap she had placed herself in finally sank in. Her heart, her heart wanted Ranma, but her body, it still remembered him as that little boy she grew up with. She wanted him, but she could never have him.

Ukyo sat in silence for a long time. Then, she quietly got to her feet, finished drying herself, and left the furoba.

* * *

The next morning, Akane and Ukyo returned from their jog and fence running. They jogged through the gate, and then both slid to a halt at the same time, as they noticed that something seemed out of place. "Something's missing," Ukyo muttered.

"Yeah," Akane agreed. She backed out of the gate and stared at it for a moment. It took her a second to realize what it was. "The Tendo Dojo sign! It's gone!"

The sign was usually nailed up beside the gate, and it was, indeed, gone. Only empty space remained. "Who would steal our sign?" Ukyo wondered.

"A Dojo... Destroyer?" Akane guessed. "I'd heard that there was this martial artist going around, challenging dojos for their sign, so they'd be forced to close. But I never thought he would come here!"

"From what you've told me, there haven't been students at this dojo in years."

"That's not the point! It's our honor that's at stake!"

Akane ran inside, and Ukyo followed. They found Soun and Genma lying on palettes in the family room, wrapped in bandages. Genma was in panda form, but bandaged just the same as Akane's father.

"He was too strong for us," Soun said weakly. "He beat us, and took our sign. He said he would be back in two weeks, to..."

Akane interrupted him, clutching his hand in her worry. "Don't worry, Father, I will get our sign back. You can count on me to defend the honor of the Tendo Dojo."

"Yo. What's goin' on here?" called out Ranma, as she came in from the koi pond. "Why are you guys all bandaged up?"

"It was a Dojo Destroyer, Ranma," Akane said back, narrowing her eyes at Ukyo's twin. "Where were you while they were fighting him?"

Ranma put up her hands in protest, at the accusation. "Hey! Pops didn't wake me this morning! I just came in here wonderin' where he was!"

The panda held up a sign, reading, "I am sorry, my son. It all happened so fast..."

"It's true," Soun said. "He struck without warning, and it was all over before we could even call out for help."

Despite the seriousness of his tone, the brown haired man seemed to be chuckling under his breath, his mustache quivering. "He beat us soundly, and was about to walk off with our sign. I called out to him, telling him that the heirs to the Tendo Dojo were even stronger than we were, and he would not defeat you, our children, so easily.

"He agreed to return, in two weeks, to let you challenge him for the honor of the Tendo Dojo."

"Why would he do that?" Akane wondered.

Ukyo looked thoughtful as well. "Yeah, he's already got the sign. And why would he give you two whole weeks to prepare for him...?" She studied Soun's expression, and he dropped his smile, quite suddenly.

"Obviously because we told him what great martial artists my son and his fiancee are, foolish girl!" the panda's sign read. He flipped it. "No true martial artist would turn down such an honorable challenge!"

"Don't worry, Pop," Ranma said, her tone dismissive. "I'll take out this so-called Dojo Destroyer easy. No sweat."

Akane turned to glare at her. "This is the TENDO Dojo, and it's MY name I'm defending!" She argued. "I'll fight this Dojo Destroyer, not you!"

"You just let me handle this, tomboy," Ranma said, with an irritatingly smug grin. "I'll take him out before he can even throw a punch. You'd just get hurt..."

"I will not!"

"Akane! Ranma!" Soun interrupted, waving a hand at the two of them. "Didn't you hear us? He took on BOTH of us, and we couldn't defeat him, even together! You will both have to work together to even have a chance of defeating him!"

Ranma snorted. "Yeah, right. Just 'cause this Dojo Destroyer could take out two old men doesn't mean he'll be any trouble to me."

"Ranma! Don't make fun of my father!" Akane protested mainly because she cared about her father. But she had to admit, privately anyway, that most likely Ranma was right. She patted her father's hand, though. "Don't you worry, Father. I'll fight with Ranma if you think it's best." She wasn't sure she meant that, but maybe she could talk the baka into letting her go first.

"What?" Ranma grumbled for a moment, under his breath.

Soun, meanwhile, smiled widely, perhaps a bit too widely for the pain he was supposedly in. "That would be wonderful. Since the Dojo Destroyer has given you two weeks to prepare, why don't you and Ranma go into the mountains for some special training?"

The panda held up his sign, still laying on his palette behind Soun. "I will be happy to provide you with my expert guidance."

"Feh. 'Expert guidance'." Ranma slapped the panda behind his head. "It's a waste of time, I say. And I ain't training with no..."

Ukyo cut Ranma off before her 'sister' could say something she would regret. "Actually, that sounds like a good idea. We've been kind of settling in here, you and me, and we could use a good training trip. It's about the right time. And with Akane along, we can all make a lot of progress..."

Soun and Genma suddenly glanced at each other, as if caught off guard by this comment. The panda flipped over his sign, so it read "Um... uh..." and then flipping it again, "Do something Tendo!" The writing was very tiny, as if in some way this would make it less noticeable to the other members of the household.

"Um..." Soun turned back to them. "Miss Kuonji, that's very nice of you, but as Akane said, this is a matter of Tendo honor. You aren't really involved."

"Nonsense," Ukyo said, as dismissively as Ranma before. "I am a student of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and the Tendo Dojo is my home, so your honor is my honor. I have as much right to defend the Tendo Dojo as Ranchan does."

"But..." the panda's sign read. "You have to stay here to watch out for the Dojo Destroyer!"

Soun caught on to the hint. "That's right! He might return early! It could be a trick to catch us off guard! You should stay and keep an eye on the dojo, since Ranma and Akane will be away, and unable to defend it."

Akane glanced at Ukyo, uncertainly. "I will feel better knowing Kasumi and Nabiki are safe, with you here."

Ukyo seemed to consider it. She eyed the two men, as if guessing that more was going on than they let on, and then nodded. "You're probably right. I get plenty of opportunity to train with you here, at home. Ranchan will help you a lot more, if you've got nothing to do for a week but concentrate on your training."

She then turned to Ranma, fixing her with a stern glare. "That is, if you're actually going to TRAIN Akane, and not make excuses about 'she's just a girl'..."

Ranma put up her hands again. "I won't, Sis! I won't, I promise."

Akane looked at him. "I'm going to hold you to that..."

Ranma grinned at her. "I know you will, tomboy. 'Course, with Sis's scrawny arms, I'm not sure there's anything I can do for a gorilla like you..."

"Jackass," Ukyo said, although she was grinning too.

"Stop picking on your sister," Akane said, mock growling. "And this is for picking on me." She conked Ranma on the head, who stuck her tongue out in response.

The panda sat up, as if his bandages were nothing. "So shall we get started?"

Ukyo turned her smirk on him. "Let's finish school today. That way we can let Akane's friends know she's going on a trip for the week. Not to mention clearing it with the school. And aren't you supposed to be seriously injured?"

The panda lay back down. "Oh... ah... I am in so much pain," the sign read.

Shaking her head, Ukyo left with Ranma and Akane to finish getting dressed and get to school. As soon as they left, the fathers sat up and slapped hands.

"They fell for it!" Soun said, laughing happily. "My daughter and your son have been getting so close lately, and this is the perfect opportunity for love to bloom! They will have a week together in the woods, alone, and then they will have to come together to fight the 'Dojo Destroyer'!"

The panda flipped his sign. "Which will be us, of course."

"And once they see how strong they are together, they will fall in love, and the schools will finally be joined!" Soun paused a moment. "Have you hidden the sign away in a safe place?"

"It is behind the wood panels in one of the walls of the dojo," the sign read. "They'll never find it!"

"Oh, happy day!" The two fathers began dancing around the family room, arm in arm.

* * *

Ukyo, Ranma and Akane headed for school, and as time for gym came around, they followed their usual routine, as Ranma changed in the girl's locker room. It had almost become second nature, and Akane found herself studying Ranma, as she chatted with her sister in her cursed form. Ranma almost seemed comfortable, keeping her eyes on her sister's face mainly out of habit, but not even really thinking about it. Sayuri and Yuka didn't seem to notice either, just talking with "Ukyo" amiably as if they had been friends with the cursed boy all their lives.

There was still a bit of nervousness as they left the locker room, Ranma making sure her eyes didn't wander as they passed the other girls as they got dressed. But once they were out in the gym and doing their exercises even that was forgotten. They were doing vaults, and Ranma performed them with her usual skill and speed. The other students didn't notice, as they were already used to Ukyo's agility, and were not surprised at Ranko's level of skill, either.

Akane had always done well in the exercise as well, but as she came back to the others after making her run, Sayuri and Yuka applauded her enthusiastically. "That was a great landing, Akane!" Yuka called out. "You just nailed it!"

"I've been getting a lot of practice lately," Akane said with a smile, "Falling off of fences." Ukyo gave her a thumbs up.

As Akane headed back to sit down, Ranma stepped up to begin another run. She charged towards the springboard, but just before she reached it, a bicycle crashed through the wall of the gym. Shampoo landed on the vaulting horse, just as Ranma jumped back to avoid the collision. "Nihao, Airen!" Shampoo called out excitedly.

"Shampoo! What are you doing here?" Ranma asked. Akane and Ukyo stepped up, looking like they wanted to ask the same question. Ranma just eyed the Amazon suspiciously. She had brought a large metal basin, which was tied to the back of her bicycle. And in the front, sitting in the basket on her handlebars, was a small dog. It was a scruffy looking mongrel, and appeared to be wearing a worn out shirt as a sort of coat.

"Shampoo have something special. Want to see?" When the others didn't look too eager, she shrugged and untied the washtub. She then grabbed a hose and began filling it with water.

"This just ordinary water." She pulled out a packet, and held it up. Then she ripped off the top of it, and poured the contents into the water. "But watch what happen when add Instant Jusenkyo Spring."

"Instant... Jusenkyo Spring?" Ranma was suddenly interested. Shampoo picked up the dog and tossed it into the washtub. The dog floundered around for a bit, splashing in the water, while several of the students watching wondered if it was drowning. The demonstration had drawn quite an audience, both from the girls and the boys who were having their class on the other side of the gym. Ukyo seemed to step between the crowd and the basin, putting up an arm to keep them out of range of the splashing water.

A figure suddenly surfaced in the water, a young boy with brown hair, still dressed in the shirt the dog had been wearing. He even held a bone in his mouth, which the dog had been holding. He even acted like a dog, crouching in the washtub, and looking over the crowd with a happy but vapid expression on his face.

The students watching reacted with shock, backing away from the strange transformation. "See!" Shampoo exclaimed, gesturing at the boy. "Is Instant Nanniichuan, Spring of Drowned Man! Is turns what falls into it into man!"

"Spring of Drowned Man?" Ranma stared at the dog and the basin he was sitting in, wide eyed. "Does that mean... I can really... I can..."

"Is true." Shampoo smiled, holding up another packet. "Is cure for Airen curse. Airen use this packet, Airen never be girl again."

Ranma took Shampoo's hands, the look of rapture on her face almost funny. "Really? I'll never be a girl again?"

"Surely you're not just going to give it to him," Akane cut in, with a scowl on her face. "There's got to be a catch."

"Is no catch," Shampoo answered, gazing back into Ranma's eyes. "All Airen have to do is go on date with Shampoo."

That caused Ranma to draw back. "A date?"

Akane seemed to be considering it, but her eye was twitching. "That's all? Just a date? He doesn't have to marry you or anything?"

"Just go on date with Shampoo," she said, still staring starry-eyed at Ranma. "That all Shampoo want. Then can use Instant Nanniichuan, not be girl..."

"Hold on a moment," Ukyo said, glancing around at the audience who were muttering amongst themselves, in growing confusion. "This conversation is just a bit too public here."

Both Shampoo and Ranma blushed at that, and Ranma quickly pulled her hands away from Shampoo's. The murmuring increased. "Shampoo mean, go on date with Airen. Ranma."

Ukyo looked over at Sayuri and Yuka. "Hey, can you get the rest of the class out of here? We need to speak with Shampoo alone."

The two girls looked at each other, then back at the watching audience. "Yeah, that's right. Obviously Shampoo doesn't want to go on a date with Ukyo. This must have something to do with Ranma being sick."

Sayuri grimaced, at being unable to come up with a better explanation. But she and Yuka quickly started pulling the other kids back away from the washtub with the dog sitting in it. "This is probably some sort of strong Amazon medicine or something, wouldn't want to get any of it on you..."

The girls nearest the basin quickly began to back away, the idea of what might happen if they were hit by that water starting to sink in. Sayuri recruited the help of Hiroshi and Daisuke as well, and they herded the crowd out of the gym.

Akane meanwhile, had turned back to Ranma and Shampoo. "Maybe you should go ahead, Ranma," she said, although clearly she hated the idea. "It's just a date, and if Shampoo will settle for that..."

She paused a moment. "It'll cure the Cat's Tongue, too, won't it?" She asked Shampoo, looking hopeful. "I mean, he'll still be unable to stand hot water, but he'll be CURED. Right?"

Ranma glanced at Akane, remembering their conversation at the fair. But could he really go through with it? "I dunno, Akane... I mean it don't seem right. You remember what happened with Ryoga..."

"Yes, Ranma." Akane smiled at her. "But you didn't understand WHY I was going on that date. And I... I wouldn't talk to you about it." She swallowed, and then looked determined. "If... if it'll get you your cure, Ranma..."

Ranma looked back at Shampoo. "But... I mean, just a date... that's all I gotta do, go on a date, right?"

"Shampoo happy just to go on date with Airen once," Shampoo said happily, wrapping Ranma in a tight hug. "If Airen promise, on honor, Shampoo give Instant Drowned Man cure. Okay?"

Akane was studying her carefully, with her eyes narrowed, as if looking for a sign this was a trick. "You'll be expecting him to give you a kiss, won't you? At the end of the date."

Ranma turned back to Shampoo, her eyes wide, but the purple haired Amazon was smiling, smugly. "Of course. Angry Girl mind?"

Akane's eyes narrowed a bit more, but then a small smile crossed her face. "If you don't mind being second..."

Shampoo tossed her head, although it was obvious that comment had gotten her angry. "Pervert Girl get her chance. After Shampoo kiss Airen, Airen forget all about Pervert Girl."

"Dream on..." Akane growled.

Ranma looked between the two girls, swallowing. She could tell this was a dangerous place to be. But Akane nodded at her. "It's all right, Ranma. It's all right with me. THIS time..."

Ukyo had been watching, saying nothing, but smiled as Sayuri and Yuka came over. Hiroshi and Daisuke were with them, and Ukyo considered that for a moment, but finally decided it was worth the risk. She stepped back slightly, and then reached over to pull the former dog out of the washtub.

"Hold on, Akane. Looks like Ranchan won't have to agree to anything after all..."

"What Shield Sister mean?" Shampoo asked, as she turned to face her. She was too late, though, to keep Ukyo from grabbing Ranma by her shirt, and pulling her back. Moving carefully, so as not to splash either herself, Shampoo, or Akane, she tossed Ranma into the washtub. Ranma landed on her bottom, looking surprised as she sat waist deep in the water.

Ranma rapidly grew back into his male body, the water reversing his curse. The girl's gym outfit fit him extremely tightly, and looked more than a bit silly on him, but at least it wasn't small enough to tear. He stared at his transformed hands in shock, as Shampoo and Akane both cried out, putting their hands to their mouths.

"Whoa!" Hiroshi commented. "That water turned Ukyo into Ranma!"

"Not exactly," Ukyo corrected him. "I'll explain in a minute, but that's Ranma."

"Aiyah!" Shampoo cut in. "You trick Shampoo! Shampoo not think about water in tub!"

"Yep." Ukyo looked smug. "And now that he's cured, he doesn't need your cure. He doesn't even need to cure the Cat's Tongue."

"I'm never gonna be a girl again!" Ranma leaped to his feet, dancing around. "Never gonna be a gi-rl again! Never gonna be a gi-rl again!"

"That show what you know!" Shampoo yelled back, now angry. She quickly ran back and filled the basin with water again, and dumped it over Ranma. He returned to female form, freezing in place as he felt the transformation.

"Instant Nanniichuan what work only once!" Shampoo said, her voice vicious. "NOW Airen go on date with Shampoo, or not be man again!"

"You mean it was never a cure, the whole time, and you knew it?" Akane shouted. She clenched her fists, now angry as well. "You were going to trick Ranma into going on a date with you, for NOTHING?"

Shampoo looked back at her, swallowing. "Aiyah. Shampoo say dumb thing. Give plan away." She seemed to shrink away even further, as Ranma turned to glare at her as well.

Both Ranma and Akane began to stalk towards Shampoo, and she put up her hands as if to ward them off. She tried to back away from the angry couple, and bumped into Ukyo, who had come up behind her. She held up the washtub, which still had a little bit of water left in it. "Ranchan, you might want to look away."

Shampoo turned around just in time to get a face full of water. And then the world expanded around her, as her own curse was triggered. Ukyo reached down to pick up the betraggled cat. "Shampoo, I have had enough of you. You have harassed my brother, and you have harassed me, and I'm not going to put up with it any more. I don't want you around here, and I don't want that Old Ghoul you call your grandmother around here anymore either."

Ukyo carried the cat over to the door of the gym, holding her by the scruff of the neck. "We'll find a cure for the Cat's Tongue. Without having to play your stupid games. Get lost, and stay lost. Stay the hell out of our lives!" With that, she booted the cat out of the schoolyard and over the fence, out of sight.

As Ukyo walked back over to the others, she stopped to put more water into the tub. Then she poured the contents over the brown haired boy and returned him to being a dog. Gently, she shooed him out of the gym.

"Are you sure you should have done that?" Akane asked, as Ukyo refilled the washtub yet again. She was filling it with hot water this time. "Cologne does still have the cure."

"We don't know that. And she's just going to keep toying with us. If nothing else, maybe it'll make them take us a little more seriously."

She walked back over to the group. "In the meantime, we have something we need to take care of." She cut her eyes at Hiroshi and Daisuke, who were staring at them, and particularly Ranma, with their mouths open. They looked as if they wanted to ask what was going on, but didn't know where to begin.

"Actually, Sayuri and I were thinking we should probably tell them," Yuka put in. "They could help keep an eye on Ranma while she's... he's in the boy's shower. After he's back to being a guy again full time, anyway..."

Ukyo glanced at her, and then nodded. "Good idea." She looked up at the two boys. "Well, boys, I did say that that was Ranma, and I'd explain. So I guess I better explain."

She dumped the warm water over her head. In a matter of seconds, her body had turned taller and more slender, her red pigtail growing into a waist length brown ponytail. "As you can see... I'm actually Ukyo."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I actually had to give some thought as to whether the water Shampoo used to turn the dog into a boy would work on Ranma. It is awfully funny that she has this water and no one thinks to use it, or even hope that she leaves it behind. She rides off with the dog in the tub after making her deal with Ranma, although she might have dumped the water out. She doesn't even seem bothered by the thought that it might get on her, or one of the other students in the gym. (Although she knows it would only effect her once anyway)

At the end of the arc, though, Ranma and Genma both use a single packet to treat the koi pond. In the manga, it's even made clear that the one packet is all that is left. So I figured that if one packet could effect both Ranma and Genma, then one packet could effect Ranma and the dog. In short, the same water can be used on any number of people, but only once per person.

The thing is, though, whether this is true or not, what Shampoo wanted Ranma to BELIEVE was that the water would become like the Spring of Drowned Man, permanently effecting anyone who fell in it. So there was no reason for Ukyo to assume the water WOULDN'T cure Ranma's curse. If it hadn't, that would have clued her that something was wrong, and Shampoo likely would have given away the trick anyway. So I decided to let the scene play out like this, rather than try and drag it out by having it not work. For the same reason, I didn't bother with whether Ranma's entire body needed to be immersed to cure the curse, or how long Ranma would have to stay in the water before the cure "took".


	44. Chance Meeting

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 44

Shampoo trudged along the road in her cat form, her purple tail drooping dejectedly. She had been so sure this would be a good plan. Her Airen would get a chance to be in male form again for a while, she could go on a date with him, and get him away from that angry Tendo girl, and really win him over with her charms. Hopefully, he would even be willing to go on a couple of dates, before he inevitably returned to female form and discovered the trick. After that, she could offer more packets to him as a way around the Phoenix Pill. It seemed perfect.

Her first mistake was forgetting she would have to give him the Instant Nanniichuan BEFORE the date, if she wanted to go out with him as a man. It had been a bit embarrassing to realize all those other teenagers had thought she was propositioning Shield Sister. Not that it really mattered what they thought of her, but it was her Airen that she loved, not Ukyo. Even if Airen looked like Shield Sister at times. She was beginning to wonder if Great-Grandmother's plan to trap her Airen in cursed form was that good an idea. It was starting to make her feel a bit uncomfortable.

And then, she obviously made Shield Sister mad. She hadn't expected her to get so upset over the trick she played on her Airen, but it was not the first time she had been surprised by Ukyo's reaction. She seemed so kind and friendly, and yet there were times that Shampoo was reminded that Ukyo truly had the spirit of an Amazon warrior. That's why she called her Shield Sister, she was a strong warrior, and it was dangerous to truly arouse her ire. That Akane girl, when she got angry she just made a lot of noise and brought everyone down, but when Shield Sister got angry it usually meant immediate and very painful consequences.

Shampoo was very much afraid that she had gone too far this time. Shield Sister had told her to get lost and never return. And Airen's curse had been as much trouble to Shield Sister as it had been to Airen. Maybe she and her Great-Grandmother had pushed Shield Sister too hard, and hurt her too much. It wasn't what Shampoo wanted, and she was very sorry. She hoped Shield Sister could forgive her.

As she continued towards the Cat Cafe, Shampoo's attention was drawn to a strange sight at the side of the road. It was a small black pig, and it was sitting there looking unhappy and downcast. For some reason, it was dripping with water. Further examination of the scene showed that there was a pile of clothes and a backpack sitting to one side of the pig. The clothes looked familiar for some reason, but the pig didn't seem to be using them as a nest or anything, it was just sitting on the sidewalk as if too tired to continue.

It was the pig itself that seemed to spark some memories in her, and Shampoo almost gasped as she remembered. It was Shield Sister's pet, P-chan, the one that she had thought belonged to Akane! It would be hard for her to forget the pig, after Shield Sister's violent reaction when she thought Shampoo had cooked it. She studied the little pig more closely, to make sure it was the same one, but she had seen it clearly, when she had found it in the street before. She even remembered waking up with it, when Shield Sister and Pervert Girl pulled the trick of putting it in bed with her and Ranma.

This was a stroke of luck! She had not seen the pig the times she had been in the Tendo home before, so it must have gotten lost. Maybe it was even stolen, and whoever stole it had abandoned it along with the clothes and backpack. If she were to bring it back to Shield Sister, she might be so grateful she would forget about the Instant Nanniichuan, or even forgive her for it! All she would have to do is bring the pig back to the Cat Cafe so her Great-Grandmother could change her back, then run over to the Tendo home with their pet.

It was a good thing she was in her cursed form, she noted, as the pig might be suspicious of her in her normal form, after encountering her before. The white cat sauntered over to P-chan, and the pig was already eyeing her carefully. She began to purr, and rubbed herself up against the pig, trying to make herself seem as friendly as possible. To her surprise, while the pig seemed to nervously draw away from her, as soon as she started to press her body against his, he seemed to freeze, much like her Airen did when she grabbed him.

This was definitely the same pig, she could tell by the way his large, round eyes seemed to grow as he stared back at her. This seemed unusual to her somehow, most pigs she had seen had small eyes. He also had a little yellow bandanna tied around his neck; she remembered that from the last time. She stepped away from P-chan and meowed at him plaintively, took a few steps away from him, then looked back and meowed at him again. P-chan seemed to pause a moment, as if thinking. Then, hesitantly, he took a step forward, as if to say, "You want me to follow you?" Shampoo happily meowed her agreement, and skipped off down the street.

Soon, the pair was walking side by side, and P-chan seemed more comfortable with following her. From time to time, she would look up and notice he was wandering off in some other direction, but she would stick her claws into him, and he would quickly return to her side. It struck her that this pig was very smart, it didn't seem to mind her prodding and always came right back to her. Something about the bandanna and the fact that he seemed to keep trying to wander off kept nagging at her mind, but Shampoo couldn't quite make sense of it. Finally, they drew close to the Cat Cafe, and she decided not to worry about it.

As they neared the restaurant, though, P-chan suddenly seemed to become concerned. He looked over the entrance, noticing that it clearly served Chinese food, and began to back away. As Shampoo took a few steps forward, the pig even dashed in front of her and began to push her back. When she refused to be budged, he finally just ran away and hid in the alley, behind some garbage cans.

"Stupid pig," Shampoo thought to herself, "We're not going to eat you." She followed the pig, making little noises to try and coax him out of his hiding place. He just glared back at her, irritated. She began to purr again, pressing herself against his flanks, and even stroked his head a little with her paws, her claws retracted. The pig studied her intently, as if considering whether she was more than she appeared to be, too.

Finally, P-chan stepped out from behind the garbage cans. He stepped a bit closer to the side entrance to the shop, and then turned to look back at her, as if uncertain. Shampoo merely meowed, and then ran up the stairs to the door, where she began scratching at it. After a moment, Cologne answered the door.

"Great-Granddaughter!" Cologne said, obviously somewhat peeved to see Shampoo in her cursed form. "I see you have been up to some mischief."

Shampoo looked at the ground, obviously ashamed. Cologne studied her for a moment, and then picked her up. "Very well. You can't exactly tell me like this. Let me get you some hot water, and you can tell me all about it."

As she turned to go back inside the restaurant, however, Shampoo began meowing loudly. She gestured at P-chan with a paw. Cologne followed where she was pointing, and spotted the little pig crouching in the alley. "Ah, you brought home a stray pig, then? He'll make a fine meal. Let me grab him."

As the diminutive Amazon tried to come down the steps after P-chan, however, the pig suddenly crouched and snarled at her. He then turned and ran back behind the garbage cans. Cologne started to follow, but was interrupted as Shampoo began to hiss and claw at her in her arms. She dropped the cat, and she ran back around behind the garbage after the pig. When Cologne glanced around the corner of the cans to see what was going on, she saw Shampoo standing between her and the pig, arching her back and hissing.

"Eh? So you didn't bring the pig to cook him, is that it?" Cologne said. She was a bit surprised at her great granddaughter showing her such disrespect, but realized it was mainly a show for the pig's sake. "Very well, bring him out, and I promise I won't cook him."

She stepped back into the alley, and watched as her cat form granddaughter coaxed the pig back out from behind the garbage cans. He glared at Cologne, a clear understanding in his eyes that the old Amazon recognized instantly. Shampoo rubbed up against him, though, and purred and cooed at him, and the pig seemed to reluctantly give in to her advances.

Cologne held the door, and Shampoo led P-chan into the building. The pig spared a suspicious glance at the withered Elder as he passed. She found herself chuckling. After 300 years of experience you learn to entertain all possibilities, and she was already starting to suspect what was going on. She quickly heated up a kettle of hot water for her great granddaughter. As the cat set herself down in front of her, she poured the water over the cat's head and body.

In a few moments, Shampoo had returned to human form, and Cologne spared a glance at the pig. Sure enough, P-chan's eyes had grown enormous, both at the transformation of cat into attractive woman, and the fact that Shampoo was naked. Calling out gleefully, Shampoo ran over and picked up the pig, pressing him into her ample breasts with an enthusiastic hug. P-chan gave out a strangled squeal, jerked over backwards as a fountain of blood spurted from his nose, and passed out.

"Aiyah! Shield Sister pet not well! P-chan get lost, get very sick!"

Cologne chuckled again. "So that animal is the pig that you mentioned, that you tried to cook. The one that Shield Sister was keeping as a pet."

"Is so. Shampoo thought was Pervert Girl pet, but Shield Sister get angry, very angry, when Shampoo play trick." Her face fell, her expression clearly remorseful. "Shampoo just play trick. Not want to hurt Shield Sister."

Then she looked up, and her smile turned cheerful again. "But now Shampoo can return Shield Sister pet! Shield Sister be so happy!" She squeezed P-chan against her softness again, and even unconscious, the pig still made a choked grunt that sounded something like a moan.

Cologne looked as if she was trying to hold back laughter. "Shampoo, tell me again how Shield Sister reacted when she found out you had cooked the pig. Exactly what words did she use?"

Shampoo paused a moment, remembering. "Well... she say... 'You think that joke...? You is monster!'... No, wait, that after. First she say..." she thought about it for a moment more. "No, first she say, 'Can't be. Shampoo couldn't have.' And she very, very scared. Turn white. Like best friend killed. Shampoo not know... she care about pet so much..."

"Is that all she said? Did she say WHY she felt that it couldn't be?"

"Yes, yes! Shampoo remember now! Said... 'Couldn't have put in hot water.' Is what she said." She suddenly started. "Hot water! Great Grandmother not think..."

"Easy enough to find out." Cologne took the limp pig from Shampoo, and held it over a pot of broth she had been cooking. Just as Shampoo cried out for her to stop, she dropped P-chan into the pot. A second later, Ryoga leaped out of the boiling water, screaming and putting a hand over himself in an attempt to protect his modesty.

"Is Lost Boy!" Shampoo shouted, startled. Her face twisted into a look somewhere between confusion and disgust. "Lost Boy is Shield Sister PET?"

"It sure looks like it," Cologne said, with an amused smirk.

"What the heck's going on?" Ryoga said, still somewhat disoriented by being awakened in such a painful manner. His eyes settled on the still naked Amazon girl. "Shampoo? Is this another of your 'jokes'?"

"Shampoo sorry!" she said. "Shampoo told Great-Grandmother no cook pig! But Great-Grandmother..."

"There was no more water in the kettle," Cologne said dismissively, "and that was faster. So... Shield Sister Ukyo knew your secret, then?"

Ryoga turned beet red, which wasn't much of a change as he was already stark naked and blushing. He sat down on the floor, trying to make an attempt to shield himself from the two women's view. "Ukyo was the one that cursed me," he said, his voice still a little angry. "She agreed to hide it from Ranma and Akane. But then she betrayed me! And Ranma found out!"

"And the Tendo girl kicked you out of her house. Didn't she?"

Ryoga's face fell, his anger vanishing. "Yeah. I... I didn't deserve to be... living with her."

"Aiyah! Lost Boy sleep with Shampoo! Shield Sister put P-chan in bed with Shampoo!" She paused for a moment. "SHAMPOO GIVE KISS OF MARRIAGE TO PIG! AAAAAH!"

Cologne regarded her with a cackle. "It doesn't count as a Kiss of Marriage unless he defeats you, and according to you, he wasn't in that battle between Son-In-Law and Kuno. So I think you're safe, Great-Granddaughter."

Both Shampoo and Ryoga breathed a sigh of relief at that. Then Cologne turned to size Ryoga up, which made him extremely uncomfortable given his state of undress. "So... you hate Son-In-Law, don't you? And Shield Sister Ukyo as well? Would you like to face Son-In-Law and defeat him? I could offer you training that would allow you to do that."

Despite his embarrassment, Ryoga still managed to scoff. "I don't need training from any old ladies, Granny," he said. "I'll defeat Ranma all by myself, thank you."

"Are you sure about that, sonny boy?" Cologne cackled. "Surely by now you have heard I trained Son-In-Law in the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, the 'Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire' technique. Would you like to learn that technique as well?"

Ryoga's confident smirk faded. He studied the old woman for a moment, obviously sizing up her abilities in a new light. "That's right. Akane told me Ranma has been training with you. That new technique... that technique he used to defeat me. You can teach me to counter that?"

"It depends on you, sonny boy. But I'm willing to try. If you are..."

He let out a breath, and then looked down. "Okay, you've got a deal. But there's just two things I've got to ask first..."

"Really? And what might that be?"

Ryoga looked up, his face red. "Could you find my clothes? They should still be back where I got splashed."

"Shampoo remember," she said. "Shampoo saw them, when first see P-chan. Shampoo can go get."

"All right then." Cologne turned to look back at Ryoga. "And what's the other condition."

"Um..." Ryoga looked at Shampoo, his blush turning even deeper. "Could SHE put on some clothes?"

"Aiyaaah!" Shampoo threw her arms around her chest, and ran out of the room.

* * *

Akane grumbled under her breath, as she carried an armful of firewood into their campsite. She was dressed in her gi, but was glad she had the foresight to wear a t-shirt under it. It was still fairly cold, even though winter would come to an end soon, the trees were still bare, and the mountain air was chilly as well as thin. Akane was already a little tired from the climb, although she would never admit it out loud. Actually, she welcomed the opportunity to build up her endurance, although chopping wood, even with her bare hands, wasn't the way she wanted to do it.

She dropped the wood into a pile with several other logs she had already split. Then she looked up at Ranma and the cursed boy's father, who was currently in his true form. Ranma was busy setting up the larger of their two tents, but the elder Saotome was simply standing to one side of the clearing. He looked out at the trees and inhaled grandly, as if in appreciation of the natural environment.

"So why do *I* have to gather firewood?" Akane asked them. "I thought we came on this trip to TRAIN!"

"There is time enough for that, girl!" Genma told her pompously. "For now, as the woman it is your responsibility to set up the camp and make sure that everything is ready when we need it. That is a very difficult job, and it will take much time.

"In the meantime, the boy and I will work on these so-called 'new moves' of his, and I shall see if he is truly stronger." Genma glanced back at Akane, seemingly missing the rage she was working herself into. "After that, perhaps you can join him and we shall see how you do working with my boy..."

Akane hadn't heard anything past Genma's first sentence, the rest of his rant drowned out by the roaring in her ears. "As the WOMAN it is my responsibility...?" She snarled. She was cut off, though, as a pot flew across the campsite and struck Genma across the head.

"Shut up, you lazy old man," Ranma said. She had thrown the pot, of course, and rummaged for more supplies in her backpack. "You just don't wanna help set up the campsite."

Ranma then looked back over at Akane with a slight smile. "Don't worry, tomboy. It's just training."

Akane huffed. "I could be breaking bricks at home, if that's all I wanted to do. And it would be more of a workout."

"Yeah, but that takes more strength. Splittin' the firewood will help ya with yer aim an' precision."

Akane studied the ponytailed girl a moment. Reluctantly, she conceded the point. "All right. But you promised your sister that you'd take me seriously, Ranma. I'm not going to let you two run off and leave me here to do all the work."

Genma spoke up, cutting off Ranma before she could reassure her. "The boy's training is what is important. Your duty is to watch his back and be ready to support him. If you two are going to beat this Dojo Destroyer, you will have to work as a team. That means when we spar, I'll be expecting you to back my son up as he fights me."

"What?" Akane's face was shadowed, her eyes beginning to glow red.

"That foolish Kuonji girl, she was just too strong willed to listen to my advice." Genma clenched his fist, striking a melodramatic pose. "But now I have a chance to do it right! I shall train you to be the perfect partner to my boy, and after he defeats the Dojo Destroyer, you'll see how strong my training has made you."

"After HE defeats the Dojo Destroyer?" Akane was snarling now, and Ranma just shook her head. She smiled a bit as she waited for the Old Man to finish digging his own grave. "I'M going to defeat that Dojo Destroyer!"

"Don't be foolish, girl," Genma said solemnly. "You could never defeat a martial artist as powerful as the Dojo Destroyer. You could not even defeat me, without my boy at your side."

"Oh, yeah?" Akane settled into a stance, and Ranma's smile widened. "How about you try me?"

Genma started to wave his hand dismissively, but then he noticed the expression on Akane's face. Unfortunately, he still didn't truly realize the danger he was in. "I won't go easy on you, girl..." he said, as he set his own stance.

"Actually, I was about to say the same." Akane charged forward. Ranma noted that it was exactly the same charge she had used on him, that first day in the dojo. Just as she was about to say something, though, she noticed a difference in Akane's eyes. As her father leaped to clear Akane's punch - after all, the Old Man had taught Ranma those moves - Akane suddenly pitched forward as if tripping. It turned out her punch had been a feint, she was actually rolling onto her hands, and sprang off the ground into a double kick which caught Genma in the midsection.

The old man flopped over forward, landing on his face in the dirt. After all, while he was remarkably nimble for a man his size, he couldn't manage the same kind of height as his son. Akane completed her somersault, turning to deliver a roundhouse kick as the man tried to get back to his feet. He hit the ground again, even as Akane leaped at him.

"Ow! Ouch! Watch the face! That doesn't twist that way! What are you doing, girl?" Despite himself, Ranma winced as his fiancee proceeded to tie his father's arms and legs into a knot. Genma had long since passed the point of being able to defend himself, and settled for begging for mercy. Akane just ignored him. She finally backed off of him, and stood up, brushing off her hands.

She turned to Ranma, her eyes still flashing angrily. "Are you going to give me any arguments either?"

Ranma put up her hands. "Naw, tomboy, although if you'll help me put up your tent, we can go do some sparring."

A happy smile swept over Akane's face, leaving no sign that she had ever been mad. "Sure, Ranma!"

Several minutes later, Ranma and Akane were running through the trees. "Follow me, Akane!" Ranma yelled out, and leaped onto a nearby branch. Akane followed, and stayed close on her heels as the ponytailed girl bounded from tree to tree. Finally, they reached a clearing, and Ranma just sailed across it, catching a branch of a tree on the other side. With the reach and grace of Ukyo's body, she was able to grab onto the branch with one hand and flip onto it easily. Akane faltered as she approached the jump and then, realizing she was not going to be able to stop, leaped as hard as she could. She still found herself coming about a yard too short.

As Akane plummeted towards the ground, trying to adjust her trajectory to at least hit a branch or two on the way down, Ranma suddenly leaped down and grabbed her. Then she rolled with Akane as they hit the ground. Akane sat on the soft earth for a moment to catch her breath. Although she knew she wouldn't have been seriously hurt by the fall, she still could have broken a bone or twisted an ankle. She gave Ranma a grateful smile as the other girl looked her over.

Once she was sure Akane was fine, though, Ranma's challenging smirk returned, and she leaped back into the tree. There were absolutely no branches on this tree from about halfway down its height to the ground, but Ranma still returned to the same branch she had leaped down from. "Come on, Akane!" she called down. "No slacking off now!"

"Slacking off?" Akane shouted back. "I almost killed myself!" She knew that wasn't true, but Ranma's attitude was irritating. She leaped up to try and follow her up the tree, but found that she couldn't reach. Just as she couldn't make it across the clearing, she now couldn't get back to Ranma's height. The branch wasn't really that high, maybe twice as high as the roof of the Tendo home, but she had only just gotten to the point where she could clear that height. It might has well have been a mile up.

"Ranma! That's not fair! I can't jump that high!"

Ranma stuck out her tongue, and then stretched out to lie on the branch. "Well, that's too bad."

"Hey! How am I supposed to practice if you won't FIGHT me?"

"You think an opponent is just going to let you catch them? All the brute strength in the world won't help ya if you can't even get close to me..."

"Ranmaaa!" Akane stomped her foot, and then tried to jump into the tree again. When she didn't reach the branch, she grabbed onto the trunk and started to shimmy up.

"Good form there, tomboy." Ranma began to strip twigs off the branches nearby and drop them onto Akane's head. As Akane finally started to come near, she leaped to a nearby tree outside of the clearing.

"RANMA!" Akane's voice promised retribution when she finally caught up. She dropped out of the tree and went racing to Ranma's new perch. However, she just jumped back to her safe spot.

Akane grumbled for a few moments, while Ranma leaned back on the branch again, chuckling. She knew she would pay for this later, but for now it was fun. And a valuable lesson. About the time she was about to give Akane a break and leap back out of the clearing, however, she was caught off guard as the tree began to shake.

At the base of the tree, Akane drew back, and then walloped the trunk of the tree as hard as she could with her fist. A few seconds later, she repeated the blow. Ranma was forced to grab on, as the branch she was sitting on began to first tremble, then rock back and forth. Akane continued to hit the tree in time with its natural resonance, until the whole tree began to sway as if caught in a windstorm. Ranma had to hold on to the trunk to keep from being thrown off.

"Geez, Akane! You're gonna hurt the tree!" Akane ignored her, although the bark on the side of the tree she was hitting had begun to shatter and flake off. Realizing she wasn't going to be able to judge her leap very well if the tree began to sway much further, Ranma crouched on the branch, took a moment to time her jump, then leaped to another tree. Akane was already watching for the move, and took off running after her.

As she neared the tree, Akane leaped, and grabbed a low hanging branch. She swung by her arms over the branch, continuing her momentum upwards, her strength rocketing her upwards towards Ranma. She extended a leg in a kick at her, which Ranma could have easily dodged, but she realized Akane would sail past her. There were no branches she could easily land on. So Ranma merely rolled inside the attack as Akane flashed past her, wrapping her arm around the other girl's waist, and guiding her onto the branch.

Akane continued her assault, while Ranma blocked her kicks with her forearms. "Next time, don't just aim at yer target. Make sure you got a safe place to land."

"I knew you would catch me," Akane said with a smile. She never let up for a second, though, even when Ranma leaped to another tree nearby. She followed, her movements smooth and confident. "Maybe another opponent wouldn't catch me, but I'm not fighting another opponent..."

"You're so uncute," Ranma commented, but there was a twinkle in her eyes as she said it. She noticed Akane seemed pleased as well.

Akane suddenly drew up short, though, her attention caught by something above them, and behind Ranma. Ranma turned to see Cologne dropping from above, which considering how high up they were, was impressive. She only barely dodged the attack from Cologne's staff, while Akane leaped as well, trying to get away. She slammed into another tree and wrapped her arms around its trunk. It was a clumsy escape, but at least she didn't plummet to the ground again.

Ranma, meanwhile, landed on another branch. Akane was all right, but that didn't help her mood any. "Whaddya want, Old Ghoul!"

"Relax, Son-in-Law," Cologne said, in her somewhat soothing, somewhat condescending tone of voice. "I am not here to fight."

"Then why are ya here?"

Cologne looked over at Akane, who glared at her, but didn't release her death grip on the top of the tree. "You and the Tendo girl are training too, eh?"

"What do you mean, 'too'?" Akane glanced at Ranma, to make sure she knew she wasn't going to move. It wouldn't do to distract Ranma by putting herself in trouble, or risking a fall from this height.

"I just came to give you a warning, Son-in-Law. Train hard. You'll need it." With a cackle, the old Amazon bounded off into the distance, leaping from treetop to treetop like she was crossing stepping stones in a pond.

* * *

It took Cologne only moments to return to where Ryoga had set up their campsite. The Lost Boy's camp was quite spartan, as Cologne expected. After all, his only possessions were those that he could keep in his backpack. He had brought a small tent, but Ryoga insisted he was used to sleeping outside, and Cologne could use it since it looked like the weather would remain clear.

After confirming that he was done with his preparations, Cologne led him to a river that flowed past near the camp. It was fed by a small waterfall, which formed a pool at the head of the stream. This served as a gathering point for several fish. It was a good campsite; there would be a good supply of fish. This made it suitable for Cologne's plans as well.

"Watch carefully, sonny boy," Cologne instructed, as Ryoga took a seat on a rock near the stream. She walked over to the pool, resting her staff on her shoulder. Then, without even jarring the staff as she moved, her hands flashed out in a blur of motion. The water began to splash around, fish flying out of the stream to land on the bank nearby. But although her arms traced arcs across the water so fast they could almost not be seen, not a single drop of water could be seen on her arms, or splashing out on the bank.

Ryoga studied her movements carefully, almost as if he could make them out. "You're moving so fast your hands aren't even getting wet!" he exclaimed. The old Amazon smiled as she finished her demonstration, and looked back at him.

"That is Son-in-Law's variation on the technique, Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken," she said. "This is the technique he used to beat you. Would you like to learn it?"

Ryoga stared at her intently. "Can you really teach it to me?"

"Perhaps... it depends on you. But I have not had a chance to see how fast you currently are. Would you care to give it a try?"

"Sure!" The Lost Boy clenched his fists, as he glared down into the waters of the stream. "If Ranma can do it, then I can do it!"

"We shall see, sonny boy, we shall see."

Ryoga crouched over the stream for a moment. Then his hands flashed out, as he tried to pull fish out of the stream as quickly as he could. His quickly realized it was much harder than he thought, as the fish began to dodge and evade him as he stirred up the water. He thought that he might be quick enough to catch them with a bit of effort, and started trying to anticipate where they would dodge. However, he was not fast enough to avoid having his hands get wet, and the water splashing up around him quickly soaked into his clothes as well.

This became all too clear, as in seconds, a small black pig was attempting to stick his hooves into the water, as fast as he could. Unable to grip the fish, which were now a good half of his size anyway, he could do nothing but just continue to spray up the water.

Cologne seemed to smile a little, although there was no humor in her voice. "Did you heat up some water like I said?" The pig nodded. "Then we'll try it again..."


	45. Cooking Up Trouble

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 45

"I hope this is okay." Akane looked nervous as she ladled out some of the stew into a bowl. She handed the bowl to Genma, and he sniffed at the stew, his expression a bit wary. It smelled good enough, but they had learned that with Akane's cooking it was not always that simple.

"It's my first try at cooking without Ukyo's help, so it may not be that good. I... uh... accidently added some horseradish sauce," Akane continued, her cheeks turning a bit pink. "It's a bit hot." The question was how hot.

"Not to worry Akane," Genma said, apparently putting his fears aside. "It's true you don't have that Kuonji girl along to help you, but you've been doing a lot better lately. That last dinner you prepared was fine, so I'm sure this'll be just as good..."

"Actually... I was kind of thinking it was a little bland last time, and tried to spice it up. I might have gone a bit overboard..." Akane's increasing discomfort was not a good sign, and Genma noticed. He eyed the bowl with trepidation.

"Don't worry 'bout it, Akane!" Ranma put in, as Akane handed the lanky girl another bowl of the stew. "I'm so hungry right now I'll eat anything. It's not like it'll be as bad as Pop's horrible cooking!"

The elder Saotome glared at him, a bit miffed, but somewhat relieved at the distraction. "It's not like you're any better, Ranma, your cooking stinks!"

"Yep, so who cares if it's any good or not? Ucchan's got us spoiled." Ranma said brightly. Akane gave her an uncertain smile, but it was obvious the other girl's words bothered her. She poured out a helping for herself in a third bowl, trying to look calm, while she waited for them to pass judgment. For their part, Ranma and Genma stared at each other as if waiting to see who would try it first.

Finally, as Akane started to pout and grumble under her breath, Ranma and Genma finally seemed to reach a decision. They would both try the stew at the same time. In unison, they picked up a spoonful, slowly and carefully lifted it to their mouths, and then finally tasted it.

Akane swallowed as they both froze in shock. There might have even been the sound of animals in the forest fleeing from the scent of fear and panic in the air. Genma burst out into a sweat as he swallowed, although Ranma merely turned green. Genma then leaped to his feet.

"Well, there's no time to waste dawdling around here!" He shouted. "We came here to train, and it's time we got serious about it!"

Ranma took a few moments to try and finish swallowing what was in her mouth, and coughed roughly. "Hey, whatcha on about now, Old Man? We have been training!"

"Not enough, obviously!" Genma grabbed Ranma's hand. "Come on, boy, I have neglected you long enough. Sparring with that girl will make you weak!"

"What?" Akane was more shocked than angered by the old man's words, although her eyes still narrowed dangerously. Before she could say anything further, though, he was charging out of the clearing, with Ranma in tow.

"Stop it, Pops! Yer gonna make Akane mad!" The girl's ponytail flew out behind her, as she tried to pull her hand away, but her protests were in vain. In seconds, they had disappeared from sight, and Akane was left alone at the campsite.

"Well..." Akane sighed deeply, looking down at the ground. "They didn't have to run away." She cautiously nibbled at the stew in her spoon, and grimaced deeply at the taste. "It's not THAT bad..." She forced herself to take another small bite, and then winced. "I was doing so well until I added the horseradish..."

"You coward!" Ranma called out, as her father pulled her through the brush. "What the hell were you thinkin'? Now Akane's gonna be mad at us for runnin' off!"

Genma finally decided he had put enough space between himself and the camp, and drew Ranma up beside him. "That was the worst thing I have ever tasted!" He complained. "That 'sister' of yours may be stubborn, but at least she can cook. We should have brought her along after all!"

"Oh, no! It was your idea ta leave Ucchan! You were tryin' to get me an Akane alone, weren't cha?"

"Well, at the very least you could learn more about your fiancee! I had no idea she was that bad a cook! How can a girl like that be that bad at cooking?"

Ranma snorted. "You didn't taste them cookies, Pops. Her stew ain't half bad compared to that."

"Well, I'm not going back there, boy, and I suggest you don't either. I need you strong, not laid out by food poisoning..."

"Stupid Old Man." Ranma bopped him on the head. "Considering some of the stuff you've fed me over the years, I'm used to it by now. And just what are we supposed ta eat?"

Genma took a look around, and Ranma's eyes widened in surprise as they spotted a stand of bamboo growing nearby. "You ain't serious, Pop!" she said. Genma just smiled and pulled out his canteen, pouring it over his head. A few seconds later, he waddled into the bamboo as a panda, and began munching on it.

"You moron," Ranma said gruffly. "And you wasted all that water, too. What am *I* gonna eat?"

The panda held up some bamboo, and his sign. "Want some?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't eat that." She scowled, as her stomach rumbled loudly. "Now if I go back to the camp, Akane's gonna be mad. She'll probably punch me."

"The bamboo's probably better," the panda's sign read.

"Idiot! I guess I ain't got no choice." Ranma turned and ran back the way she had come. "I'll just haveta face the tomboy, even if she is mad. That's all there is to it. It's not like I can run off and leave her all alone...

"At least I ain't a coward like you, Pop!" She called back at her father over her shoulder as she ran, but he just ignored her, continuing to munch on his bamboo.

* * *

Ryoga eased carefully between the trees, keeping his footsteps light. He could just see the rabbit he had spotted ahead of him, hopping warily forward as if it sensed him. He had been pursuing it for some time, and felt he was finally close enough to catch it if it tried to bolt. Still, if he could make it a few steps closer that would make his chances even better.

He still hadn't caught any fish despite all the practice for the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, and Cologne refused to share any of hers. The old mummy had told him to fend for himself, and then began cooking the fish she caught over the open fire. Ryoga smirked to himself. He had lived on his own his whole life, and had spent plenty of time hunting up food in the mountains. Old instincts served him well, and just as the rabbit spotted him and took off, Ryoga sprang after it.

If he had been paying attention to anything other than his pursuit of the rabbit, Ryoga might have noticed a female voice in the vicinity, muttering under her breath about "that baka Ranma." He might have heard her admonishing herself to stay calm, and not get angry that he left her. And he might have heard her voice get louder, as she started to pace around her camp, and thus expected something to happen. As it was, some part of his mind did recognize that it was Akane, but he was so intent on catching the rabbit that he ignored her for the moment.

Thus, just as he had gotten within an arm's length of the rabbit, and leaped to make a grab for it, he was momentarily distracted by a shout of "Ranma you jerk!" This was then followed by a loud crack, and the sound of wood splintering. As Ryoga turned towards the sound, he realized just an instant too late that a tree was falling towards him. He made an attempt to dodge, but didn't have time. The tree came down on his head, knocking him flat.

"Ryoga!" Akane stood staring at him, her fist still raised, frozen in place after her punch to the tree's trunk. She quickly shook off her surprise and ran to his side. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there! I'm sorry!"

She quickly pulled the tree off of him. It was only a small tree, not like the one Ranma had hidden out in earlier, but slender enough that her punch was able to bring it down. Akane just picked up the tree by its trunk and tossed it aside. Ryoga looked more stunned than hurt.

"What's going on?" Ryoga asked her. "Is Ranma here?" He looked around the camp, not seeing him, which confirmed his suspicions. "Did that jerk leave you out here on your own?"

"No, not really," Akane answered. She looked more concerned for Ryoga than for herself. "He and his father ran off for a moment, but I'm sure they'll be back. I, uh... I was just a little mad and was venting, that's all. But I'm sure he'll be back."

"Oh." Ryoga considered her for a moment. Then he looked away. "Well, I'm sure you don't want me around. I'll be leaving now..."

Akane put an arm around his shoulder. "Don't be silly! Come on, sit down. I was just making dinner." She frowned a bit. "Actually, that's kind of the reason Ranma and his father ran off, but I added a few things, and I hope I fixed it. I was just going to wait on them to come back and try it."

"Are you sure, Akane? I mean... after I... you know?"

The smile on Akane's face quickly faded, replaced by a momentary flash of fear and distress, but then her expression turned serious. "Well, Ryoga... If I'm going to trust you, then I'm just going to have to trust you. You've kept your promise not to come back to my home, and I appreciate that. So for now, just come on and sit down."

Ryoga seemed uncertain as well, but he followed Akane over to her camp, and sat down on a rock. Akane began to stir up the stew she had been working on. "You've been training with Cologne, haven't you?" she asked.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"Ranma and I ran into her, earlier. She seemed to be up to something." She looked up at Ryoga. "I know I said Ranma had been training with her, but I think she's trouble. If you want to train with her, that's fine, but... I hope you'll be careful."

"I've got to get better, Akane," Ryoga slammed his fist into his palm. "You saw what happened. Ranma just walked all over me. If I can't face him, I'll..."

Akane sighed, deeply, but changed the subject. "This was really bad, I accidently added some horseradish, but I think it might be a bit better now." She took a sip from the ladle, and then shuddered. "A little better..." She poured some out into a bowl for Ryoga, and handed to him. "I don't know what else to do, so go ahead and try it."

Ryoga studied the bowl for a moment. While he had not eaten that many meals at the Tendo home, he remembered Ranma's reaction to the curry, on that day he went on a date with Akane. And he had heard about the cookies. Akane had fed him a couple of morsels from time to time as P-chan. So he knew this was likely to be bad. However, this was Akane, and he wasn't about to let her down. Certainly not like that jerk Ranma.

He took a bite, and then waited for several seconds for his eyes to stop watering. Finally he plastered on the best fake grin he could, and told Akane, "It's absolutely delicious. I've never tasted anything so exquisite!"

Akane grinned widely, although she could see Ryoga straining to hold his smile, and his eyes had turned bloodshot. "Thank you, Ryoga! I was hoping that it was better. But you don't have to say it's all that good if it's not..." She began to serve herself some of the stew.

"No, no! It's the best you've ever made!" Ryoga said. He wasn't sure if that was a lie, he supposed it could be. He couldn't quite get the red tinge to leave his vision, though.

"Well, I'm glad you like it, anyway," Akane started to say, but suddenly Ranma came charging out of the trees. She marched up to her and snatched the bowl away.

"What are you doing, baka?" Akane yelled at the ponytailed girl, as she tasted the stew. She made a face, and spit it out. Akane grabbed the bowl back from her, scowling. "I didn't say you could have that!"

"It's awful, Akane!" Ranma yelled back. "Ryoga's just lyin', so you'll forgive him!"

"I am not!" Ryoga protested. "I wouldn't lie to Akane just to trick her into forgiving me!"

"Sure you would!"

"Ranma," Akane regarded the girl sternly. "Whether or not I forgive Ryoga for what he did has nothing to do with whether he compliments my cooking. It has nothing to do with that."

"He's just lyin' to ya, Akane! What did you do, add sugar to it to cut the taste of the horseradish?"

Akane blushed a bit, but didn't flinch. "Yes, and sesame oil."

"That's not the way to do it! And the horseradish wasn't even all that bad! It was the rest of it!"

"Well, if it was so bad, then who said you had to eat it?" Akane snarled back.

"Do ya want me to lie to ya, Akane, like Pig Boy here? Do ya want me to tell you it's good when it ain't?"

"Of course I don't want you to lie to me, Ranma, but at least Ryoga was trying to be considerate of my feelings! He at least cared how much WORK I put into it!"

"You want me to tell ya how hard you worked to make PIG SLOP, Akane? 'Cause you already know that!"

Akane clenched her teeth, about to yell back at her, when Ryoga's spoon hit Ranma on the cheek. She turned to glare at him, as he sat there with his hand up, from throwing the spoon.

"That's enough. You've insulted Akane for the last time, and I'm not going to put up with it."

"Stay out of this, Pig Boy," Ranma growled, as she got to her feet. Ryoga stood as well. "I still haven't paid you back for sleepin' with Akane and Sis."

"Ranma, stop it," Akane said, standing to grab Ranma's arm. "And you too, Ryoga. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but this is between Ranma and I. YOU said it tasted good, and that's all that counts."

"I'd listen to her," Ranma added. "I'd really like to kick your ass, but a martial artist doesn't bully the weak..."

"Yeah, well, at least I'm a MAN!" Ryoga shouted. He charged at Ranma, letting fly with a punch at Ranma's face, but it never reached her. She drew back, startled, as Ryoga's fist stopped in place, and then the boy toppled to the ground.

Cologne stood over him with her staff raised. "He's got a bit of a temper too, doesn't he?" She commented.

"Ryoga!" Akane ran forward, and knelt next to Ryoga, checking him over. Ranma scowled deeply as she watched her. Then she looked up at Cologne.

"You don't like to bully the weak, Son-in-Law?" Cologne regarded her with a smile. "Good. If it's a strong opponent you want, then Ryoga will be back in one week. Then you can have your fight. Do you agree?"

Ranma glanced down at Akane, still obviously upset by the way she was worrying over Ryoga. Then she waved a hand. "I could care less about that stupid Pig Boy. Keep your games, Old Ghoul. I've got a Dojo Destroyer to fight or somethin'." Akane glanced up at her, frowning at the implication that Ranma would be doing all the fighting, but said nothing.

"How about I make it more appealing, then?" Cologne's sly grin grew even wider. "If you beat the Hibiki boy, I will give you the Phoenix Pill. You don't have to marry my Shampoo or come back to China; all you have to do is win."

Ranma looked interested now. She bit her lip, as if considering it. Akane studied her expression for a moment, then looked at Cologne. "What if Ryoga wins?" She asked her.

Cologne shrugged. "There is no condition if Ryoga wins. I just feel like giving you a fair chance at the Phoenix Pill, considering that it has been such an inconvenience to Shield Sister. If you lose, though, you still have to marry Shampoo if you want to get the Phoenix Pill."

"There is another condition as well." Cologne's expression turned more serious, as both Ranma and Akane eyed her cautiously. "You must defeat Hibiki through your own skills and prowess alone. If Ryoga forfeits, or if you get any help from your friends," she glanced at Akane as she said this. "then you sacrifice the Phoenix Pill. You and you alone must be the one to defeat him."

"Okay, Old Ghoul, you gotta deal." Ranma looked unhappy, but nodded her agreement.

Cologne grabbed Ryoga by the back of his shirt, and started to hop out of the clearing. Akane stood up, though, and yelled, "Wait!" Then she ran to her tent and started to take it down.

"What are ya doin'?" Ranma asked her.

Akane had folded up her tent in a few seconds, and started stuffing it into her backpack. Then she gathered up her cooking supplies and some of the food. "I've got to look after Ryoga. If Cologne is going to be training him, then he might get hurt." Cologne had stopped to watch her, still holding the back of Ryoga's shirt, and Ryoga started to stir.

"Are you crazy, Akane?" Ranma asked. "How can you go with that Pig Boy, after what he did to you?"

"That's what this is for." Akane pulled her shinai out of the backpack, brandishing it for a moment before she packed it back up. Ranma considered asking why she had brought that along in the first place, but then decided against it. Akane finally finished her preparations, and pulled her backpack over her shoulders.

Ranma stepped in front of Akane, as she started to walk over to Ryoga. "I don't get it, Akane," she said, her voice serious. "How can you... care about him, after he slept in your bed?"

There was a moment of silence, while Akane stared into the other girl's eyes. Then she simply said, "That's none of your business. I'll decide when I'm ready to forgive Ryoga."

Ranma grabbed her shoulders, roughly. "You said you'd never forgive him! You said you couldn't forgive him for what he did!" Akane glanced past Ranma, spotting Ryoga looking at her. He swallowed, hard.

She returned her gaze to Ranma. "I said I couldn't forgive him for what he did to UKYO."

Ranma stared at her for a moment, confusion in her eyes. Then she shook her head. "Still... why? Why would you go with him?"

"Why do you and Ukyo keep forgiving Shampoo? What she did to you is just as bad as what Ryoga did to me..."

"That's different! I don't wanna go with Shampoo, but that Old Ghoul has the Phoenix Pill! Ryoga ain't got nothin' like that. Why would you wanna help him?"

"I told you why." Her lips thinned as she met Ranma's eyes with a challenge. "I'm no use to you anyway, since you can't eat my cooking. And you obviously don't need me to fight the Dojo Destroyer. Why should I stay here?"

"Now you're puttin' words in my mouth!" Ranma snapped back at her. "You know that's not what I mean!"

"I don't know WHAT you mean," Akane said, somewhat frustrated. "You're the one that wanted to break up with me, remember? Obviously Ryoga needs me more than you do."

Even as the words left her mouth, Akane realized they were a mistake. Her eyes widened, and she put her hands to her mouth. Ranma stared back at her, with a look of anguish that made Akane's heart stop in her chest. "I... I didn't mean to say that..." she muttered.

Ranma's eyes narrowed, however. "So... I guess it's my turn now. To believe in you." The girl looked Akane over, scowling. "I'm not sure I can, but... it don't matter anyway. Yer gonna do what you wanna do no matter what I say. You're uncute, you're stubborn, you never listen to me... an' I don't own you."

Akane did the best she could to recover her nerve, while trying to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. "That's right, Ranma. You don't own me. If I'm going trust you... then you're going to have to trust me, too."

She pushed past him, shrugging her pack more firmly onto her shoulders as she walked towards Cologne. The Amazon was watching her with interest, while Ryoga just stared, looking somehow frightened. As she continued, she heard Ranma's voice behind her. "Go on then. See if I care."

It took everything Akane had not to run back to him and beg for forgiveness. But she had too much pride for that. She looked up into Cologne's eyes, not sure what to make of her unreadable expression. "Fine then!" She shouted. She tried to sound as disinterested as Ranma, but to be honest, neither of them could really manage it.

She helped Ryoga onto his feet as she neared, and then supported him by putting his arm over her shoulders. They left the clearing, and walked for some time before Cologne broke the silence.

"So," the Amazon said, her voice still not revealing her thoughts. "Was that performance back there for my sake?"

Akane glanced up at her, surprised. Then she clenched her teeth. "I remember how Ranma got hurt learning the Chestnut Fist. I don't want to see Ryoga being toyed with, the same way."

"Son-in-Law did learn the Chestnut Fist, child," Cologne told her. "Just like I said he would."

* * *

The three soon reached Ryoga's campsite, and Akane set about putting up her tent, while Cologne continued Ryoga's training. She looked back at the Lost Boy, a worried expression on her face, as he crouched down over the stream. She could tell by the way the water began to spray up around him that he was training for the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. She turned back to her backpack for a moment, gathering up a few more things, including her shinai, to put in her tent.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the squeal of a pig, and Akane looked up. There, at the bank of the stream, was P-chan. For a moment, she felt the old delight at seeing him again, but then her face fell. Ryoga's head snapped around, as he suddenly remembered that she was there and watching, and their eyes met. Akane fought back tears, as she turned away.

Cologne poured a kettle of hot water over the pig, and he returned to his human form. Blushing, he set about getting back into his clothes. "Try it again," Cologne said. Ryoga spared a glance back at Akane, but then bent to his task again. He grabbed at a fish, and to his satisfaction, it dodged just as he expected, and he was able to pull it out of the water. He tossed it over his head, reaching for another, but found his hands wouldn't quite go where he wanted them to, at these speeds. He was able to catch a couple more fish, but missed most of them.

Then, his curse caught up with him, and he was again grunting and squealing with the effort, but accomplishing nothing. He looked up at Cologne, who poured the hot water over him again. He put back on his clothes, prepared to make another try.

Akane was standing there, though, her eyes averted while he dressed himself, blushing a bit. Once he was done, she put up a hand to stop him. "Hold on, Ryoga. This takes too long, since you have to change back and get dressed between each attempt. It's slowing you down. Why don't you try something different?"

Cologne eyed the girl with a wry smile, but Ryoga looked eager. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Akane thought for a moment, and then took Ryoga's hand. "Let's try this." She walked back over to their campfire. Cologne had finished her own meal, and the bones of the fish she had eaten were still scattered around on the ground. Akane gathered them up.

"Putting your hands in the fire is kind of like putting your hands in the water. All you have to do is move fast enough not to get burned. Do you think you can do that?"

Ryoga clenched a fist. "If Ranma can do it, then I can do it!"

Akane smiled at his confidence. She then tossed the fish bones into the fire. "See how many of them you can get out. Be careful, though. If you start burning your hands, stop."

"Sure, Akane!" Now excited at his chances, Ryoga knelt down next to the fire. His hands flashed out, and he grabbed at the charred bones. His arms became a blur, and Akane could see that he had achieved the speeds of the Chestnut Fist, if just barely.

However, the wild flailing of the Lost Boy's arms sent the fish bones flying in all directions, as well as quite a few of the coals from the fire. Ryoga and Akane frantically leaped to their feet, and started stamping out the coals, before they could start another fire in the clearing. They were able to prevent the potential disaster, and took a second to make sure none of the coals had escaped their notice.

Ryoga laughed, putting a hand behind his head. "Well, that didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped."

"It's okay, Ryoga," Akane answered, with a smile of her own. "I did exactly the same thing when I tried it."

She turned to Cologne. "Maybe Ryoga just isn't cut out for the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. Like me he's just... not as fast as Ukyo and Ryoga. We can achieve the speeds but... to do so we have to sacrifice aim and precision."

"That's very perceptive, child," Cologne said with a cackle. "All right. I had another technique in mind, but I wasn't sure I wanted to show it to you." Her gaze turned to Ryoga. "Are you willing to try this technique?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to defeat Ranma!" Ryoga answered.

"Good, good." She walked back over to the waterfall, where a huge boulder had fallen from the cliff above. It was just a bit shorter than Ryoga himself, and perfectly round. "I would like to see you shatter this boulder."

"Oh, is THAT all?" Ryoga cracked his knuckles. "And here I thought you were going to ask me to do something HARD."

Akane glanced at him, seemingly concerned, but Cologne smiled. "My, but you are confident."

"Yep, I am." Ryoga gave out a yell, and charged forward, his arm drawn back for a punch. He charged at the boulder, and then struck as he neared, crying out again as he put his full strength into the blow. His fist struck the hard stone, and Ryoga didn't even flinch at the impact. Stone chips went flying, and then a crack formed towards the top of the boulder. The crack split the boulder neatly in half, and then it fell into two pieces.

"A good attempt," Cologne said, her voice stern, "but I said SHATTER, you fool, not SPLIT! Weren't you listening to me?"

Ryoga's eyes widened. "You can't be serious. No one could do that..."

"Really? Then watch." Cologne stepped between the two halves of the boulder. Taking a moment to concentrate, she simply reached out with one withered hand, touching each half of the boulder with a single finger. She then folded her arms again and waited. The boulders began to crack, a spider web of fine cracks forming instead of a single large one, and then the clearing was rocked by a massive explosion.

Ryoga was thrown back by the blast. Akane, standing a bit further away, still put up a hand to shield herself from the rush of wind, which ruffled her short hair. She brought her arm down, staring in awe, at the cloud of dust that had risen where the boulders had stood. A shower of pebbles fell all around them.

The cloud cleared, and Cologne stood revealed at the center of the blast, unharmed. She was surrounded on all sides by rubble, all that remained of the two halves of the huge boulder.

"Behold. The Bakusai Tenketsu, or Breaking Point technique. This is a technique passed down through three thousand years of Amazon history. Would you like to learn it?"

Ryoga's brash bravado was gone, replaced by a desperate hope. "Yes, please! Could I use this technique to defeat Ranma?"

"Well, sonny boy, it depends on if you can learn it. It will likely be harder than the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. Are you still willing to try?"

"Yes, yes!" Akane grew increasingly fearful, at the look in Ryoga's eyes. If the Breaking Point did this to a rock, what would it do to Ranma? "I'll do anything!" Ryoga said. "Please, teach it to me!"

Akane went running to him, grabbing him by the arm. "Wait, Ryoga, please! If you use this technique on Ranma, you'll KILL him! You don't want to kill him, do you?"

Ryoga pulled his arm away. "This technique will allow me to defeat Ranma, and that's all I care about. I can't be worried about things like that."

"But you don't want to KILL him!" Akane folded her hands, gazing up at Ryoga, pleading with him. "You just want to defeat Ranma, show him you're the better martial artist! If you kill him, then he'll never know that you finally beat him!"

"Akane..." Ryoga stared into her brown eyes, worried. She was trembling, and he could see her desperation, almost as great as his own.

"Ryoga... you said that you wanted to make things right with me. That after you proved yourself to be the better man, you would try to forgive Ranma and Ukyo. Was that a lie?" Her expression turned hard. "Are you really trying to change, Ryoga... or are you just telling me what you think I want to hear?"

Ryoga swallowed. Then he looked at Cologne. "Can I just use this technique to like... break Ranma's arm or leg and not his whole body? Can I strike at just his arm?"

Cologne had a look of amusement on her face that had not wavered during the entire exchange. "I assure you, the Bakusai Tenketsu will have exactly the same effect on Son-In-Law's arm that it would have on his head..."

Akane looked at her, and breathed a shuddering sigh of relief. Then she stepped back, her eyes lowered. "Okay, Ryoga. If this is what you have to do, then..."

"This IS what I have to do, Akane," Ryoga said. "If the Bakusai Tenketsu allows me to counter Ranma's Chestnut Fist, then I have to take that chance."

* * *

Author's Notes:

It may seem out of character for Akane to want to beg for Ranma's forgiveness, but that's exactly what she does, in the manga version of the Dojo Destroyer arc. Of course, it's really all a trick by Ranma, but Akane falls so hard for it even Soun and Kasumi comment on how strange she's acting. Here, though, Akane doesn't actually beg Ranma to forgive her, she only THINKS about it. And it sets up her pleading for Ranma's life, later. So it's more an indication of how conflicted she is, in trying to stick with what she thinks is the right thing to do.


	46. Bakusai Tenketsu

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 46

Ranma leaped from treetop to treetop, letting his cursed form's awareness sense guide him towards his destination. His sister's body made the leaps effortlessly, Ucchan's advice and the Old Ghoul's training in the Cat Cafe making its movements second nature to him. No, HIS body, Ranma corrected himself, reminded of Akane's words to him the night of the fair. It was still hard not to think of this form as some other person, though, and not just because he was a girl. It was just so different the way he sensed things, the whole forest around him and even animals in it. It wasn't on the same level as Ucchan's abilities, he knew, and he really had to concentrate hard to maintain it, but it was still a new sensation to him.

At the moment, though, he was glad for the ability, as he didn't want to give his approach away to Cologne. Akane or Ryoga might not spot him coming, but he knew the Old Ghoul certainly would. So he was glad that he could feel the forest as he passed through it, keeping his progress almost undetectable. For a moment, he wondered if it would be different if he had been cursed with the body Ukyo had, the one that might have been his if he had fallen in that spring alone. Would he feel differently about it, thinking of it as closer to his own? Or would he not care about it, like it was some kind of illusion or something?

The ponytailed girl landed on the branch of a tree, pausing to make sure she still had not been detected. She was approaching a stream, and decided it was a likely place for Ryoga's camp. Sure enough, she spotted Akane down near the bank of the stream, washing a pot in the flowing water. Ranma grinned to herself. Found them. There was no sign that she had been spotted, so she figured that Cologne was not aware of her for now.

She quickly looked around to see if she could find Ryoga. It didn't take long; he was hanging from another tree on the other side of the camp. Ranma settled down in her tree to watch. Ryoga didn't look too comfortable. He was bound by ropes that tied one arm behind his back, and his legs up in a squatting position, although he was hanging in midair. He had one hand free, but that was bound as well, with cloth wrapped around his wrist to expose only a single finger.

A short distance away, several more ropes led to a large boulder which had been suspended in the air as well. Cologne stood on the branch of a tree nearby, holding back the boulder so it would swing towards Ryoga when she let it go. She did so, and Ryoga faced the onrushing mass of stone calmly. He held up his finger, ready to strike. With a battle cry, he poked at the stone with his finger just as it came near. As Ranma expected, his finger merely bent, not making any kind of impact, and then the boulder slammed into Ryoga.

The Lost Boy hung there, his body bent out of shape, almost molded to the stone by the force with which it hit him. He made a low moaning noise, more from frustration than pain, but Ranma could see from the bruises that he had been trying this technique and failing for a while. Akane glanced up at him, worried, but then she shook her head sadly and turned back to her own task.

"That was a pathetic attempt," Cologne commented. She leaped on top of the boulder. "How many times do I have to tell you? You must find the Breaking Point in the stone. That is the point you must strike."

Back at the stream, Akane turned to watch again, intent on Cologne's demonstration. From her perch on top of the stone, Cologne poked her finger into the boulder. A few chips went flying as the rock cracked where her claw-like nail touched it. A second later, the boulder exploded with a loud roar. Ryoga cried out as he was pelted with rocks, which slashed at his skin as they shot past him.

Cologne still hung next to Ryoga, hanging on to the ropes as she pointed at him with her staff. "Listen to me carefully. You must learn to see with your mind, not your eye. You must clear your mind of all other thoughts. Only then will you be able to find the Breaking Point."

Ryoga made a noise of acknowledgement, nodding his head, but then passed out. The Amazon Elder eyed him critically. "What a miserable fool."

She cut Ryoga down, and dragged him to the camp. Akane had already dried her hands, and quickly rushed to the Lost Boy's side. "Poor Ryoga," she said, cradling his head in her lap. Ranma felt her teeth grinding at Akane's obvious concern. She looked up at Cologne. "Do you really have to be this hard on him?"

"If he wants to learn the technique then yes, I do. Do you really think that martial arts training is all fun and games?"

"No, of course not!" Akane protested. She clenched a fist. "A martial artist has to be willing to suffer for the Art. But this just seems like too much..."

"It is necessary, child. You don't just build up the ability to poke holes in solid rock with normal training. Plus, he must learn to push himself beyond the limits of what he can do. That requires an incentive..."

She smiled at Akane. "You trained in the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. Even though you have not yet mastered it, you understand."

Akane was silent a moment. "Why didn't you use the fire technique to train him from the first? You knew about his curse, you know he can't stick his hands in water without changing. Why did you use Ranma's version of the Chestnut Fist training?"

Cologne chuckled good-naturedly. "I was testing the fool, of course. I wanted to see if he could adapt my training method to his own, like Son-in-Law did."

Her expression then turned critical again, and Akane blushed a bit under her gaze. "That is why you will never be a true martial artist, child; you will never be an Amazon Warrior, like my Shampoo." Akane's blush turned even deeper, and she huffed a bit at the accusation.

"You do not try to come up with new methods to train yourself. You keep using what you have been taught by others, even when it no longer applies, and do not even use the training you have been taught correctly. You are too stubborn to admit to failure, and too afraid to try new things. You give up too easily when you should keep fighting, and you push yourself too hard, when you should hold back."

Cologne smirked, expecting the Tendo girl to explode in outrage. But instead, Akane simply lowered her head, and nodded. "You're right. I've... I've botched my training terribly." Her voice broke a bit, but she clenched her fists, raising her eyes to meet Cologne's. The Elder was a bit taken aback by her determined expression.

"I didn't know any better. You know, I had completely forgotten I used to do balance training, until Ukyo found the old equipment my Father used to use. I didn't even know it was there. I was so bad at it; I would fall all the time, and Father said that a martial artist should never admit failure. I thought that meant that since I couldn't do it, I should avoid it. Training my strength, that was easy." She laughed a bit, self-consciously. "I always enjoyed breaking things."

"I didn't even realize how bad I was until Ucchan came along. The first thing she did was correct my katas. I had let mistakes creep into them, and... you know..." Her face turned beet red. "M-My body had changed since I learned them. Then she started working on my balance and speed, and... getting my routine to be more well-rounded. Not just jogging and breaking bricks all the time." She giggled, wiping away a tear.

That fire came back into her eyes. "I'm glad Ukyo and Ranma straightened me out, and I'm not going to make any excuses. I know I have a long way to go. But I'm not going to quit. I won't back down."

She looked down at Ryoga, then back up at Cologne again. "Why don't you train me? If you're so sure I can't learn, then let me prove you wrong."

Cologne grinned back at her, her amusement obvious, but there was a bit of respect in her eyes. "Why would I train you, the rival to my Shampoo? Why would I make you strong enough to beat her?"

"Just train me in the Bakusai Tenketsu, then." She glanced back down at Ryoga. "That way he can rest. I'll take a turn, and he can take a break."

The laughter that resulted from that suggestion was loud and long. "Are you serious, child? You would never be able to withstand this training."

"How will you know if you don't try me?"

Cologne's smile grew even wider at the challenge. She suddenly leaned forward, and poked Akane in the forearm with her staff. Akane let out an ear-splitting shriek, and fell onto her back. She rolled on the ground, screaming in agony for several moments, cradling her arm against her chest.

Despite herself, Ranma still almost jumped from her perch in the tree, and rushed to Akane's aid. Just as she was about to move, though, Akane's screams died out, and she sat up. The black haired tomboy clutched at her arm, shaking, and with tears running down her face. But she flexed her arm, testing it.

"My... my arm..." She swallowed. "It... it felt like you broke it. But... you didn't." She continued to clutch her arm to her side, gasping for breath.

"I figured the pain would be lesson enough, child. You would never survive the Bakusai Tenketsu training. You would break a bone, or suffer internal bleeding, at the very least. Continued training would smash your bones into splinters."

Akane's eyes widened as Cologne's words sank in. "But... Ryoga is able to withstand it..."

"He has lived a lifetime in the wilderness, with no one to protect him from dangers and falls. Likely, every bone in his body has been broken, at least once. And it has healed stronger than it was before the break."

Akane nodded. "Conditioning. I don't have that kind of training." Her voice held a note of dejected finality.

"Indeed, child. You have done a good job of toughening up your skin, with Shield Sister, but it goes no deeper than that. You will need to train for a long, long time before you are ready for techniques like the Bakusai Tenketsu.

"I do admire your drive." Cologne gave her a gentle smile, the first genuine smile since she had met the Tendo girl. "But you need to learn patience."

Ryoga stirred, and Cologne dragged him off to continue his training, while Akane returned to her washing. Ranma sat in the tree, though, fuming. That Old Ghoul really was something else. Hurting Akane like that. She wondered for a moment if Cologne had known Ranma was watching, but finally decided she didn't. The conversation with Akane seemed pretty private, not the kind of thing she'd say if she knew there were eavesdroppers.

Ranma found his anger growing towards Akane, too. So, was that what the tomboy was up to? Looking for more training? His training wasn't good enough for her, so she had to go ask the Old Ghoul to train her instead! What was that stupid girl thinking? It wasn't like he didn't WANT to train her. He knew she wanted him to push her harder, but was THAT what he was supposed to do? Smash her into boulders and break her arms? Didn't she realize he couldn't DO that?

"Stupid Akane." Ranma muttered to herself. "Stupid Akane." She jumped out of her tree, heading away from the campsite as quickly as she could. She'd had enough of seeing Akane worrying over that pig Ryoga like that. "Let her learn the stupid technique," she said to herself. "an' Pork Butt too. She'll still never be as good as me..."

* * *

Ukyo walked along the market street, taking a moment to check her grocery list. With Ranma, Akane and Genma off training in the mountains, she had decided to give Kasumi a little vacation as well, offering to cook for the family for the week. With the two heaviest eaters in the family gone, she had a lot of extra money to spend for food. Even Akane had started to develop an appetite much greater than her sisters and father, although Ukyo didn't think anyone but Kasumi had noticed.

This left herself as the one for whom she would be making the most amount of food, and so Ukyo had decided this would be the perfect opportunity to sharpen her cooking skills, and add a little excitement to the Tendo diet. Her list included a few very expensive items which would not cost too much, but would give her the chance to stretch her culinary legs, so to speak. Kasumi had become quite excited to hear about her plans as well, and had offered to help so she could get the chance to watch Ukyo's techniques. Ukyo had agreed, as long as Kasumi agreed only to help, and to remember that the plan was to give her a chance to rest.

She considered for a moment inviting Dr. Tofu over for a meal. After helping Ranma and Akane to get so close, Ukyo was eager to see her friend Kasumi find happiness as well. He had responded well to her efforts in his office, when Kasumi had called him on the phone. But somehow she doubted braining him with a kettle every time he acted goofy would help him deal with his nervousness around Kasumi. Maybe an idea would come to her.

As she was picking up an item at one of the vendor stalls, she heard a bubbly female voice call out behind her. "Nihao! Airen!" Ukyo groaned, as an over endowed Amazon with purple hair wrapped her arms tightly around her from behind. "Shampoo so happy to see Airen!"

Ukyo regarded the other girl evenly, and Shampoo blinked her lavender eyes. "It's me, Shampoo. Ukyo. Ranma's out of town for the week, so I'm staying in my normal form."

"Aiyah!" Shampoo quickly let her go. "Shampoo sorry. Shampoo not mean to... Shampoo not realize Shield Sister was..." She blinked again, and then giggled nervously. "Shampoo not realize Shampoo groping Shield Sister's goodies. How embarrassing..."

"Yeah, yeah." Ukyo looked around, but saw no sign of Shampoo's bicycle. "Are you on a delivery?"

"No, Shampoo not do deliveries today! Cat Cafe open half day, Great Grandmother off training in mountains." She held up a list of items. "Shampoo buy food for Cafe, do cooking when open."

"Sounds like quite a job for one person to do. You say Cologne is out of town too?"

"Yes." Shampoo nodded, and then lowered her eyes. She hesitated a moment, as if admitting to something. "Shampoo meet Lost Boy. Find out about Lost Boy curse. Lost Boy staying with Shield Sister as P-chan, yes?"

Ukyo's cheeks turned red as she blushed, laughing nervously. "Yeah. Sorry about putting him in bed with you like that. I did say that if you knew, you'd be more upset about what I did..."

"That okay..." Shampoo studied the other girl's face carefully, obviously noticing her blush. "Shield Sister like Pig Boy, yes?"

Ukyo's eyes widened, and she hid her face in her hands, her blush growing deeper. "N-No! No, I don't... love him. And besides, he HATES me. He blames me for cursing him, and telling Ranchan about his curse was probably the last straw. He probably never wants to see me again."

Shampoo smiled a bit. "But maybe Shield Sister still like a little bit, hm? Want help Lost Boy?" She put a gentle hand on Ukyo's shoulder, her smile fading as she became more serious. "Pig sleep with Shield Sister, yes? Snuggle with Shield Sister in bed?"

Ukyo couldn't meet her eyes. "I... It wasn't like that. I wanted him to have a nice home. I wanted to take care of him. I didn't want to sleep with him but... I kind of had to, so Akane wouldn't find out." She swallowed. "He was in pig form the whole time. He didn't dare do anything, I know it..."

"Mans is stupid." Shampoo said, the smile returning. "Pig Boy good strong man, but very dumb head. Blood come out of nose. Not know what do with strong Amazon woman."

To her surprise, Ukyo found herself giggling. "Yeah... Ryoga is a baka, that's for sure. And a jackass."

"Shampoo think Angry Girl punish Pig Boy jackass good, though. Give good beating, kick out of house." She laughed.

The two girls laughed for a moment, and then Shampoo turned serious again. "Shampoo sorry, Instant Nanniichuan trick. Not think Shield Sister get mad, being stuck as round red hair girl. Shampoo not think."

Ukyo frowned as well. "Yeah, well, it has been a hassle for me. Although I suppose with Ranchan out of town I've got a bit of a break from it. I've been able to go to school as me for a change..."

"Shampoo very sorry. Shampoo thought good plan, would offer Airen lots of Instant Nanniichuan, not have use hot water. All Shampoo want is date for packet. Shampoo swear."

"I suppose it was a nice offer." Ukyo sighed. "All things considered. Still, I don't think you understand what it's like. Imagine if you were stuck as a cat all the time, unable to change back."

Shampoo hung her head. "Shield Sister right. Shampoo not think." She raised her head, smiling hopefully. "Maybe Shampoo talk to Great Grandmother, say been enough time. Give Phoenix Pill, try something else."

"I would appreciate that, Shampoo." She paused a moment. "So, is Ryoga training with Cologne? I expect she could teach him the Chestnut Fist."

Shampoo nodded. "Maybe Airen meet with Great Grandmother and Lost Boy in mountains? Shield Sister think?"

"Probably. I wouldn't put it past her." She frowned for a moment. "Still, nothing I can do anything about here..."

"Airen train alone? With panda father?"

Ukyo stared at her for a moment, obviously unwilling to answer. But, she decided, Shampoo would probably find out anyway. "Ranma and Akane went to train for a Dojo Destroyer that's coming to challenge the dojo next week."

Shampoo's brow creased in a scowl of fury that would have given Akane a run for her money. "Airen with Pervert Girl? All alone?"

"Ranchan's Old Man is along, but yes, other than that they're all alone."

Shampoo tapped her foot impatiently, then pursed her lips as she met Ukyo's glare. "Still, as Shield Sister say, nothing can do about here. Pervert Girl make first kiss with Airen, but too, too scared, still only play with Airen. Shampoo get Airen, Shampoo not play."

She raised an eyebrow as she regarded Ukyo. "Know Pervert Girl kiss Airen?"

"Yeah... I was aware of it." She didn't smile. "Ranma and Akane are both uncomfortable with that. I don't think you have to worry about anything happening while they're away."

"Pervert Girl should hope so. Obstacle is for killing."

"Watch that, Shampoo," Ukyo said, her voice harsh. "I don't take kindly to threats to my friends."

Shampoo held her stare for a moment, and then her expression softened. "Shampoo sorry. Pervert Girl get first move, but battle not over. Shampoo not defeated yet. No need for Kiss of Death. Shampoo swear it."

Ukyo relaxed a little. "I hope so, because I've already told you. I don't want to hurt you, and I don't think you want to hurt me. But if you keep this up, someone WILL get hurt. And that'll mean the end of our friendship."

The Amazon stared at the ground, pouting. "Shampoo no want that. Shampoo think, bring pig back, make friends with Shield Sister again. Maybe even friends with Angry Girl Akane. But pig turn out to be Pig Boy so Shampoo think Shield Sister not want back. But Shampoo very sorry."

She looked up, her mood brightening. "But Shampoo ask Great Grandmother, and Great Grandmother say, maybe hire Shield Sister for week? Split profit, much better deal than Airen. Since Airen and Akane away, maybe like spend time with Shampoo?"

Ukyo studied the purple haired girl for a moment. The hope in her eyes was clear, and it didn't seem like an act. And it was hard not to feel sorry for Shampoo, having to run a whole restaurant on her own for a whole week. There were subtle signs in the girl's face that she had been working pretty hard, faint circles under her eyes that hinted she had not been getting a lot of sleep, and a few lines formed by stress and fatigue. Reluctantly, she nodded her head.

"Sure thing, Shampoo. But how about I do the cooking? I was just thinking I could use to get back to it, and I'm sure YOU really bring in the customers as a waitress." Ukyo smiled at her.

The Amazon smiled back. "Shield Sister bring in customers too. Still many customers ask, 'Where pretty girl was waitress?' They like Shield Sister, even though was Airen."

"Really?" Ukyo's eyes started to sparkle, and Shampoo giggled at her reaction. "They think I'm pretty?"

Shampoo giggled even harder, as Ukyo blushed and started digging her toe into the ground. She put her arm around the other girl. "Shield Sister very cute! Even Shampoo think so! We finish shopping, open Cafe, yes? Can Shield Sister work many hours today?"

"Just as long as I'm in time to get home and prepare dinner. I did promise..."

The two girls quickly finished up their shopping, and headed back to the Tendo home to let Kasumi know of Ukyo's plans, and drop off the dinner supplies. As they came up on an intersection and waited for the light to change, Ukyo noticed a large man walking on the cross street. He was huge, towering over the other people, and it looked like he even had to duck to get under the traffic light. What drew Ukyo's attention, though, was that he wore a number of wooden signs, slung together like chains, all over his body.

Ukyo frowned as she studied the signs closer. "Those are dojo signs. That must be the Dojo Destroyer."

"Dojo Destroyer? That Airen training to fight?"

"Yeah. He took our sign." She raced out into the intersection, in pursuit of the huge man. "Hey you! Big guy! Give me back our dojo sign!"

The man slowly turned, to face this small, slender martial artist who had confronted him. He said nothing, as Ukyo looked him over. She raced around behind him, checking all of the signs he was carrying, but could not find the Tendo Dojo's sign. "Where is our sign?" She asked, as she faced him again. "Where have you hidden it?"

"Hidden?" The man didn't seem very bright, and obviously spoke as little as possible. "Which sign?"

"The Tendo Dojo. Tendo. You took our sign. I want it back." She didn't outwardly appear to settle into a stance, but the challenge in her eyes was clear.

The man was silent for a long moment. Then he looked over his signs. "No Tendo. Not been to Tendo Dojo."

"You took our sign!" Ukyo pointed at him. "Maybe you forgot. It might not have been much of a fight. Two guys, one tall and brown haired with a mustache, one shorter and balding."

"Stupid bald one turn into panda..." Shampoo added. She had stood to one side, not wanting to interfere in Ukyo's fight, but apparently wanted to help.

There was then another long silence as the Dojo Destroyer thought. "Not been to Tendo Dojo," he repeated. "Don't have sign."

Ukyo fell into a more obvious stance, clenching her fists. "Very well then. I'll challenge you right here and now, if you don't remember."

The big man held up his hand. "No challenge. Only fight for dojo signs." He turned and walked off.

"Hey. HEY!" Ukyo tried to call after him, but she was ignored. Shampoo walked over to stand next to her.

"Dojo Destroyer very big. Hard to fight. Stand up to beatings."

"Yeah, but what really bothers me is that he doesn't have the sign. I was actually pretty sure the Old Man and Akane's dad made this whole thing up, to get the two of them alone. When I saw him, I thought they might be telling the truth. But maybe they were lying after all."

"So Destroyer not have Tendo sign?"

"Maybe not. Let's get back to the house and drop off these supplies. Then I want to check on some things, but I'll meet you at the Cat Cafe after I get done. How about I show up at one o'clock, that okay?"

Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo going to open at noon for lunch rush, but can hold out 'till one. Close at six?"

"Make it seven. We'll catch a few dinner customers, and I can still get home in time to make a late supper for the Tendos."

* * *

Back at the Saotome camp, Ranma had finished telling Genma about what she had seen of Cologne's demonstration. "So," Genma muttered sagely. "The secret Breaking Point technique..."

Ranma looked surprised. "You know about it, Pop?" Although she knew there was a good possibility her father was just making stuff up, he had occasionally offered useful advice.

Genma stood, in his usual pose for lecturing. "All things, Ranma, whether rocks, trees, or people, have a Breaking Point. A single weak spot, a vulnerability that can cause them to be obliterated with the touch of a finger. It is just a matter of finding that point..."

The seriousness of the situation began to sink in. "So you mean, anyone could be... blown to bits, like that rock... just by hitting the right spot? That's... that's... Why haven't you mentioned this before?"

"Because, boy, it's FINDING that spot that is the hard part! If anyone could do it, then it would be easy! Obviously, Cologne knows the technique to find this spot, and is teaching it to the Hibiki boy."

Ranma thought about it for a moment. "Well... Ryoga has to touch me to use the technique. So if I just avoid letting him touch me, he can't hurt me."

"That's right," Ranma looked up, and blinked as her father pulled a beekeeper's mask over his face. Where in the world had he gotten that? "But do you really think you're fast enough to dodge the Breaking Point? Why don't we see?"

In addition to the mask, Genma had also produced a net from somewhere. He proceeded to use it to whack a beehive, which was hanging from a tree over his head. He then caught it in the net, and tossed it at Ranma's feet. "If you can knock out all the bees before they sting you, then you'll be fast enough to avoid the Breaking Point."

"Pops!" Ranma panicked for a moment, but her reflexes were already automatically reacting to the bees, swatting them away with the speed of the Chestnut Fist. As the swarm grew larger and larger around her, though, more and more of the bees started getting close to her. The occasional one would slip past and sting her. Eventually, Ranma began running around trying to escape the bees, but that only infuriated them more.

When the cloud of bees finally dissipated, Ranma lay on the ground twitching, her face covered with welts. "Okay, we'll try again," said Genma.

"Stupid Old Man..." Ranma muttered under her breath.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Merry Christmas! This chapter isn't really late, just delayed. :) Since everyone is probably busy for the holidays, I decided to wait until today to post. Next chapter will be posted a week from Wednesday, just to slow down the pace a bit. Then I'll pick back up again posting on Thursdays, as long as I can, from there on.

I hope the folks who have been unsure of Akane's progress like this chapter. This should clarify where her newfound skill is coming from, and that she's better, but not that much better. The next will bring even more revelations.


	47. Harsh Training

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 47

Ryoga opened his eyes, blinking at the sunlight filtering through his eyelids. His whole body felt sore, and even his eyes seemed sensitive to the light. But he painfully sat up, trying to take stock of his surroundings.

He was back in the camp, apparently after passing out again, during his training. Cologne was sitting on a rock nearby, watching him. "Would you like to get something to eat, sonny boy," the Amazon Elder asked, "or get back to training?"

Ryoga scowled at the implied criticism in her voice, as if she expected him to not want to continue. That only increased his burning drive to learn this technique, to defeat Ranma with it, and prove once and for all that he was the better martial artist. He struggled to his feet, but was a bit reassured to note it wasn't quite as painful as it had been after his earlier attempts.

"I'm ready, you old mummy," Ryoga snapped. "You just get me back to that training, and I'll..."

His voice trailed off as he realized Akane was nowhere to be seen. They were in the camp, she should have been there, taking care of the food or just looking after their campsite. Had she gotten tired of him so soon? Shaking off that thought, he looked around, to make sure he hadn't just missed her.

"Where is Akane?" He asked, growing worried. What if she had gotten lost?

"Oh, that girl," Cologne muttered, seemingly irritated. "She's probably gone back to Son-in-Law."

Ryoga looked around again, and then shook his head. "No, her tent is still here. You don't know where she is?"

"She wasn't here when I brought you back to camp. I'm sure she has just gone to wash up or take care of personal business."

"No, no, she would have been back by now. We have to go look for her."

Cologne chuckled a bit. "You're wasting time. If you want to train for the Bakusai Tenketsu, you can't waste time worrying about that girl."

Ryoga met her eyes, scowling, his fangs making the gesture just that much more threatening. "I'm not going to do any more training until I know Akane is safe! I'm not going to leave her in these woods all alone!"

"Very well." The old Amazon didn't exactly sound dismissive, but she did grin knowingly. "We'll search for her if it's that important. I warn you, though; you must keep your mind clear if you are to find the Breaking Point. If you let the Tendo girl distract you, you will never master the technique."

"Then we better find her," Ryoga countered, "So I can get back to training."

Ryoga led the way, as they headed into the forest to look for Akane. Ryoga didn't worry about getting lost, as he had no idea where Akane had gone anyway. He noticed a few signs of Akane's passage along the trails in the forest, though, and Cologne pointed out a few he had missed. And, of course, she interceded a few times when his lack of direction sense tried to send him off on the wrong path. All in all, though, he was usually better at tracking a target than finding the way himself.

The path Akane had taken led them through a rugged section of the mountains, where the path wound up and down across rocky terrain. The whole area was heavily forested, but the bare rocks made for tough going. Ryoga found himself worried; this was the perfect place to twist an ankle or break a leg, and someone alone in a place like this wouldn't have any help. He wondered if that was what happened to Akane. Did she get hurt and leave herself stranded?

Finally, they came to a clearing, much like the one at their campsite. There was clear evidence of Akane's presence. Several boulders were scattered around in the clearing, and most of them had massive craters chipped out of their sides. Some of the smaller ones had even been split in half. Ryoga wondered if Akane had gotten angry or frustrated at being lost, but then realized Akane had been practicing. She had been punching the boulders, to test her strength.

Cologne was studying one of the impacts, appraising the amount of damage Akane had done, when Ryoga heard a voice. It was Akane, crying out. "Ranma! Ryoga! Help!" He could hear in her voice that she was embarrassed, but growing increasingly desperate. Plus, he could hear just a hint of fear. "Ranma? Ryoga? Cologne? Is anyone there?"

"Akane!" Ryoga called back.

She immediately answered. "Ryoga! You came for me!"

"Of course, Akane! Where are you?"

"I fell off a cliff just outside of that clearing. Can you follow my voice?"

"I think so." Ryoga made his way over some rocks, some of which bore evidence of Akane's attempts to use them for practice, until he came to a sharp drop-off. He looked over the edge to see Akane lying on the ground below. There was a huge crater near her, a pit blasted out of the solid rock of the ledge she had landed on. He could even see bits of rubble in the bottom of it. Ryoga was a bit confused. That couldn't have been formed by Akane hitting the ground, could it? Maybe she pushed a boulder over the edge first, for some reason, and then tripped herself?

Akane looked up at him, and he could see the relief in her brown eyes as she spotted him. "I fell, and I've broken my arm. I can't climb back up." Her expression turned pained. "I'm sorry, Ryoga. I'm just being a burden to you."

"Don't say that." Ryoga prepared himself, and then leaped off the cliff edge to join Akane down below. He landed with a thump, and grunted a bit at the pain from his already sore body. But it was not that far a drop, maybe fifteen or twenty feet, so he made it easily. Akane was sitting on the ground, leaning back against the cliff face, cradling her right arm against her lap. Ryoga could see dried tear tracks on her face, but he was sure most of that was from the pain.

Cologne poked her head over the cliff top, looking down at the two of them. Ryoga ignored her, as he gathered up Akane in his arms. Akane blushed deeply, her whole face turning red, and Ryoga could tell from her posture that she was uncomfortable being held by him. But she wrapped her good arm around his neck, and swallowed, nodding to him as she gathered her courage. "Go ahead," she said.

Ryoga leaped back up to the top of the cliff, as easily as he had hopped down. He set Akane back on her feet, and she smiled at him gratefully. Then she cradled her right arm in her other hand. "I guess I'll need to make a sling or something."

The Amazon Elder studied her for a moment. "You tried the Bakusai Tenketsu, didn't you? You jumped off the cliff intentionally, to see if you could shatter the ground as you struck it."

Akane turned even redder. She stared at her feet for a moment, and reluctantly nodded. Ryoga's mouth fell open, stunned by this admission.

"I told you that you would break your arm, child. You should have listened to me."

"I had to try it. I... I couldn't just take your word for it. I'm..." She paused, and then swallowed. "I'm sorry."

"It was a good attempt, child." Cologne patted her shoulder. "But incredibly, incredibly foolish." She walked away, cackling to herself.

* * *

Ranma continued her training, outwardly appearing calm and focused. She batted the bees away, evading the swarm even as it buzzed around her. But on the inside, her mind was in a turmoil, images of Akane holding Ryoga's head in her lap taunting and torturing her. She channeled her anguish into anger, and her anger into speed and strength, pushing her body beyond even the boundaries that it had previously broken. Her Chestnut Fist was getting faster, and faster, she could feel it, with every bee that slapped into her palm, and hit the ground. And her anger continued to grow, with every one that got past, and stung her.

"Stupid Akane," she muttered. She wouldn't back down, not from these bees, not from that uncute tomboy, and definitely not from that pig. Despite the pain, she held her ground, continuing to strike. Her movements were almost instinctive, though, too much of her thoughts caught up in thinking of Akane. She did the best she could to keep from having to think, to concentrate only on speed, and precision, and the incessant stinging of the bees. But it really didn't help distract her at all.

Could she really care about Ryoga? Akane had said that she didn't love Ryoga, that she didn't return his feelings. But did finding out he was really P-chan change that, somehow? Had she grown so fond of her pet that she liked him as Ryoga now? Couldn't she see how he had misled them, both of them? All that stuff with Shampoo the first time she appeared, and then the Golden Pair, and Charlotte? He had been so smug when Ranma got kissed by Sanzenin. If Sis hadn't gone out there to protect his secret, Sanzenin wouldn't have been hitting on her, and he wouldn't have been caught off guard! It was all the pig's fault!

And Akane. He tried not to think about what it must have been like for that pig to sleep with her. But he had sure seen him snuggle up against her chest often enough. And Akane had said he was just a little pig, that didn't know any better. Ranma snorted. Ryoga knew exactly what he was doing. He wondered how long it had taken him to start begging to be put in her bed, to trick her into asking for him. And Ucchan, too, she knew what he was, but how often did he snuggle up against her? What kind of man was he, to be biting and snarling at Ukyo one minute, and then sleeping in her bed the next?

Another image of Ryoga and Akane came to his mind, this time from their "date". It now made sense, P-chan trying to attack him the moment he was about to tell Akane about Ryoga's feelings for her. And P-chan trying to save her from drowning, too. The stupid pig, Ranma had SAVED him! The moron had jumped in the water, knowing about his curse, and almost drowned Akane, and himself, because he was too much a coward to tell the truth. And Ranma had to be the one to pull them BOTH out of the lake!

"Stupid Akane. Stupid Akane. Stupid Akane!" He began to yell it, almost like a mantra, as images of her cradling Ryoga's unconscious body flashed across his mind. And what if she got hurt like that? What if she started to train in the Bakusai Tenketsu, like she wanted? What would happen to Akane then?

His mind shot him an image of Ryoga, holding Akane's bruised and broken body in his lap, and Ranma's fury doubled in its intensity. "Stupid, stupid!" How could she ask him to leave her alone with that pig, when ANYTHING could be happening? How could he trust Ryoga to keep his perverted hands off of her? How could Akane put her trust in that jerk to protect her, when that was HIS job?

"STUPID AKANE!" She slammed her hand down, driving the last of the bees into the ground, and then stood, breathing hard. She put her hand to her face, and felt wetness there. It was just a few tears, just a couple, no more. It was from the bee stings, it couldn't be anything else. Damn female body. That's all it was, just this damn girl body getting all teary-eyed for no reason.

Another flash, of Ryoga's words, "At least I'm a MAN!" Was that it? Ranma felt despair creeping up, and again fought back tears. That made him angry, at his weakness... his weakness as a girl. Was Pops right, all along? He'd never had trouble concentrating like this before. If it hadn't been for his female body, he'd have cleaned Ryoga's clock long ago, and sent him packing. He wouldn't be training now, for a battle to get his male body back. The Old Ghoul wouldn't have any hold over him, and neither would Ryoga.

And Akane... she said she wasn't bothered by it, but she was, wasn't she? Why wouldn't she want a man, like Ryoga, instead of a half girl, like...?

Ranma walked back over to the campsite, her teeth grinding, unable to hold herself back from clenching and unclenching her fists. Her mood only grew more sour as she realized her father was no longer there. She glanced quickly around, but there was no sign of him in their tent. Finally, she walked over to the campfire, where Genma had been cooking their meal. He had apparently decided to eat without Ranma, because about half of it was gone.

Near the pot, still simmering on the fire, Ranma found a note. "I've gone back to the Tendos," it read. "I'm tired of eating this awful food, and I'm really starting to miss Kasumi's cooking. Keep training, and I'll expect you back once you have beaten that Hibiki boy and gotten the Phoenix Pill. P.S., That stew is the last of our food, but it should last you a few days if you ration it. But you really should try to learn to withstand Akane's cooking. As her fiance', it is your responsibility."

"Stupid Old Man," Ranma grunted. She tasted the stew, and then grimaced. "It's your own cookin' that's so awful. And the only reason you're goin' back to the Tendos is you're too greedy to starve your fat belly."

Ranma picked up her father's net, and stomped off into the forest in search of more beehives. She didn't bother with the beekeeper's mask, as she already felt mad enough that a whole nest of hornets couldn't compete with her for wrath. At least now she had something else to be angry about. Cursing her father, she continued on in search of more stinging insects on which to vent.

* * *

Ukyo hurried home after taking off from school, knowing that she only had a little time to get over to the Cat Cafe and help Shampoo open for the day. Before she could even get in the door, though, she was suddenly confronted by an intense Soun Tendo. Ukyo drew back, not overly surprised by the man's ridiculously emotional attitude, but a bit irritated by the way he was shoving his face into hers. His expression was stern, but she could see he was on the verge of hysterics, his desperation, as well as his tears, all too clear.

"A Dojo Destroyer! A Dojo Destroyer has challenged the dojo!"

"Um... yeah, I know about it," Ukyo said uncertainly.

"He's challenged us for our sign! We've got to get Ranma and Akane here, right now!"

Ukyo smirked a bit, although she could tell Soun wasn't just joking around. "I swear we've had this conversation before..."

"That's not what I mean!" Soun yelled. He handed Ukyo a letter, and she read it. "I will be back in one day," she read. "Have your dojo sign ready, if you value your honor."

"What's he doing here so soon?" Ukyo sighed, shaking her head. "I thought you said he was giving us two weeks."

"Um... uh..." Despite being barely in control of himself, Soun obviously realized he was being caught in a lie. "I don't know, but he came back today. He insisted on challenging Ranma and Akane today, but when I told them they weren't here, he said he would give us one day."

Ukyo decided to drop the charade. "What you mean is, he never took the Tendo Dojo sign in the first place, and when I told him about it yesterday, he came by to see who was stealing dojo signs in his name. When you wouldn't tell him where the sign was, he challenged you for it, and said he would be back tomorrow for the match."

Soun chuckled sheepishly, and looked at the floor. "Uh, well, yeah..."

"Where is the sign?" Ukyo studied him a moment, then dismissed the thought. "Never mind. At least it's safe from him for now. Tell you what, I've been taking half days to help Shampoo with the Cat Cafe, I'll just take tomorrow off. I'll face his challenge, and send him on his way."

"You can't defend the Tendo Dojo!" Soun protested. "I would trust one of my daughters to defend the dojo, of course, but you're just a gir... I mean, you're not a Tendo."

Ukyo's eyes narrowed. "Okay then, so why don't YOU just take him up on his challenge? You are a MAN, after all, and a Tendo..."

Once again, Soun laughed uncomfortably. "Um... but it's Ranma and Akane's duty to defend the dojo, since they are the heirs to the schools of Anything Goes!"

"Meaning, you saw how big the Dojo Destroyer was, and chickened out instantly." Ukyo laughed good naturedly. When Soun tried to protest, she put up a hand. "Look, we can't wait for Ranma and Akane to get back. And it's your fault they're off training anyway. So like it or not, you're just going to have to count on me to take care of this."

Soun looked uncertain. "Are you sure you can beat him? If you need my help, I'll..."

Ukyo cut him off. "I got a good look at him yesterday, and while he's tough, yes, I think I can take him. I may be a girl, but I trained alongside Ranma, and there's nothing he knows that I don't know. If nothing else, the sign is still hidden. Maybe we can stall him until Ranchan gets back."

Soun had the good sense to look apologetic about the "just a girl" crack. Ukyo stopped and thought for a moment. Then she glanced around at the genkan, and the hallway beyond. "What weapons do you have? I don't notice a lot on display, but I'm guessing you must have a few."

"Most of that has been put up in storage. The Tendo School doesn't use a lot of weapons, though."

"Tell me about it," Ukyo scowled, but she quickly returned to business. "Get all that stuff, and all of your training equipment as well, and put it in the dojo. You never know what might come in handy. I've got to get to the Cat Cafe, but once I get off work, I'll practice for a few hours and see what you've got for me to work with. I guess I'll see if Shampoo can loan me some of her weapons while I'm at it."

She paused a moment, as she remembered some of her recent training with Akane. "And leave what's already there in the dojo." With that, she finished pulling off her shoes, and elbowed past Soun. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go upstairs and get changed. And I'd like to get a few minutes to rest up before I have to go rushing off again..."

* * *

Night began to fall over the mountains, and Cologne and Ryoga returned to the campsite. Cologne quickly prepared her meal, of more fish, which she had caught from the stream. She retired to her tent for the night, while Akane and Ryoga sat by the campfire, for their meal of Akane's stew.

Ryoga again declared her cooking delicious, but Akane noted that he didn't seem to be as distraught about it this time, and took that as a good sign. "Thank you, Ryoga", she said. "I tried not to make any mistakes this time. As long as it's better, that's all I care about."

"Well, it's wonderful," Ryoga said, and Akane smiled. "You're definitely getting better." There was an awkward silence as Akane poured some of the stew into a bowl of her own, and then Ryoga spoke up again.

"You know... I caught a couple of fish, before, when I was practicing for the Chestnut Fist. A little while ago, I tried again, just to catch a few more. If you'd like, I can cook them up for you."

"That's very sweet of you, Ryoga, but that's okay. I made this stew, and I want to try it, too."

"Well, it's just..." Ryoga interrupted, his voice a bit too loud. "I mean, this stew is SO good, I want to eat it all myself!" He gave her a huge grin.

Akane's smile faltered a bit, but then she looked down, and shook her head. "Ryoga, you don't have to pretend for me. I know my cooking is bad, and you don't have to try to keep me from tasting it." She looked up and met his eyes. "I tasted it while I was cooking it, you know. So I know it's not as good as you say."

Ryoga fiddled with his fingertips, blushing a bit. But Akane's gentle smile grew even wider. "I understand why you're saying that it is good, though. And I appreciate that you at least like it a little. I wouldn't want it to go to waste..."

She looked down at her bowl. "The truth is... I'm starving." She looked up, and laughed a bit, although her eyes were a bit misty. "What with all the workout today, hiking around and working on my training, and then this..." she held up her arm, still bound up in a sling, "I'm really, REALLY hungry. I guess I need to eat as much as I can, so I can heal."

"Oh... okay." Ryoga timidly watched, as Akane tasted her stew. She shuddered, making a face. Then she glanced up at him again.

"Tell you what. Why don't you go ahead and cook those fish, and we'll split them. Okay?"

"Sure, Akane." Akane bent to her meal again, eating with a bit more determination, even if she was unable to totally keep the expression of disgust off her face. Ryoga, meanwhile, went to gather up his fish and put them on the fire. By the time they had both finished their portion of the stew, the fish were done. They were a bit overcooked, and burned, but Ryoga didn't mention that, and Akane didn't seem to mind.

Akane then started to portion out another bowl of the stew. "That's okay, Akane," Ryoga said. "I'm full." Akane glanced up at him, and he quickly amended. "No, no, it's really good, but I couldn't eat another bite!" He rubbed his belly, as if to make the point.

There was a flash of anger in her eyes, but then she shrugged. "Well, that's okay. I'll just eat it anyway."

"You don't have to do that! Honest, I'm just full, that's all."

Her brown eyes flashed again. "Well, I'm not. I told you, I'M hungry. Heck, I don't think I've ever felt this hungry before." She giggled. "And don't lie to me, because I know if I'm still hungry, then so are you."

She handed him the bowl. "You've been training a lot harder than I have, and you're still covered in bruises. So eat." She ladled out some more for herself.

Ryoga found himself laughing, despite himself. "Ranma's right. You sure are stubborn."

"Uncute," Akane corrected him. Then her face fell. She looked like she was about to start crying for a moment, and then the mood passed. "But yeah. It may not be very ladylike to be so stubborn but..."

Her expression was far away. "... He likes it."

She met Ryoga's eyes. "Ranma's not hurting me, Ryoga. We fight, yes, and he insults me, and I push back. Sometimes I HIT back. But it's only because I'm not the kind to sit there and take it. And neither is he. My fights with Ranma are MINE to finish, not yours."

"I know." Ryoga cut his eyes at her, still blushing a bit. "I don't like the way he treats you, but..."

"I can take it, Ryoga! I'm not weak, and I don't need to be protected, not by Ranma, not by Ukyo, and not by you. If I don't fight my own battles, I'll never get any stronger, and I'll never learn to fight on my own."

She turned back to her bowl. "And it isn't your business anyway."

An uneasy silence fell over the camp. Ryoga and Akane both continued eating, saying nothing. Ryoga noticed that Akane was eating pretty heartily, despite the taste of the stew, so she hadn't been kidding about having an appetite. He remembered the boulders he had seen with the holes blasted out of them, and wondered if she had somehow partially mastered the Breaking Point or something. Or had she just done that with her own strength?

After a moment, Akane glanced up at Ryoga, her expression a bit apologetic. She said nothing, though. She continued to eat, until she had finished up her bowl, and then stood and went to the stream to wash it out. She packed up her supplies, and then set the pot near the fire, so it would continue to simmer. Then she came back over to Ryoga, and took his bowl as he finished. She cleaned it and put it away as well.

Akane came over and stood next to him. She said nothing for a long time, but then glanced back at Cologne's tent.

"Ryoga... I think it's time we had a talk."


	48. Goodbye, Pchan

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 48

"Ryoga... I think it's time we had a talk."

Without waiting for Ryoga's answer, Akane just walked over to the stream. Ryoga swallowed, but taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he followed. Akane sat down on a stone on the bank, and shot him a glance that said she didn't want him to sit too close. He chose another rock nearby, that he hoped was just the right distance away. They were out of earshot of the camp, but would still be able to see if Cologne came out of her tent.

The silence settled over them again, as Akane idly played with the water for a moment, making ripples with her fingertip. Then she looked up into Ryoga's eyes. "That was really cruel, Ryoga. When you pretended that P-chan was lost. That really hurt me. Do you know how much that hurt me?"

Ryoga turned red, looking down into the stream to avoid her gaze. "I'm sorry. I... I didn't expect you to react that way. I mean... I knew you'd be worried, but I didn't think you'd be THAT worried..."

He looked up at her, then down again. "I was just trying to test Ukyo. I was sure she wouldn't tell you, about the curse. I was just calling her bluff, I swear." He was silent for a moment. "I... I just didn't realize you would get so worried about me like that."

"It's bad enough that you did that, Ryoga." Unlike Ryoga, her gaze never wavered, her eyes boring into him. "What hurts even more is that you did that to get to Ukyo. You used me. You used me to hurt Ukyo."

"I'm... I'm sorry." He paused a moment. "I guess I didn't realize how frightened you were about P-chan. I know that when I thought you were lost... when you broke your arm... I was really worried."

"I know." Akane did look away, then, into the waters of the stream. "But now you know how I felt. I didn't know whether P-chan was hurt, or had run away from me, or what."

"I'm sorry," Ryoga said again. "I was only thinking of... getting back at Ukyo. For threatening me. By the time I realized I had hurt you... it was too late."

"That's okay. I understand why you did it. Why you pretended to be P-chan, and why you got so angry at Ukyo for threatening to give you away.

"I can only imagine what your life has been like, living alone, with no family, no home, no one and nothing to call your own. I know you must have been lonely." She looked back at him. "So I know what it must have meant to you, to have someone show you affection. To care about you."

Ryoga looked into her eyes, and again, found it uncomfortable, how she did seem to understand. "It must have been... really nice, to have someone taking care of you, even if it was just as a pet. To feel like you had a place where you belonged. SOMEONE to whom you belonged. I can understand that. Ranma and Ukyo, too, they've lived alone for so long. Their lives have been so lonely, on the road all the time, with no one but each other.

"At least they had each other." Akane looked thoughtful. "Always, no matter what else happened, where they went or who they had to leave behind, at least they never left each other behind. You never had that. You must have felt... abandoned."

Akane was silent for a long moment. She seemed to be concentrating, clenching her fist, as if forcing herself to face her innermost demons. "I guess, compared to that, you must think my life is a paradise." She smiled at Ryoga, but it was a sad smile. "A roof over my head, a loving family, plenty to eat, I'll bet you think I have everything..."

"Akane, I would never say anything like that about you," Ryoga started to say, but Akane interrupted him, putting up a hand.

"Let me finish, Ryoga. This is hard enough."

Ryoga swallowed and shut his mouth. Akane took a deep breath, and then smiled at him again. "Like I said, I know what I have. I know I have no reason to feel lonely. But I do, Ryoga. For a long time..." Her voice became distant, and her eyes unfocused. "For a long time, training alone in that dojo, I had no one but myself. No one to talk to, no one to listen to, just me, all by myself. Ever since my mother died..."

There was a long, painful silence. Then Akane met Ryoga's eyes again. "I know what it's like to be abandoned, Ryoga. My mother left me - as much as I hate to think that about her - and then Father left me as well. Oh, he still loved me, and protected me, all too much sometimes. But he just wasn't... there... like he was before. Like part of him went with her.

"Nabiki... you can guess what my relationship is with her. She's my sister, I love her, of course, and I guess in her own way she loves me. But she uses me for money, sells pictures of me to Kuno, so he can use them for his perverted fantasies." A tear rolled down her cheek, even as her voice showed her disgust. "And thanks to him, those boys... those boys that attacked me every morning..." She suddenly stopped, unable to continue, and buried her face in her arm to hide the tears.

Ryoga hesitantly put a hand up, to touch her shoulder. He wanted to reassure her, but wasn't sure if he should. Her hand came up, though, and slapped at him so quickly that he jumped, startled. She looked at him, her eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare! YOU WERE JUST LIKE THEM!"

Reluctantly, Ryoga pulled back, watching until the fury left her eyes. Then she sighed. "Believe me, Ryoga, it's not like I really think all boys are perverts - not totally, anyway. I can see that now. It wasn't like they were trying to... force themselves on me. All they wanted was a date. But you see, that's the whole point. None of them cared about me, none of them cared about what I wanted. None of them even bothered to get to know me.

"I was just a prize to be won. That was just Kuno's idea, even if one of them did beat me, I never agreed to that. I didn't have to date him. I could just tell him no, or run away! But I don't think they even cared. I was just... a thing, to be coveted. A trophy that they could show off. Or, like Kuno, proof of how great they were."

She fell silent for a moment, and Ryoga fidgeted, nervously. "You didn't know that about me, did you?" She smiled a little. "Ranma and Ukyo put a stop to it right before you came."

Her voice became distant again. "Those two... you'd think I could at least count on them. I mean, there was that whole confusion in the furo that first day, and Ranma turning out to be Ukyo, and Ukyo... well, anyway.

"Sayuri and Yuka, of course, they were my close friends. Probably the only friends I had, after my mother died. But they could never understand. They could never understand my love of martial arts, why I had to keep practicing, all the time, why it was so important to me. The other kids, they didn't even bother. To them, I was... weird."

She looked at Ryoga. "With Ukyo, finally, I felt that I had found someone who would understand. A girl, like me, who loved the Art as much as I did. And Ranma, too, before I found out about his curse.

"But I was still afraid to get too close. They might leave, you know? I did get close to Ucchan, and she helped train me, but Ranma was a guy. And I figured... sooner or later, he would get tired of hanging around, or tired of the engagement, or... tired of me." Akane's lip trembled. "And when he left, Ukyo would go with him. Because she's his sister."

Akane fell silent, and she looked up at Ryoga, staring at him. She looked like she was waiting on him to say something. After a moment, he swallowed, and quietly muttered, "Well... you know... I always wanted to... but, I couldn't tell you."

"No, you couldn't," Akane said, still looking at him like she was staring right through him. "And because I didn't know you were really there, all the time, as my pet pig, P-chan, I didn't know. To me, you were always getting lost all the time. I thought of you as a good friend, Ryoga... but I couldn't really count on you. I would see you at school, but then sometimes you'd just disappear..."

She stared at him for a while longer, and when he said nothing, she spoke again. "Aren't you going to say that at least I had someone? At least one person who cared about me and was always with me? One person, who..." she glanced away. "Who cared for me like a mother, when my... when our mother died? Who I could always rely to comfort me, to listen to me when I was troubled, and take care of me when I was sick?"

"Kasumi," Ryoga guessed.

Akane smiled back at him. But there was a tremor in her voice. "That's right, Kasumi. My sweet, older sister who is always there for her family. You'd think I could never be lonely with her around, wouldn't you?" Her smile faded. "I'd be the worst kind of person to take her for granted, right?"

She looked away. "But like Sayuri and Yuka, she never really understood. Oh, she was a Tendo, and the family legacy was important to her, but it was up to me to carry it out. I don't know if she ever even trained with Father. I assume she had to, if only because this is a martial arts family. But if she ever did... I don't remember it."

Akane put a hand to her face. The tears had started again. "And to make matters worse... she STOLE the first man I ever loved." Her voice was thick with anguish, resentment, and guilt. "Oh, I knew I was being silly. He was in love with Kasumi back when I was just a little kid, climbing trees, and scraping my knees on the sidewalk from running too fast. But I still loved him, and I had no chance as long as she was around.

"I was so jealous of her, I wanted to be so much like her, and she was just the perfect woman. Just everything everyone ever told me I should be." Akane's lips curled into a snarl. "And that woman, that I looked up to, and wanted to be just like, told me that Tofu would come to hate me IF I DIDN'T STOP ACTING LIKE A BOY!"

Akane gave a sob, shuddering. She said nothing for several minutes, as if it had taken everything she had just to say that. Ryoga didn't say anything; he didn't know what to say. He was half afraid that if he opened his mouth, Akane would pound him, the way he'd seen her pound Ranma.

"I feel horrible, that I think like that. But I really was jealous, and... alone." She looked into Ryoga's eyes. "In a house full of people, surrounded by love, I was still as lonely as you, and Ukyo, and Ranma. I needed someone, not to come in and sweep me off my feet, but just to... understand me. Someone I could let myself get close to, without being afraid they would change, or leave, or just plain use me and then throw me away...

"And then you came along." There was a flash of pain in her eyes, and then she looked away. "P-chan. Finally, here was someone that I could protect and take care of, and he wouldn't leave me. Someone who would rely on me, who would need me to feed him, and give him affection. Someone that I could... love, unconditionally, and all he wanted in return was a place to stay, and something to eat. If he got sick, I could care for him, and nurse him back to health. If he got lost, I could go look for him, and find him, and bring him back home."

Akane again met Ryoga's eyes. "Finally, here was someone who would never hurt me. Someone that I could believe in, to always be with me and never abandon me. I was so afraid, so afraid of pervert boys and their hormones, so afraid of being left alone, so afraid of getting close. Ranma, he scared me, even Ukyo, but a little pig, a little pig couldn't ever do anything to hurt me, right?"

Ryoga swallowed, and turned away from the look in her eyes. But she still smiled that sad smile. "I'm not telling you this to hurt you, Ryoga. I don't want you to feel that I'm trying to punish you, for what you did. I'm not saying this to get revenge, or anything like that. I want you to understand. I want you to understand what you did to me. And WHY what you did hurt me."

She fell silent, and Ryoga realized she was again waiting for him to speak. He cleared his throat. "I... I dishonored you, Akane. I... I slept in your bed."

"Yes, you did, Ryoga, but that's not what really hurt me." She stared at him, and Ryoga found he couldn't bear to look at her. "I know you never meant to take advantage of me, and it's like those other boys, just wanting to date me. It wasn't the way it looked. It was frightening, but it wasn't as bad as it FELT like, on the inside. I know you are too much of a gentleman to use a woman like that. Or I hope so."

She stopped and stared at him for a moment, her brown eyes suddenly judgmental. "Honestly, Ryoga, the fact that you never told me that you loved me is one reason I'm still talking to you, like this. That you were too shy to tell me how you felt. If you had ever actually made a move on me, there is no WAY I'd let you be alone with me." Ryoga blushed deeply at that, fiddling with his fingertips.

"You did seem eager sometimes, but I remember the times P-chan seemed embarrassed and shy, as well. Although I'm guessing with Ukyo watching you probably didn't want to make your intentions TOO clear. Despite how you snuggled up against my chest, and slept in my bed, that was MY decision to ask for you to be there. I can't let you take all the blame, when Ukyo TRIED to warn me."

She fell silent for a moment, while she watched Ryoga's reaction. "You used my body, yes, and you used my honor, but that's not what really hurt." She clutched her uninjured hand to her chest, over her heart. "What REALLY hurts is that you used my love. And I don't mean THAT kind of love, because I never felt that way about you." She slapped at Ryoga, as he started to speak, and he shut up again. "I believed in you, and I trusted you, and you BETRAYED that trust. You used the affection that I had for a pet, because you were too much of a coward to face me and ask me to be your friend."

Ryoga nodded. "You're right, Akane. And I'm sorry. I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but... because Ukyo let me get away with it, I told myself it was all right. I was wrong, though." He paused for a long moment, and then sighed. "Ukyo was right. I needed to stop. Even though she tricked me and forced me to reveal it... she did the right thing, in the end. I didn't realize. It had gone on too long. And I was just being too stubborn..."

"That's right. And I know why you found it so hard to tell me." She clenched her fist for a moment, and then gently put her hand on his shoulder. She kept it there just long enough to be reassuring, and then pulled it back. "If I was afraid that no one would love me, except as a pet... I'm not sure I wouldn't do the same thing, too."

She took a deep breath. "But I want to make sure you know what you've done. This isn't about sleeping in my bed, or my reputation as a woman, or my obligation to Ranma as my fiance'. You were the first... P-chan was the first person I really let myself trust, when I was trying to learn to trust Ranma and Ukyo. If I hadn't already gotten close to them, if I didn't already trust them the way I do now, I might NEVER be able to trust again. You made Ukyo lie to me; you made Ukyo betray my trust in her. If I didn't know how hard that must have been for her, and that she took you into her bed to keep you out of mine, I might not have been able to forgive her for that betrayal."

"As for Ranma..." She chuckled a bit, uncomfortably, not with mirth. "It's funny. Here with the boys trying to claim me every morning, and being forced into an engagement with a stranger I didn't even know, I was fighting SO HARD to protect my honor. Here I am beating up any pervert that gets too close to me. And I didn't even know I had a boy sleeping in my bed every night. So much for only sharing a bed with the man I marry...

"Although I get the feeling Ranma will have some words to say to you about that, too."

She locked eyes with Ryoga. He had turned red, and there was a moment of awkward silence. "P-chan was a lie. What I felt for him... that was based on a lie, and now when I see him..." She bit her lip, her eyes starting to glimmer with tears again. "When I see you turn into P-chan now, I know he's not my P-chan any more. I can forgive you, but I can never forget, and I can NEVER, EVER trust you like I did before. I can't let you ever be that close to me again.

"That's what you took from me, Ryoga. That's what you took from both of us. My P-chan is gone, and I'm never going to be able to bring him home. Because my home isn't his home anymore."

Akane stared at Ryoga for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. Akane then continued. "You're lost, Ryoga. You're lost, in hatred and anger. You're continuing to blame all your problems on Ranma, and pursuing this vendetta against him, and all you're doing is hiding from your real anger.

"It's not Ranma that you're angry with, Ryoga. It's Ukyo. I know that you think..."

"That's not true!" Ryoga cut in. "Ukyo spilled the secret of my curse, but it's Ranma that told you! And Ranma is..."

"Don't lie to me, Ryoga!" Akane snapped back. "More importantly, stop lying to YOURSELF! Ukyo is the one that cursed you! She's the one that agreed to keep your secret! She's the one that BETRAYED that secret! You won't let yourself be angry with her, because she's a girl, and she took care of you! You feel too guilty about taking out your anger on her. So you take it out on Ranma instead.

"It's easy to be angry at Ranma." She laughed, this time for real. "He's a baka, and he's an arrogant jerk, so full of himself. He just loves to be insulting and to keep pushing until you just want to KILL him. It's just so easy to assume that it must all be his fault, even if it isn't." Her eyes twinkled. "Believe me, I know what I'm talking about." Then her smile turned more gentle. "But the truth is, he's a really good friend, and he's YOUR friend, if you'll just admit it to yourself."

Ryoga was scowling and shaking his head, but Akane still continued. "Ukyo is harder to be mad at, because she's so kind, and whether you want to admit it or not, SHE was a good friend to you, too. She did as much to take care of you as I did, and she tried to show you affection, too. More than me, really, since she knew who you were, and tried to be your friend at school.

"You say you're in love with me, Ryoga, but I think you're just trying to get to Ranma. I think Ukyo's done a lot more for you than I ever did."

She could see him trying to deny that, but there was uncertainty in his eyes. Akane just studied him, sadly. "You're not going to get over your anger at Ranma by defeating him, or proving you're the better man, because he's not the one you're mad at. And until you get over this anger, you're not going to be able to find a place for yourself. And I think there IS a place for you out there, Ryoga. My home may no longer be your home, but I think there is a home out there for you. And I want to help you find it."

Her lip trembled, and Akane got to her feet, fighting back tears. "You're lost, Ryoga. My little P-chan is lost, and this time I'm not going to find him. You're going to have to find your way yourself... if you're going to find your way back home."

She turned and walked back to the camp, disappearing into her tent. Ryoga remained behind, sitting on the rock next to the stream, for most of the rest of the night.

* * *

Ryoga hung suspended from the tree, his eyes closed, preparing himself. "See with the mind's eye," he said to himself. "What's that supposed to mean?" He tried to clear his mind, like the old mummy said, hoping this would give him a clue. To his surprise, he began to feel the surroundings around him, the trees, the forest, and even, vaguely, the rock in front of him, and Cologne standing on top of it.

He had sensed this before, but never when he was concentrating on it. More when he was alone in the wilderness with nothing to do but let his mind wander. Was this what the old Amazon meant? He tried to see the elusive breaking point in the rock, and found that he could just make out a web of patterns.

He opened his eyes. Cologne seemed to be studying him, and gave a smug grin. "Good," she said. "You've made a good start. Get ready, sonny boy!"

With that, she leaned back, to start the boulder in motion. She gave Ryoga a shove with her staff, as well, and then the two swung past each other a few times to build up momentum. Then Ryoga's path took him right into a head on collision with the boulder. With a yell, Ryoga pulled back his arm, and then it suddenly blurred into motion, almost as if he was using the Chestnut Fist. He stabbed at the rock with his finger several times. The multiple impacts absorbed most of the shock, and he bounced back from it, unharmed.

"Not bad," Cologne said. "But you still are not concentrating. There is a SINGLE breaking point in the stone."

"But I saw it!" Ryoga protested. "I felt it, the Breaking Point! I struck at it, I KNOW I did!"

"You are distracted, sonny boy!" Cologne snapped back, her voice showing her irritation. "You are letting your mind wander. You struck at the right spot, you kept from slamming into the boulder, but you lost your focus. You cannot find the Breaking Point with other things on your mind!"

"There is nothing on my mind but defeating Ranma! That is the only thing that I care about!"

"Oh, really?" Cologne turned the boulder to show the point at which Ryoga struck it. Punched into the boulder were a number of neat, round holes, each at the point where his finger struck the solid rock. And the holes formed the name "Ukyo."

"U-Ukyo?" Ryoga's face paled. He stared at the rock for a moment, then over at Akane. She had been watching from the camp, and had clearly seen what happened. Ryoga blushed deeply. "It's not... it's not what you think! It's not like that!"

Akane lowered her eyes, shaking her head, sadly. And then she turned away. Ryoga looked back up at Cologne.

"You need to stop thinking about... your problems." Cologne said solemnly. "If you want to defeat Son-in-Law, if that truly is your only goal, then you need to concentrate on that and that alone."

"But..."

"I will show you again." Cologne poked her finger into the rock, and just as before, it exploded in a shower of fragments. Ryoga flinched away as the sharp edges of the rock cut into him, but it wasn't as bad as before. Cologne watched him, her expression one of disappointment.

But then, the Amazon's head whipped around, to glance at Akane, who had returned to her work in the camp below. The black haired girl raised her head, her eyes wide in revelation. "You've done a good job at toughening up your skin," Akane muttered, echoing Cologne's words to her before. "But it goes no deeper than that..."

She stared back at Cologne, and for a moment, their eyes met. "There's not a scratch on her," Akane said to herself. "She was right at the center of the blast, and it didn't even budge her."

Cologne smiled. So the Tendo girl figured it out. She finally understands the true power of the Bakusai Tenketsu. There might be hope for her yet...

Hours later, Cologne dragged Ryoga back to their camp, the lost boy once again exhausted to the point of unconsciousness by his training. She wasn't surprised to see that Akane had disappeared. She made a cursory check of the camp, and the Tendo girl's tent and supplies were still there, but she had again wandered off into the forest.

Cologne grinned to herself. "Stubborn girl," she commented.

* * *

Author's Notes:

As I said way back in Chapter 28, I am not through with Ryoga, and this is where he gets his chance to be redeemed. I hope those who thought I was too harsh with him better understand his thought processes after this talk. Ryoga is certainly affected, as evidenced by the name he carved out in the boulder. (And yeah, I was planning that twist even back then) But we have yet to see if he's truly changed, or if he will continue to hide behind his denial.

I also wanted to show Akane dealing with the revelation of P-chan's identity a little differently than usual. Most of the fanfictions that I have read show Akane having one of two reactions. Either she beats Ryoga to within an inch of his life and sends him away forever, or she grudgingly forgives him, because there is some other crisis (usually for Ranma) that makes her put aside her anger. I wanted something different here; Akane holds back and tries to preserve the friendship she has built with Ryoga, but without just letting him get away with his mistakes.

The thing is, even in fanfictions where Akane forgives Ryoga, she usually just puts off dealing with her feelings of betrayal, and only later works through it to the point where she can forgive him. Usually, it is Ryoga that changes on his own, and Akane is just an observer, even if she does finally recognize that he's changed. Here, I wanted Akane to be the motivating factor that makes Ryoga change, and redeem his character. That meant bringing her own battle to get over her sense of betrayal and violation to the fore, and watching her do that, even as she tries to help Ryoga overcome his issues as well.


	49. Ukyo vs the Dojo Destroyer

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 49

"Ah, it is good to be home!" Genma said grandly, as he walked into the Tendo home. He made his way down the hall to the family room, where he found both Soun and Ukyo sitting at the table. He was a bit surprised to see the girl there. If he remembered correctly, it was a school day, and it seemed too soon for her to be home.

"Yo, Old Man!" Ukyo called out. "What are you doing back so soon?"

Soun leaped to his feet, and joined his friend at the entrance to the room. "Saotome! You're back, just in time!" His voice and expression both showed great desperation, and Genma drew back a bit in surprise. "Where's Ranma and my daughter! They must get ready, right away!"

"I left Ranma to finish his training," Genma told him. "That old Amazon Elder set up a match between him and the Hibiki boy, for the Phoenix Pill. After he wins it, he and Akane should be right back." He nudged Soun in the side with his elbow. "But not before my boy has a chance to be with his fiancee in his male form, for a while. That should be enough to let nature take its course, eh, Tendo?"

"So Cologne and Ryoga did meet up with Ranma, after all," Ukyo said thoughtfully. "I figured as much."

Soun did not notice her comment, however. "You don't understand!" He protested, grabbing Genma's arm. "The Dojo Destroyer is coming! He could be here any minute! We need Ranma here, right now!"

"What?" Genma glanced at Ukyo. "What do you mean?" He leaned forward and winked at Soun. "I'm sure the Dojo Destroyer can wait for my boy to get home..."

Ukyo crossed her arms, smiling slyly. "What he means is, a REAL Dojo Destroyer has come to challenge the dojo. He set the challenge for today."

"Someone has got to face him!" Soun said. "And if your boy's not here..."

There was a long silence, while Soun stared at Genma, his expression turning stern. Genma's eyes rapidly widened, as he realized what his friend was thinking. He hesitated for a few more seconds, and then stuck a finger in the air. "There is only one thing to do!"

Genma immediately ran out through the engawa and jumped in the koi pond. He held up a sign, reading "I'm just a harmless panda."

Soun bellowed back at him, belching out fire and smoke. "Oh, no you don't Saotome! You're not leaving me to fight alone!" Ukyo marveled a bit at Tendo's battle aura. She'd seen him pull the trick with the smoke from his cigarette before, but this time he was really making it look impressive. It even seemed like his head grew quite a bit bigger.

She ignored the posturing of the two idiots, though. "I told you, I got it covered. We don't need to bother Ranchan over this."

There was then the booming sound of someone knocking at the back gate. Soun and Genma stopped fighting with each other, and turned to look towards the sound. They then began to panic, running around in the yard and splashing in the koi pond.

"Oh, good heavens," Ukyo said, rolling her eyes. She hurried outside to the dojo, and then down the path to the back gate, to find the Dojo Destroyer waiting. The sign telling challengers to use the back gate was still posted, even if the Tendo sign was gone, and the Destroyer had at least noticed that. She gazed unflinching up at his massive bulk.

"Did you bring our dojo sign this time, or do you still say you don't have it?"

"I come for Tendo Dojo sign," he answered, his voice a deep rumble. "Where is it?"

"We don't have it." She glanced back at Soun and Genma, who were peeking around the corner of the dojo. "They say you defeated them already, and took the sign."

The Dojo Destroyer glanced up at them, and the man and panda ducked back out of sight. "Liar," the Destroyer said.

"Maybe, or maybe someone else already took it. Either way, if I defeat you, an' you don't have it, then we've got no more business. You can be on your way."

He looked down at her, imposingly. "You defend this dojo? Tiny slip of a girl?"

Ukyo smirked back at him. "If you want the Tendo Dojo sign, you'll have to face me in any case. There's no way I'd let the honor of this dojo go without a fight. So we might as well get this over with. Just follow me."

She led the Dojo Destroyer down the path to the dojo. Once inside, it was clear that Ukyo had been doing some "redecorating". The walls were lined with racks on which various weapons were hung. And the floor was littered with equipment, scattered around haphazardly. To anyone who knew the Tendo Dojo, which was everyone in the group other than the Dojo Destroyer, it looked more lived in and active than it had seemed in years.

Soun and Genma filed in behind Ukyo and her challenger, Mr. Saotome still in his panda form. They sat down to one side of the dojo, while Ukyo faced the Destroyer in the center of the room. He looked around himself at the equipment on the floor, trying to find a clear space in which to stand.

"Messy," he commented.

"I hope you don't mind," Ukyo said with a smile. "We didn't have much time to ready the place for your arrival."

The Dojo Destroyer said nothing, so Ukyo just waited for his attack. After a moment, he began to whirl his signs around him, and snapped them at her like a whip. Ukyo dodged the attack, flipping into the air as she leaped over the equipment placed as obstacles in the Destroyer's way. He did not move from his position, though, instead waiting for Ukyo to come to him.

Ukyo soon found herself forced to keep moving, to avoid the flying signs. While the exercise equipment didn't slow her down, and did provide a bit of cover against the Destroyer's attacks, she was a bit disappointed that she couldn't use them to hang the huge man up. Deciding to go on the offensive, she bounced off several of the obstacles, twisting to avoid a sign. Then she bounded off a springboard, aiming a kick at the Destroyer's face.

Her attack landed, but the Dojo Destroyer shrugged it off, counterattacking as if he had not even been hit. Ukyo twirled, springing off the man's hand, as he tried to catch her between two of the signs. The wooden planks slammed together, just where Ukyo had been mere seconds before. As it was, the force of the impact sent her sprawling onto the floor. She flipped backwards, using her hands to vault over a balance beam, and a dojo sign smashed into the floor where she had been, sending splinters everywhere.

"Ukyo!" Soun called out, suddenly worried about the girl's chance of success. The ponytailed girl landed on her feet, though, breathing a bit hard, but otherwise calm and focused. She pursed her lips as she considered her massive opponent. It was obvious that her strength was not great enough to do him any damage.

As another mass of dojo signs came at her, Ukyo evaded them, turning and leaping as she headed for the wall of the dojo. She grabbed a chui as she passed, rebounding off the wall to leap back to the attack. Using a few more of the springboards and vaulting horses to build up momentum, she rocketed towards the Dojo Destroyer, drawing the chui back for a swing.

He brought up several signs to block, but Ukyo smashed through them with the oversized mace. He caught her with a swing of a sign from the side, though, and she was thrown into a practice post. She turned a back flip, landing on its tip, and leaping back into him. This time, he held up two signs back to back, and her weapons couldn't make enough impact to break them. She bounced off, the Dojo Destroyer still unharmed.

"Not bad," the Dojo Destroyer commented. "I fight in many dojos, but never against dojo itself."

"I'm glad you like it," Ukyo said in return. "I hope you don't hold it against me when I beat you. I'll find a weapon to break through your defenses, you'll see."

"I have faced all weapons," the Dojo Destroyer said. "None ever beat me."

Ukyo returned to the attack, with one of Shampoo's massive curved scimitars. She was able to slice through the Dojo Destroyer's signs, but he began to dodge and block, and was remarkably fast for his size. Ukyo cut one of his signs in half, but he used the remnant to parry her sword. He was starting to show signs of strain now, but Ukyo still had not hit him.

As Ukyo darted past him, on one of her attack passes, the Dojo Destroyer used the momentary distance between them to build up his whirling shield of signs again. Ukyo tried to slice through them with her sword, but it got caught in the wood of one of the signs, and then another slammed into her side. Ukyo tried to recover, but the Destroyer kicked a balance beam into her. As she slammed into the wall, she suddenly saw a hailstorm of signs coming at her.

"Ukyo! Do you need me to step in?" Soun called out. Ukyo ignored him, as she was too busy trying to avoid being hit. She pulled an arm out of the way just in time, but the sign slammed into her sleeve, pinning it to the wall. Seconds later, more signs had caught her other arms and legs, trapping her against the wall.

The panda held up a sign. "It's over, girl! Surrender before it's too late!" Ukyo shook her head, though. She tried to pull at her arm, but it wouldn't budge. She glanced back at the Dojo Destroyer, and he was readying another attack. She felt she could work her way free if given enough time, but clearly she didn't have any more time.

At that moment, though, Kasumi appeared at the door of the dojo. "Ukyo," she said. "You have a phone call."

"I'm a little busy right now," Ukyo said, as the Dojo Destroyer turned to look at the source of the interruption. "Would you take a message?"

Kasumi smiled brightly. "Of course, Ukyo-chan." She turned and walked out of the dojo.

Realizing that Kasumi had provided her with a momentary distraction, Ukyo glanced around, hoping she would spot some way to get out of her predicament. As she looked up at the wall to which she was pinned, she happened to notice an odd piece of wood sticking out of the hole. Looking closer, she realized that it was not the wood paneling of the dojo, but something that had fallen out of the space inside the wall.

It was a dojo sign. She glanced over at Soun and Genma, noting that they suddenly looked embarrassed, and were whistling nonchalantly. She looked back up at the sign. It wasn't one of the signs the Dojo Destroyer had thrown, it had been hidden inside the wall. The signs the Destroyer had thrown had knocked it out.

She couldn't read the writing on the sign from this angle, but she didn't have to. It was the Tendo Dojo sign. The Dojo Destroyer was looking back at her, and had recovered from the distraction. Another flurry of dojo signs came at her. Looking back over at her arm, she channeled the speed of the Chestnut Fist into it, vibrating it back and forth so fast her whole arm became a blur. Suddenly, her arm burst free, and she reached around herself and grabbed the Tendo Dojo sign.

Dojo signs scattered everywhere, as Ukyo deflected each of them, her arm still moving too quickly to be seen. She then flung the Tendo Dojo sign at the Destroyer, striking him in the face. Taking advantage of his momentary blindness, she pulled free the signs that held her pinned to the wall, and landed crouched on the floor. Then she dashed towards Soun and Genma.

"You want to help me, Mr. Tendo?" Ukyo called out, as she flipped over and around several more signs that came at her. She landed right in front of him. "Good, because you're gonna help me whether you want to or not." She grabbed the man by his brown gi, and flung him at the Dojo Destroyer. "And you too, 'Pops'." The panda followed his friend, both of them slamming into the Dojo Destroyer's bulk. As he struggled to get them clear, so he could make another attack, Ukyo continued to somersault across the dojo.

She finally came to a halt, right in front of the fish tank full of piranha. Ukyo tossed it into the air, upending it, and the water quickly emptied out of the tank to drench her. Even as the piranha began to fall around her, her arms flashed into motion again, and the Dojo Destroyer was pelted with snapping, thrashing fish. Genma-panda began to dance around under the big man's feet, bellowing in pain, with several piranha attached to his bottom.

As the Dojo Destroyer finally knocked the last of the piranha away, and kicked Soun and Genma aside, he looked up to see a stocky, muscular red headed girl flying at him though the air. "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" She called out, and suddenly her entire body became a blur, as her fists and feet began to strike the Destroyer on every part of his body. Then finally her incredible flurry of movement carried her up to his head, and she began a barrage of punches with her tiny but powerful hands, like a pigtailed jackhammer.

Despite the force of Ukyo's frenzied attack, the Dojo Destroyer still managed to shrug off most of it. The impact, however, caused him to step backwards, and he stumbled into a training dummy. His feet got tangled up, and he slipped, falling onto his back. Even as he hit the floor, Ukyo leaped upward, with the Tendo Dojo sign in her hands. With a final cry, she slammed the sign edgewise into the Dojo Destroyer's face.

Ukyo landed nimbly on her feet. The Dojo Destroyer lay on the floor, immobile. Soun slowly pulled himself to his feet as well, and then looked over at Ukyo. He seemed a bit worried about her for a moment, but once he realized Ukyo was okay, his expression turned confused.

"I thought that Cologne said that you couldn't use the Chestnut Fist with weapons."

Ukyo smiled as she looked down at her unconscious opponent. Every single one of the signs he had slung over his body had been split in half. "Technically speaking, I didn't actually move any of the dojo signs directly. I simply kicked them into his body with the speed of the Chestnut Fist, wherever they lay against him."

Soun studied the huge Destroyer carefully. "You hit every single one of his vital spots," he said, a hint of wonder in his voice. "You defeated him with his own signs."

"Yep." Ukyo grinned widely, the expression all the cuter on her cursed form's pixieish face. Then she looked up at Kasumi, as the eldest Tendo sister again entered the dojo. "So what was that phone call all about?"

* * *

"It's been six days since I left Ranma," Akane thought to herself. "I hope he's alright."

She tried her best to ignore the ache in her heart, but knew that it was hopeless. It hurt all the more to know that between Ryoga's challenge, and her own careless words, she might just lose Ranma for good. She tried to put that aside, though, as the massive wooden log came swinging at her. She set her stance, and struck out with her good arm, with the speed of her own Chestnut Fist. It was painstakingly slow, compared to Ukyo and Ranma she was just moving at a crawl, so slowly that each individual strike could be made out. But she still snapped off exactly half of the twigs sticking out of the bare stump, and then slammed her fist into its center, so the log would rebound away from her.

The log swung up in an arc, suspended by ropes from a branch above, like Ryoga's practice boulders. As it picked up speed, coming back at her, Akane cleared her mind. Her one arm flashed back into motion again. She removed the remaining half of the twigs, and then sidestepped as the log almost hit her, to let it pass. She punched, in the same direction as its motion, to build up its speed even more. It shot around, on the end of its rope, and then swung back into her. Akane blocked it with her left shoulder, grunting as the impact caused her whole body to shudder, and her feet to dig into the dirt. There was a flash of pain from her broken arm, but she ignored it, knowing that the impact hadn't been close enough to that arm to really hurt it.

With the log stopped, Akane bent down to begin picking up the twigs. She placed them back in holes she had cut into the bark for just this purpose. Her Chestnut Fist was slow, but that didn't mean she couldn't practice it.

"I hope Ranma's alright," she said again, this time out loud. "I've done all I can for him now. All I can do now is wait... and see what happens."

Again, the anguish rose up in her, and she fought back tears. She tried to get angry. Ryoga was still being so stubborn, still denying what she tried so hard to make him see. And Cologne, who was playing into his denial, and probably still planning to use Ryoga to trick Ranma into marrying Shampoo. But most of all, Akane was angry at herself. She pictured Ranma's face, the look of hurt and loneliness in his eyes as she left him, back there in that clearing.

"I hope he can forgive me," Akane thought. "If he can't... I don't know what I'll do."

It still wasn't much; it was hard to truly get enraged when she felt so guilty and alone. But they were all part of the same pain she felt, in missing Ranma so much. So she set herself to begin boxing with the swinging log again, concentrating all those feelings into her heart and her fists. She felt them energize her, driving away her fatigue and the pain from her injured arm. She repeated the routine exactly, starting the log in motion, and then knocking off exactly the same twigs. They were the ones with the leaves stripped off of them. Then, after punching the log away, she picked off the ones that still had the leaves on them.

Akane steeled herself, her mind focused, just like Ukyo taught her. Maybe she didn't deserve him, but if this was what it took to protect Ranma, she wouldn't back down. The log slammed into her, and again she gritted her teeth, feeling the pain this time in her good shoulder. She smiled a bit in satisfaction. It was a good solid hit that time, maybe not as good as Ukyo's sparring, but a good compromise. Until she could get home and back to her friend, it would have to do.

"You're not thinking of running off to practice that cliff dive again, are you?" Akane turned at the perpetually amused voice of Cologne, behind her. "You wouldn't want to break both arms."

"I learned my lesson," Akane said, a bit dismissively. "Maybe once my arm heals I'll try it again, but for now I'm taking it easy."

Cologne looked over Akane's "speed bag", obviously analyzing its design in hopes of figuring out its intended purpose. "An interesting way to train the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. You're clearly inspired by the Bakusai Tenketsu training. Perhaps I was too quick to dismiss your adaptability."

Despite herself, Akane blushed at that, looking pleased. "Thank you, Elder." She met her eyes, her expression once again that stare of determination. "I am serious about my training."

"It would seem so." Cologne's smile was still teasing, however, just this side of sardonic.

Akane turned back to replacing the twigs, but then suddenly stopped and turned back to Cologne. "Would you like to test me? My Chestnut Fist against yours?"

Cologne grinned wickedly at her. "Another challenge so soon, child?"

Akane smiled back at her. She lifted her arm. "Don't be too hard on me. I do have a broken arm after all." Her tone made it clear she did not mean that seriously.

The black haired tomboy turned and set her stance in front of Cologne, bringing up her left arm. She turned her body a bit more than usual to the right to shield her broken arm, but otherwise seemed confident. Cologne dropped off of her staff to stand in front of Akane. She studied her for a moment, and then cackled, "To make it fair, I will use only my left hand, as well. Hm?" Akane merely nodded in answer.

Cologne then suddenly leaped into motion. Akane barely had time to react, yelling out "Chestnut Fist Revised!", making her battle aura flare around her. She brought her arm up to block, as Cologne struck Akane up and down the left side of her body and chest in the space of a second. As before, Akane's movements were slow, far too slow to keep up. She was pushed back by the flurry of blows, but then they abruptly ended. Akane stood, panting, seemingly exhausted, with a bead of sweat running down her face.

"Do you need another demonstration?" Cologne asked her, still grinning. Akane lowered her arm, only then noticing something written on it. As she turned her arm back and forth in front of her, she realized that the word "reject" had been tattooed up and down the length of her left arm. She looked down to find similar tattoos on her neck and body. Even her shirt had apparently been stamped with the writing.

The black haired girl just smiled, however. She looked over her body, to reassure herself, and her eyes shone with confidence as she looked up at Cologne. "Very funny. But do you notice a pattern to these tattoos?"

The Amazon elder studied her for a moment. Of course, there were none on her right arm, and in fact one blow that she had aimed at her right shoulder had not landed. It was noticing that clue that made Cologne stop and take a second look. While a large portion of Akane s left arm was covered in tattoos, and sometimes even two or three on top of each other, there were indeed gaps in the pattern. And in fact, parts of Akane's torso had not been touched at all. Cologne knew that she had aimed several attacks at pressure points on Akane's chest, and that area was almost bare of the telltale marks.

"You blocked only the most dangerous of the blows," Cologne said, more than a little impressed. "I didn't strike a single vital point."

Akane nodded her agreement. "It was Ukyo's idea. My Chestnut Fist can't keep up, but if I only try to block half of the blows, I only have to achieve half the speed."

Cologne's smile widened. "But you had to pick out which attacks were dangerous and which were not, while still moving fast enough to meet them."

"As I said, if I try to match your speed, I lose focus and precision. But if I only try to be half as fast, I can be more precise and still hit what I'm aiming at."

Akane paused a moment, looking a bit embarrassed. "I can't claim it's my technique. Ucchan taught me. She calls it 'Piranha and Goldfish' after her training method." She giggled. "She threw a bunch of goldfish into the tank with the piranha, and had me pull them out before they could be eaten. I have to slap the piranha aside - those are the dangerous attacks - while pulling the goldfish out."

"And of course you have to learn to distinguish the two in the splashing of the water. So you learn to sense the most deadly attacks without having to consciously think about it."

Akane's blush had increased. "I still have a long way to go. If you hadn't gone easy on me because of my arm, some of your strikes would have gotten through."

Cologne studied her carefully. "Plus, it does you no good if ALL my attacks are aimed at your vital spots."

"And I have to be tough enough to take the attacks I can't block." Akane added. Her eyes showed her uncertainty, but she still held herself proudly upright.

"Still, it is a remarkable achievement. You cannot use the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken as an attack, but you have learned to use it as a defense. It's what I have come to expect from Shield Sister. You both continue to surprise me."

Cologne grinned knowingly. "But don't think this means I'm going to give you the Phoenix Pill." Akane just rolled her eyes, scoffing, as Cologne bounced off on her staff.

* * *

Ranma struck out at the bees, her concentration intense. None of them had gotten close enough to sting her, and she intended that they never would. She twisted and twirled, her whole body moving, as she struck in all directions, seemingly at once. The bees didn't stay in one place long enough for her to take them all out quickly, but as the cloud surged towards her, her hands would blur, and the bees would drop to the ground, stunned. The swarm would surge backwards, and her strikes would become less frequent, but then they would move in again.

Finally, there were only a handful left, and she spent the extra effort to chase them down. She stood unharmed, not a single bee had stung her. "All right!" Ranma cried out, happily. "Who's the man, NOW?"

The forest fell silent in the wake of her yell of triumph. After a few seconds, though, another voice called out as well. "Ranchan! Ranchan, are you there?"

Ranma recognized her sister's voice easily, although it was the slightly higher pitched tone she had come to know as Ukyo's cursed form. "Sis! Is that you?"

A few minutes later, a red headed missile shot from the trees, and wrapped her "sister" in a hug that almost knocked her off her feet. Ranma smiled as Ukyo grinned up at her. "Good to see ya, Ranchan," she said.

"Good ta see you too, Sis." Ranma replied. "Whatcha doin' here?"

"Let's just say I got a phone call. So you're trainin' to take on Ryoga, huh? For the Phoenix Pill? The Old Man told me about it."

Ranma frowned a bit at the memory of her father taking off on her, but then her smile returned. "Yep. He's got the Old Ghoul teachin' him some technique that's supposed to be scary or something, but I've got it covered."

Ukyo's expression turned serious. "Yeah, I heard about that, too. I bet you do think you can handle it, don't ya? When all you've been doin' is practicing how to dodge..."

"Pig Boy ain't gonna get anywhere near me," Ranma answered. The lanky brunette gestured back at the pile of unconscious bees, some of which were staggering back into the air and heading off into the forest. "I've mastered it! He won't be able ta touch me!"

Ukyo shook her head. She took her taller sister's hand, and led her back towards the clearing. "There's more to the Breaking Point than that. It's not just an attack. It's a conditioning technique as well. The Breaking Point training is designed to build up your toughness."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well, consider how the attack works. Whatever you touch explodes. If you use it on a rock, or the ground, you're right at the center of the explosion. You could use it as an attack that way, but you would be hit harder than the person you're using it on."

Ranma thought for a moment, picturing the demonstration Cologne had given. "Hey, that's right! Well, that's stupid! Why would the Old Ghoul teach Ryoga a technique like that?"

Ukyo smiled. "That's why the training isn't to teach you the attack. It's to teach you to WITHSTAND the attack. By slamming Ryoga into those boulders like that, she builds up his resistance to impacts. His body is now tough enough to not be cut by the shrapnel from the Breaking Point... or it will be soon enough."

Ranma snorted. "So what? So he's resistant to his own attack. Who cares?"

"Because, stupid, if he's resistant to having a boulder explode in his face, a punch or kick isn't going to do anything to him." She slapped Ranma across the head. "By now, he's practically invincible!"

The ponytailed girl's eyes widened, as realization set it. "Oh, geez. You're right. And I've been trainin' my speed all this time. I'm not gonna be able to touch him."

Ukyo nodded, her expression grim. "Yep. You won't be able to harm him, and he won't be able to touch you. If you were in your male body, it might be different, but in mine, you're got more speed than strength. The fight will go on forever - or until you make a mistake. And then..."

She poked Ranma in the forehead. "... It's all over."

Ranma reeled, putting a hand to her head. Then she stumbled over and sat down on a rock in front of the campfire. "Oh, geez. All that trainin' was for nothin'."

"Well, not exactly." Ukyo smiled at her. "You've been training your Chestnut Fist. And there's got to be some way to use the Chestnut Fist to counter the Bakusai Tenketsu. What we need to do, though, is work on strength, not speed."

Ranma looked up as Ukyo continued. "I think I've figured out why the Chestnut Fist training made you stronger, but not me. Even in my form, your body is different from mine. You're me, but me as I would have been if I underwent all that training with the Old Man. The crazy stuff that he didn't do with me."

"Like the Neko-Ken," Ranma said. "You were affected by it, but you didn't go through the actual training."

"Exactly. For one thing, your body has a lot more resiliance than mine does. Even with my arms and my more slender muscles, the bones of your hands are a lot stronger, and you've got thicker calluses on your knuckles. You've built up your hands punching things with your male body's strength. So you can punch a lot harder than I can, without hurting your hands."

Ranma was looking down at her hands, with their long, thin fingers. Ukyo continued. "I think there's also something to the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken that you can tap into, which I can't. Again, maybe it's got something to do with your male body, and bein' more used to using your strength. As the Old Ghoul said, the Chestnut Fist takes strength as well as speed, so as you use it, it makes you stronger. I've noticed it myself, in this form."

"Geez, Ucchan." Ranma put her hand to her face, and sighed deeply. "You've been tellin' me I needed ta hit ya harder, so you could build up yer endurance. But I just can't do it..."

Ukyo sat down next to her. She stared at the ponytailed girl who shared her body for a moment, then put an arm around her, resting her head against Ranma's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Ranchan. I know it bothers you, to hit girls, and I wouldn't ever push you to do something you felt was wrong.

"But Akane's been training me, and believe me, she packs a punch." The redhead leaned back, grinning impishly. "So I've been building up this body a lot more lately. I may have a ways to go to catch up with you, but I'll get there."

Ranma smirked at her. "Will not."

"Will too." Ukyo slapped her across the head again. "Anyway, what we need to do is work on the strength of your Chestnut Fist, so it can do as much damage as mine when I'm in this form. You're already pretty close to being as strong as me, even though you're in my body and I'm in this more muscular one. I think if the two of us just spar for a while, we can get you punching as hard as me."

"All right," Ranma said, intrigued. "What then?"

Ukyo looked thoughtful. "Then, I guess we need to come up with some kind of technique that we can use to overcome Ryoga's defenses. Some way to use the Chestnut Fist to... I dunno... penetrate the toughness of his skin, and get down where it can do some damage."

There was a moment of silence. "You got any idea how ta do that?" Ranma asked.

Ukyo chuckled, shaking her head. "Not a clue. But I know you, Bro." She looked up into Ranma's eyes. "You'll figure something out."

"In the meantime..." Ukyo leaped to her feet, falling into a stance. Ranma stood and faced her. "Let's get to practicin'!" Moments later, two blurs of red and blue were chasing each other around the forest.

* * *

Author's Notes:

If it seems like Ukyo understands way too much about the Bakusai Tenketsu, yes, that's intentional. :) If you think about it, you can probably figure it out. If not, consider that she would have grilled Genma for information before she left.


	50. Temptation

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 50

Akane stirred up the pot of stew, and then tasted it. She shuddered, violently, and spit it out. "Oh, no, I did it again!" She said, disappointed. "And I was so sure I didn't make any mistakes..."

She looked over her supply of spices, which she had carefully lined up next to her. They all seemed right. "Well, I didn't get anything mixed up this time," Akane said with a sigh. "I don't know what I did." She looked over the pot, which had been sitting over the fire for quite some time. "Maybe there's just too much left over from lunch, and it's gone bad. I guess I'll just add some more to it."

Akane quickly threw in some more meat and vegetables, then stirred the stew, while adding a bit more water to thin it out. "That's almost all of what I brought with me, though. I hope it will last until tomorrow."

Her face fell as she considered what was coming the next morning. Ranma and Ryoga would finally have their duel, and while Ryoga hadn't yet mastered the Bakusai Tenketsu, she didn't dare hope that he wouldn't learn it. She had tried not to think about what would happen if Ryoga managed to hit Ranma with his attack, but that didn't stop her from feeling a cold sense of dread whenever she thought about the fight. Even Ryoga might be injured in the fight, although if that only postponed his vengeance and left him still blindly pursuing Ranma she really didn't think that would help.

She turned her attention back to the meal, to distract herself from those frightening thoughts. She somehow managed to force herself to taste the stew, and swallow it without spitting it out. It wasn't much better, but at least she could eat it, if a bit painfully. Even so, she knew she still needed to keep up her strength.

"At least Ryoga seems to like it," Akane said with a smile. "I know he's just trying to be nice, but he seems to like it better than Ranma does. So it can't be that bad."

Cologne looked up at her words. The old Amazon was preparing her dinner as well, of fish from the stream, as usual. "You seem to be quite taken with that boy," she commented. "Are you sure you can't forgive him for hiding the secret of his curse?"

Akane was quiet for a moment. "I think I've forgiven Ryoga for what he did to me. I was really hurt for a while, but I think he never really intended to share my bed. Not as a man, anyway. I think he hoped I would fall in love with him but... when he was P-chan, he was P-chan. He just wanted me to... take care of him."

She looked up at Cologne. "It's Ukyo and Ranma that I can't forgive him for. And you're not helping, either, playing with his emotions like that. He's angry, and hurt, and confused, and you're just encouraging him..."

"As long as he continues to obsess over you and Shield Sister, he won't be able to master the Bakusai Tenketsu anyway," Cologne said. "I am teaching him to control his emotions."

"And putting an attack like that in the hands of someone like Ryoga," Akane continued, meeting Cologne's gaze with a scowl. "Even if you do teach him to focus on something other than his anger, he's... unstable."

The Amazon Elder rolled her eyes. "And you're that much better, child? You asked me teach you the technique. When you and Son-in-Law clearly have a... volatile relationship. You get along much better with Ryoga."

Akane turned red, then huffed and looked away. "I know I've got a temper. But I don't lie to myself about the people I care about."

Cologne snickered. "Is that so?"

There was a long moment of silence. Finally, Akane took a deep breath. Her shoulders visibly relaxed. "I don't love Ryoga. I like him, he's a good friend, and I care about him from when he was P-chan." She met Cologne's eyes. "But he's not the one I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"Come now, child," Cologne's voice was soothing. "Give up on Son-in-Law. Forgive Hibiki for his foolishness. He does love you. Accept his love, and Son-in-Law can marry my Shampoo. Everyone will be happy."

"Maybe you will be happy," Akane said sourly. "But I won't be." She paused a moment. "And more importantly, I don't think Ranma will be. I... I want him to be happy. If I can... I want to make him happy..."

Cologne gave her that wicked smile again. "So you love him, then?"

There was another long silence. Akane's face turned even redder, as Cologne stared at her, still grinning. But she didn't look away. Her face went through a whirlwind of emotions; fear, denial, confusion, frustration, anguish. Finally, she gave Cologne an irritated scowl, much to the old woman's amusement. But then her expression softened, and a sweet smile spread over her face. For a moment, she just stared off into the distance.

When she returned her gaze to Cologne, it was with a challenge of her own. "Is there any way to get out of the Kiss of Marriage? There has to be, if the girl doesn't want to get married."

"If the girl doesn't want the male, then she just doesn't give the Kiss. Once given, it is Law."

"But what if she finds out the person she kissed isn't who she thought? Shampoo couldn't even speak to Ranma when she first met him. What if she had given the Kiss to Kuno, since he was the one that defeated her? What if Ranma had turned out to be as bad as Kuno?"

"The Law is the Law, child. We Amazons are defined by our Laws. You cannot just break them because they are not... convenient."

Akane smiled back at her. "Are you saying you can't figure out a way to nullify the Kiss of Marriage if you want to? Cologne, Elder of the Amazons? Are you saying that you WON'T find a way, or that you CAN'T find a way?"

Cologne held Akane's gaze, both women's smiles slowly growing wider. Finally, Cologne broke out in laughter. "Well played, Tendo, well played. Your middle sister clearly did not inherit ALL of the cunning in your family."

"But this is a matter of honor." Her expression turned serious. "Shampoo has decided that she wants to marry Son-in-Law, not kill him for humiliating her. But in the eyes of our tribe, she must return in triumph, or not at all."

Akane's face fell, but she regarded the old Amazon carefully, obviously trying to determine if she was telling the whole truth. Cologne's expression, of course, was unreadable. Finally, the dark haired girl sighed and looked away.

Cologne hesitated a moment, then seemed to reach a decision. "Maybe there is another alternative. Would you be willing to come back to the Joketsuzoku with Son-in-Law... if I offered to train you?"

Akane looked up, at that. "Really?"

"Really." Cologne nodded. "I have sensed your battle spirit, particularly when you are angry. When I first met you, I felt that you were untrained and out of control. Which you are, but the power in your aura is still remarkable even despite that. In fact, that's one reason why your spirit seems so strong, stronger even than Son-in-Law's. You WASTE a lot of it on just expending energy with no direction.

"If you were to focus that power, get it under control, you would be a much better fighter. I can teach you that control."

There was silence while Akane considered that. She looked suspicious, but spoke up anyway. "What would I have to do?"

"There is a class of warrior in our Amazon society. You would call them a... berserker. They are rare, often only one or two are born to a generation, and sometimes there are no appropriate candidates for generations. Often times, candidates will fail out of the training before they can master it. It is very difficult, but they can become the most respected and highest ranked warriors in our tribe. You would be incredibly powerful, more powerful even than Son-in-Law, although only when you worked yourself into a rage...

"I can train you to control your anger. To hold it in, and contain it, and then to release it on your enemies. In battle, you would be the first onto the field, to strike terror into the hearts of our foes. And should our villages fall, you would be our last line of defense, turned loose to wreak havoc and vengeance on those who would destroy our homes and families."

Cologne smiled, not deceptively, but with confidence and pride. Akane looked thoughtful. "To an Amazon, there is no greater honor than to defend our very families and our way of life. As the strongest of our warriors, the berserker is greatly respected and admired. You would have a very prominent position in our tribe, even coming in as an outsider. Second to Shampoo, of course, but she is my Great Granddaughter, and may even some day become an Elder herself.

"If I take you on as my student... you would be respected for that, as well. You would be treated as a member of my family."

Akane studied her for a long moment, and then the suspicious look returned. "But surely there is a price for all that. At the very least, I would have to give up Ranma..."

Cologne smiled. "Perhaps not. It is not... common for two Amazon warriors to take the same male, but it has happened. It is more usual for a warrior to take two males if she is very powerful." Cologne cackled. "Perhaps you could even bring Ryoga into our tribe, as a second husband for you and Shampoo. But I see you are already rejecting my suggestion."

"It doesn't matter," Akane shook her head, sadly. "Even if I were to try to take your suggestion, it would come to the same thing in the end. If I were to become the kind of person you are talking about..." Her voice cracked. "I would lose Ranma anyway.

"That kind of anger, that you're talking about, that you're talking about controlling... I know all too well that while it may help you against enemies, it more often ends up getting turned against friends. No matter how well I learn to control it, it'll always be there, just under the surface. And Ranma will always be able to find it. He wouldn't stand for that. And I wouldn't deserve him, anyway.

"If I let myself give in to my anger like that, even for a short time, it would still control me. And I'm betting that even in your tribe, I would have to be handled carefully. I probably couldn't compete in any of your tournaments, for fear that I would release my anger and maybe injure someone. I would be respected, yes, but respected for the sacrifice that I had to make for your society, and feared, for what I might do if pushed."

She met Cologne's gaze. "I would be a rabid dog on a short leash. Your people might be able to respect that but... I can't. I wouldn't be able to respect myself. I won't hurt the people I love, not even to become a better martial artist."

"As you wish." Akane blushed a bit as the Elder regarded her. She almost looked as if she had been expecting that answer. "But keep my offer in mind. I have seen you trying to restrain your temper, and while you have made some advances, I have seen you fail. You may lack the discipline to truly keep your emotions in check."

"I know," Akane said softly. "I'm starting to realize that... I'm not like Ukyo and Ranma. For them, focus comes easily. It's not that easy, for me. I have to walk the line between releasing my anger to the point where it consumes me, and holding it back so much that it starts to fight back.

"I guess I can understand Ryoga, in that..." Akane fell silent for a long moment, staring at the ground.

Finally, she took a deep breath and looked up at Cologne. "I guess I'm just going to have to find my own way, just like Ryoga. Ucchan's been a lot of help, but... I realized, a while ago that... my emotions can make me stronger."

Her voice got very far away, a much stronger blush settling over her cheeks. She put a finger to her lips. "I just have to learn to... to not be afraid and... to trust my feelings to take me where I want to go."

Cologne raised an eyebrow at that. "Well, child, I have known Amazons in the past that have tried to walk the same path you have chosen. Few have succeeded. I feel I must warn you; it has broken much stronger warriors than you."

Akane breathed out a sigh, looking down. "But..." Cologne added. "You have my respect for making the attempt."

The black haired tomboy looked up at her, startled. Cologne smiled back at her. Akane blinked away a tear. "Th... thank you. That..." She looked away. "That's all I've ever wanted to hear."

Cologne's grin widened. "I know, child. I know."

The camp fell silent for a few more moments, as the two women turned back to their cooking. Then, very suddenly, Cologne looked up. "I sense something."

"What?" Akane looked around. "What is it?"

"Hibiki." The Amazon got to her feet, and grabbed her staff. She didn't even bother to hop on it, she just took off running. Akane followed, looking up at the trees where Ryoga was still training. Night was falling, but as this was the last night he had insisted on continuing his training alone. Cologne had rigged up a rope so he could send the boulder swinging towards him.

As she approached the Lost Boy, hanging up above her head, Akane let out a gasp. She could see a faint aura, a blue glowing light that surrounded Ryoga's body. He was just hanging still, his eyes closed, obviously deep in concentration. Akane actually wasn't sure if she was seeing the blue light as a visible glow, or if it was just something she was feeling, and the growing darkness had created some sort of illusion.

"He has it..." Cologne muttered. "He's learned to sense the Breaking Point."

There was a creaking sound as the ropes released, and the boulder came swinging towards him. Then Ryoga's eyes snapped open. With a cry of "Bakusai Tenketsu!" he drew back his arm, and stabbed at the boulder. His finger made contact, fracturing the rock as it sank into the point of impact. And then, with a roar of sound that filled the forest, the boulder exploded.

"Well done, Ryoga!" Cologne shouted, elated. "You've mastered the Bakusai Tenketsu!"

Akane could only stare, open mouthed. The sense of dread she felt before was now multiplied, a hundred fold. "Oh, Ranma..." she gasped. "What's going to happen to you now?"

* * *

"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" The cry echoed through the forest, and off the mountain ranges in the distance. The sound was then followed by a staccato buzzing, as Ranma pounded her slender fists into the trunk of the tree. The impact sent bark flying in all directions, but Ranma kept up her assault, until the trunk was stripped down to the bare wood. Her relentless assault had soon carved a wide strip out of the side of the tree, while she continued to slam her fists into the wood. Small flecks of blood began to spray from the impact, and stained the tree trunk.

It was very similar to the way Akane had pounded on the tree Ranma had tried to hide in, but while Akane had just punched in one spot, over and over, Ranma's punching covered as much of her side of the tree as possible. Each punch was intended not to damage or to move the tree, but to do as much impact as possible to her fists. The tree trunk was the perfect immovable object, with just enough give to not shatter from Ranma's strength, like rock would. But it was still solid enough to stop the hammer-like blows, and send a vibrating force back up her arm with each hit.

Ranma stopped and held up her fists. Ukyo stepped up and began to wind a strip of cloth around her twin's hand. Ranma's hands had already been bandaged quite a few times, but the cloth was torn and frayed from continued punching. As soon as the bleeding was contained, Ranma turned back to her training, continuing at another angle to the tree, until the strip that was bare of bark continued almost all the way around the trunk.

After about ten minutes more, Ranma stopped again, and began to rub her knuckles. Despite herself, she grimaced at the pain. Ukyo smiled at her. "That should be enough. You won't make any more progress tonight."

She looked around at the trees that were scattered around their training area. All of them had been stripped of their bark, in a ring the exact same height from the ground. A small amount of bark had been left on the back of each tree, to keep the damage from killing it, so after a while, the trees would recover. All except for a handful of trees, which had been hit so hard that they had split and fallen over.

"Yeah. My hands should be tough enough now." Ranma watched, wincing a bit as Ukyo unwrapped the bandages. The cloth strips were so badly torn up that she had to peel them off in layers. Quite a bit of blood had soaked into them, but Ranma's hands had already started to heal. As she got the last of the bandages off, Ukyo rubbed her twin's knuckles and fingers. They were a nasty, angry red, and the skin was peeling in places, but they had stopped bleeding.

"Your hands look like hamburger, Ranchan," Ukyo said, only partly serious.

"Eh, they'll be fine in the morning." Ranma didn't flinch this time, as Ukyo rebandaged his hands with fresh cloth. "The main thing is, they should be tough enough to pound on Pig Boy now."

"You think your special attack will work on him?"

Ukyo glanced back at the trees that had fallen over, and Ranma followed the movement. They both stared at the small cluster of trees for a moment. Unlike the others, they had not been stripped of bark around their trunks. Instead, there was a neat, round hole in the side of each. It almost looked like a huge drill had just bored into the trunk. After the hole had gotten a certain distance into it, the trunk had lost its strength, and the tree toppled, leaving wood fragments sticking up at all angles, sharp and pointed. The result left the tree ending in a sort of half-circular crater, the bottom half of the neatly drilled hole.

"I sure hope so." Ranma answered. Ukyo was back in her own form, and she smiled at Ranma as she finished bandaging up her hand, with her own hands that looked so much the same. She had done a little training of her own, and her knuckles bore plenty of cuts and scratches as well. The damage was not nearly as bad, as she had stopped long before she got to the same point as Ranma, but she was proud of the progress she had made anyway.

Ranma paused a moment, to run her thumbs over Ukyo's knuckles. It obviously bothered her to see the giveaway redness, and the shallow wounds that showed how much Ukyo had pushed herself. But she still managed a smile. "Maybe when we get back we can do some more sparrin', an' I'll let ya hit me a bit more so you can build up your hands, too."

Ukyo grinned, wickedly. "If you really want me to build up my hands, you oughtta let me pound on that rock hard head of yours..."

Ranma laughed in return. "You gotta deal, Sis. We gotta do somethin' about those sticks you call arms, after all."

She looked up and met Ukyo's eyes, and Ukyo felt her smile fading. She studied Ranma's face for a moment, her concern and worry starting to get too much for her. They both knew what Ranma was up against, and had done their best to prepare for it, but had she done enough? What would happen if one of Ryoga's Breaking Point attacks got through?

She would feel much more comfortable if Ranma could face this threat in his own body, and she knew that he felt the same way. She could see the toll that being trapped in her body was taking on him, the uncertainty in his eyes, the nervousness, even a bit of fear and loneliness.

"Don't you worry, Ranchan," Ukyo said softly. "You'll do great, like you always do." She wished she could put a bit more confidence in her voice, but felt she was saying it as much to convince herself as Ranma.

"'Course I will," Ranma said, and her voice, as usual, was more confident. "Ranma Saotome doesn't lose."

She couldn't miss that loneliness in Ranma's eyes, though, that hurt. She never did find out why Akane wasn't with Ranma, but she gathered there was some kind of fight. She knew better than to think the tomboy had just abandoned him, but it clearly had made him unsure of himself.

For a moment, as Ukyo studied Ranma's face, she remembered the kiss she had seen in the park. She wondered how Akane had felt, kissing Ranma when she looked like herself. She heard what Akane said about it, and knew it bothered her. Yet, Akane had kissed her anyway, as much to reassure herself and Ranma as anything else.

Without even realizing it, Ukyo pursed her lips, slightly. Ranma noticed, and her eyes widened, by just the smallest amount. At the reaction, Ukyo felt herself leaning closer. What would it feel like to kiss Ranma? There was her experiment in the bath, when she imagined it, but what would it feel like for real? Would it be different because he's in my body?

Ranma's eyes widened even further, as if she could tell what Ukyo was thinking. She could see the confusion in Ranma's eyes, hesitation, but also jealousy and pain. She was thinking about Akane, and Ukyo wished she could reassure her. For a moment, Ranma's lips parted, but then the look of anguish increased. It was that, along with a deeper emotion in those turquoise eyes, which finally broke Ukyo out of her spell.

"Um... uh... we better turn in. Gotta be ready for tomorrow." Laughing uncomfortably, Ukyo tore her eyes away, and let go of Ranma's hands. "I might as well take the tent. You okay with sleepin' outside?"

"Yeah, sure, Ucchan." There was no sign of conflict in Ranma's voice. But Like Ukyo, she turned away, unable to meet her sister's gaze.

Ukyo hurried into the large tent. Once inside, she almost kicked it over as she struck out, wildly, at the empty air. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" she hissed. What was she thinking, trying to kiss Ranma? Had she learned nothing from her talk with herself in the furo? Or when she yelled at both Akane and Ranma?

She tried to ignore the little voice asking why Akane had left Ranma like that. It wasn't her business. Ranma needed someone to understand, not to get in the way. And he certainly didn't need to be distracted while fighting Ryoga tomorrow.

What really bothered her was the look in Ranma's eyes. She could see that he didn't want to hurt Akane, that he didn't want to betray her, no matter what she did. But there was something else there, too. A concern for Ukyo, a caring for her, gratitude that she was there. The love for his sister. But was there something else? Or was it just wishful thinking? If it really was... what she thought it was... was that a good thing, or a bad thing?

* * *

Ryoga continued training through the rest of the night, and as the sun rose, he stood watching it crest over the mountains. Cologne hopped up on her staff to stand beside him, watching the sunrise as well. "At last, the day is here," she said. "It is all up to you now, Ryoga. Are you still focused on your goal?"

"I sure am!" Ryoga clenched his fist as he stared off into the distance. "By the time this sun sets, Ranma will be groveling at my feet!"

"Are you sure you don't want to change the terms of the challenge?" Cologne eyed the Lost Boy carefully. "I could make your battle for the hand of Akane Tendo..."

Ryoga waved a hand at her. "Save your matchmaking, Granny. This isn't about Akane. This is about paying Ranma back for making my life a living Hell. This is about finally facing and defeating him. He has humiliated me for the last time!"

"Very well. Even so, maybe once you defeat Son-in-Law, maybe you can convince him to take the Phoenix Pill and marry my Shampoo anyway. Then you can face him man to man."

There was a moment's silence as Ryoga thought about this. "You're right. It's too bad I have to face him in his sister's form. I don't suppose you'd be willing to give him the Phoenix Pill anyway?"

Cologne chuckled. "No, this is the condition for his victory. He must win to get the Phoenix Pill."

"Well, I'm not going to make the mistake of underestimating him. His sister is a powerful fighter, and he's not as weak as he was when I fought him before, either." He clenched his fist again. "In female form or not, when I beat Ranma, he will KNOW that I am the better martial artist! And if he demands a rematch in male form to prove it, well, he'll just have to take your deal!"

Cologne grinned widely. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

She hopped off back to the camp, while Ryoga stayed and watched the sunrise for a few more moments. Finally, he turned and headed back himself. He could use to catch a few hours of sleep before the battle. As he walked past Akane's tent, though, he heard soft murmuring coming from inside. Ryoga knew that he shouldn't eavesdrop, but he couldn't help but be worried about her. So he peeked inside.

"No... Ranma," she was saying in her sleep. Akane's face twitched in worry, and her voice became desperate. "Please be okay. Please be okay."

"No! Don't go!" Akane became more agitated, her movements becoming more violent as she thrashed in her sleep. Ryoga knew all too well that she had a tendency to toss and turn while sleeping. He had bruises from when she unconsciously hit him, in his pig form. "Ranma! Don't leave me!"

Tears began to roll down her face. "Please... I'm sorry. I didn't mean... I didn't mean to betray you. Don't leave me. Don't go. I... Ranma, I... I lo..."

Akane's voice faded away, as she settled into a deeper sleep. Her body relaxed, but her face was still tight with anguish. Her tears continue to fall for a few moments, until her breathing grew quiet and more regular. She never finished whatever it was she was going to say. Ryoga breathed a heavy sigh, as he pulled his head back out of the tent and stood up.

It was all for the best she never said those words, Ryoga thought to himself. He was pretty sure what they were going to be, and it would have broken his heart to hear it. His own expression turning dark and pained, he headed off to take his nap in front of the campfire.


	51. A Fight Between Men

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 51

"Are we all agreed on the terms then?" Cologne asked. "If Son-in-Law wins this fight, then he gets the Phoenix Pill, and will be able to reverse the effects of the Cat's Tongue, and return to his male body. If Ryoga Hibiki wins, then he proves once and for all that he is the better martial artist. That he is the better..." She smirked a bit. "... man."

Ranma scowled, but otherwise ignored the implied insult. She stood waiting for the fight to begin, in Ukyo's body, to one side of a small rise. Ukyo herself stood at her side, also in her normal form. On the other side of the hill, Ryoga waited, returning Ranma's angry stare. Akane and Cologne stood next to him.

Before anyone else could say anything, though, Ranma noticed that Akane's arm was in a sling. "Hey! What happened to your arm?" She started to charge over to her, and Ryoga stepped into a stance. Ukyo caught her twin as she got about halfway across the rise, and held her back by an arm. "Let go!" Ranma yelled. "Ryoga, you pig, how could you let her get hurt!"

Akane stepped forward. "It's not Ryoga's fault, Ranma! I just went off to do some training in the woods and fell. I just sprained it, that's all. It's not that bad..."

"Not that bad? Did ya let them train you in that stupid technique? Is that how ya got hurt?"

"No, Ranma." Akane looked upset, but she kept her voice strong and determined. "I snuck away, because I didn't want Ryoga and Cologne to know I was training. I knew they wouldn't let me. But I didn't get the chance to try it." She hesitated, knowing she was lying. "I fell, is all, and I hurt my arm. It didn't have anything to do with training."

"An' why didn't Pig Boy...?"

"Ryoga DID go looking for me, Ranma. He found me, and brought me back to camp. And my arm's fine. It's just a little sprain, and it'll probably be fine in a few days." Akane bit her lip. She could tell Ranma didn't quite believe her. There was silence for a few moments as the other girl stared at her.

Cologne turned to look at the girl beside her. "Miss Tendo, are you sure you won't consider raising the stakes a bit?" She then looked over at Ranma. "If Ryoga wins, agree to date with him, and let Son-in-Law return to China with Shampoo. That way, whether he wins or loses, Son-in-Law gets the Phoenix Pill."

Akane frowned, looking away from the Amazon Elder with a toss of her head. "Forget it. There's no way I'm going to agree to that."

"You sure about that?" Ranma snarled. "After all, Pork Butt protected you SO WELL..."

"Shut up, Ranma!" Ryoga yelled.

Cologne glanced between them, then back at Ranma, her expression serious. "What do you say, Son-in-Law? You can put an end to this standoff, and free your sister from having to be trapped by your curse. Let your fight with Ryoga determine your fate..."

"Enough!" Ryoga shot back at her. "I told you before, this isn't about Akane. I'm not going to involve her in this anymore! This is between me and Ranma, and defeating him is all that's on my mind. I don't want anything else!"

Ryoga pointed at Ranma. "Prepare yourself! Because this is your end!" With that, the Lost Boy charged.

Cologne sighed. "It was worth a try." The Amazon Elder, with Akane by her side, backed up underneath a nearby tree. A few moments later, Ukyo joined the two of them under the tree.

"Ukyo," Akane said.

There was a question in her eyes, and Ukyo nodded. "Akane."

Akane relaxed fractionally, but both girls still looked worried as they watched the fight. Ryoga charged in to attack, his finger extended. His strike was aimed at Ranma's arm, but the lanky girl just rolled inside his reach, putting up her arms to block. Ryoga drew back for a punch to the gut, but Ranma again danced around his blow, avoiding Ryoga with relative ease.

"Man, you're still slow," Ranma told him. "I woulda thought the Old Ghoul would train ya better."

"Shut up, Ranma!" Ryoga yelled back. "Let's see how you like this!" He poked at Ranma with his finger again, continuing past her as the ponytailed girl dodged aside. Ryoga's attack carried him down to the ground, where his finger struck the stony ground. There was instantly an explosion, which raised a cloud of dust around the two fighters.

Ranma leaped back, and immediately began to grab at the fragments of rock coming at her with the Chestnut Fist. She quickly gathered the rubble into a pile, holding it in her left arm. She then dropped the pieces of stone and they tumbled to the ground. Ryoga came out of the cloud of dust that had been obscuring Ranma's sight of him, but she was able to avoid his stabbing attack.

"'Bout time you started usin' that on the ground insteada me," Ranma commented. "It makes a pretty good smoke screen, too."

Ryoga used his Breaking Point attack again, carrying it past Ranma as she dodged to strike the ground, just as before. The effect was exactly the same; Ranma jumped a few feet away, and then easily caught the fragments spread by the blast with the Chestnut Fist. Each time, Ryoga was enveloped in the blast, hidden in a cloud that obscured his movements, but he still could not get close enough to make a successful attack on Ranma.

Akane and Ukyo both watched the fight, their expressions intent, but not particularly worried or confused. The fight appeared to be a stalemate, and they both seemed to realize it. Akane could tell that Cologne had noticed their reaction, but the old Amazon still seemed confident. She would only glance at them, as if expecting one of them to make a comment, but would then turn back to observe the fight with a smug smile.

Ranma had backed up against a boulder, and darted aside as Ryoga charged into it with the Breaking Point. The boulder exploded, sending shards of rock at Ranma. This time she changed her tactic, catching and flinging the rubble back instead of gathering it.

Ryoga put up his arms to shield his face from the machine-gun like assault, but continued charging forward. He aimed a Breaking Point strike at Ranma's leg this time, but she leaped out of the way, and the attack again struck the ground. Ranma deflected the rocks while still in midair, peppering Ryoga as he turned for another strike.

"You're just running away, like always!" Ryoga protested. He batted aside another volley of deflected rubble. "All this is doing is making me madder. Sooner or later, I'm going to catch you!"

"Not likely, Pig Boy," Ranma snapped back. "But you're right, I'm getting tired of this. Time to end it."

With that, she leaped in, using her slender arms to divert Ryoga's pointing finger, while she got in close to his chest. Ranma then kicked out with her leg, sending Ryoga flying through the air. He slammed into a cliff face nearby, hard enough to cause the rock to crack and crumble.

Ryoga slid down the cliff wall, coming to a stop on the ground, in a sitting position. He didn't move for a moment, his head down, his legs stretched out in front of him. Several large fragments of stone rolled down the cliffside on top of him, bouncing off of his head and body to land near his feet.

Ranma paused a moment, standing to watch for Ryoga's reaction. Ukyo and Akane, too, seemed concerned, perhaps wondering if Ryoga had been knocked out. But then, he lifted his head, and began to laugh, loudly.

"That didn't even hurt at all!" Ryoga exclaimed, apparently surprised, but pleased. He got back to his feet. "You're weak, Ranma! Weaker even than you were before! That felt like the kick of a BABY'S foot!"

From Ranma's smile, however, the lanky girl was not surprised. "Oh, you got it all wrong, Pork Butt. It's not me that's weaker. You're the one that's tougher."

Ryoga frowned, both at Ranma's insult, and in confusion, but it was Cologne who spoke. She glanced at Ukyo and Akane again. "So... you have figured out the secret of the Bakusai Tenketsu training, haven't you?"

Ranma nodded, smirking. "Yep. Sis figured it out. We already know your training made Ryoga tougher. A little thing like rocks or simple punches ain't gonna hurt him."

"Well, then, if that's the case then this really is your end!" Ryoga yelled. He charged, his index finger held out. "Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!"

"Not exactly plannin' on it, Ryoga," Ranma answered. As the Lost Boy neared, she side stepped his blow, and brought her fist up into his gut. There was a loud staccato noise, like a buzzing, and Ryoga doubled over.

But then he stood up. "I told you, I didn't even feel that! You can't hurt me, Ranma!" He charged again, and Ranma leaped away, putting more distance between them. The lanky girl looked worried, now. Akane glanced at Ukyo, but while she looked concerned, she didn't seem scared. Obviously something had just happened. Akane turned back to watch, hoping she could pick up on what Ranma did.

Ryoga charged in for another attack, and again Ranma punched at him, with that loud vibratory sound. Ryoga was thrown backwards by the impact, ruining his attack, but it didn't seem to hurt him. After the third attack, Akane finally cried out. "He's punching in the same spot over and over, using the Chestnut Fist!" It was so fast that even she had not been able to see the individual blows. It was only the sound that told her that it was not a single punch.

"Yes..." Cologne said with a grin, "but it doesn't seem to be working."

Ranma seemed to have realized this as well. She glanced at Ukyo, and her twin sister called back. "Try your legs, Ranchan! You've got more strength in your legs!"

Ryoga had heard her advice, though, and tried to block as Ranma moved in to attack him. It took several seconds for Ranma to work around Ryoga's defenses. Finally, she managed to spot an opening, and leaped into the air. Her leg became a blur as she came down on Ryoga, and struck him in the stomach. He went flying into the cliff again, and this time smashed it, as Ryoga made a crater in the rock as his body struck it. The cliff collapsed, burying the Lost Boy under a ton of rock.

"Did... did I do it?" Ranma gasped, breathing hard as she landed on her feet. There was a long silence in which there was no answer. Then, quite suddenly, the ground began to crack, and a long fissure spread out towards Ranma from the pile of rubble. Ranma leaped into the air, as the cracks opened up under her feet, and then the whole of the ground beneath them exploded.

Ryoga rose up out of the cloud, still laughing. "Now THAT one I felt, Ranma, but it didn't stop me! You're not strong enough to beat me! I'll bet even in your male body you wouldn't be strong enough to beat me!"

Ranma landed in front of Akane, putting an arm out as if to shield her from the explosion. However, the blast was far enough away that the shrapnel did not reach them. "So this is your secret attack, huh Ranma?" Akane yelled at him. She sounded irritated, but there was worry in her eyes. "You've been training for a whole week, and that's all you could come up with?"

"Hey, it was your idea, tomboy!"

This seemed to shock Akane out of her anger. "It was?"

"Yeah, don't ya remember when ya hit that tree in the same place over and over? I got the idea from that."

Akane scowled again. "Ryoga isn't a tree, Ranma! And that worked because I hit the tree in time with its swaying. You can't do that with a person!"

"Ah, what do you care, anyway? What are you all concerned about?"

"If you forget, RANMA..." She was yelling again, and emphasized his name. "Cologne tried to make me the PRIZE in this fight!"

"Well, she didn't, tomboy, so sit back and let me handle it." The ponytailed girl glanced back at her, her eyes narrowing. "Unless you WANT your 'P-chan' to win..."

"Shut up! I'm worried about you, you jerk!"

"All right, all right." Ukyo interrupted, waving a hand at Ryoga. He was smirking at the two of them, standing ready to attack, but waiting for Ranma and Akane to quit yelling at each other. "Enough of the arguing. You've got a fight to finish."

Ranma leaped away from the girls, as Ryoga charged at her again. She glanced at her sister. "It ain't workin', Sis. I'm gonna have ta use the Saotome Secret Technique."

Ukyo rolled her eyes. "Oh, Ranchan... not that."

"I ain't got no choice."

"I don't believe you." Ranma's twin folded her arms. "You can't possibly be considering using that stupid technique."

"Think of somethin', Sis," Ranma answered. With that, he charged at Ryoga. The Lost Boy drew back, obviously concerned about this 'Secret Technique', and Akane and Cologne watched closely, too. However, Ranma just darted inside Ryoga's reach, used the distraction to make sure her opponent wouldn't counter attack, and then took off running.

Everyone but Ukyo watched, open mouthed, as Ranma ran out of the clearing as fast as her long legs could carry her. She quickly disappeared into the trees of the forest surrounding them. Ryoga just stared for a moment, but then yelled out, "Running away? Is that all you ever do, Saotome!" With that, he took off running after the lanky girl in red and black.

Ukyo just put a hand to her forehead, shaking her head. Akane stared at her in astonishment. "He's got a technique for RUNNING AWAY?" she asked, obviously enraged again.

"The Saotome Secret Technique is more than just running from a fight," Ukyo muttered. Her voice held a hint of monotone, like she was quoting a lesson. "It is putting distance between yourself and an opponent in an attempt to bring equality to an overmatched hand to hand conflict. The idea is to buy time to come up with alternate strategies, and lure the opponent into continuing to follow while you try them out."

She looked up. "Stupid panda actually calls that 'thinking tactically'. But yeah, for the most part it makes sense."

Her words seemed to have mollified Akane, although she was still frowning. "So he wants you to come up with a new battle plan, is that it?"

Ukyo shook her head again. "I guess so, but I don't know what to tell him. I can't think of anything. We might as well catch up with him anyway."

She set off running through the forest, and Akane and Cologne followed. The Amazon looked like she was trying not to burst into laughter. Akane edged a little closer to her friend. "Maybe we can help Ranma. We'll lose him the Phoenix Pill, but at least we can stop this fight before anyone gets hurt."

"That might work, but I'd still rather give Ranchan time to come up with something," Ukyo countered. She didn't seem to have any concern about where she was going, and the other two women let her take the lead. "As long as he can keep Ryoga from touching him, he's not in any immediate danger. So let's just wait and see."

Ryoga just blindly charged through the forest, but he could hear the sounds of Ranma up ahead of him. The swaying of the trees and occasional scattering of birds let him know that the cursed boy turned girl was leaping from branch to branch as she made her way above his head. He eventually came to a stream, where the trees thinned out somewhat, but did not quite clear away completely. Mindful of his own curse, Ryoga paused for a moment at the bank, and then leaped over to the other side. While the stream was wide enough to be an obstacle, it was not so wide that he couldn't jump across it.

As he landed on the soft earth by the side of the stream, though, Ranma's form suddenly blurred past ahead of him. The brown haired girl leaped from tree to tree, bouncing off of the branches and trunks until she had circled around and come back. Then, with a cry of "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!", she slammed into Ryoga, her foot smashing into his chest repeatedly. Ryoga was thrown into the air, and flew backwards, right into the stream.

At the last minute, Ryoga managed to flip himself, and awkwardly catch himself by one hand, on a rock in the middle of the stream. Pushing off of it, he sailed on the rest of the distance over the stream, and landed on his feet. "Nice try, Ranma!" He called out, grinning. "You didn't hurt me, but you almost pushed me into the water. If you had turned me into a pig, you might have had a chance."

His grin widened, as Ranma landed, but then leaped off again to try and build up speed for another pass. "On the other hand, it might have been kind of neat to try and fight you in pig form. I wonder if I can use a pig's hoof to perform the Breaking Point..." Ukyo, Akane and Cologne caught up as well, as Ranma again performed her rebound technique, and slammed her leg into Ryoga. He was sent flying, and crashed down to the ground, but picked himself up, apparently still unharmed.

Ranma stood her ground, breathing hard. "That's an excellent technique, Son-in-Law," Cologne called out, "but it's a very inefficient way to attack. You're burning a lot of energy. Plus, it is hard to catch your opponent by surprise, as it takes so much time to build up."

"Shut up, Old Ghoul!" Ranma shot back. She growled as Ryoga came at her, blocking his Breaking Point with two fingers of her own. She then blocked another attack with her other hand, grabbing both of Ryoga's fingers, but he just slammed his head into hers. Ranma was forced to retreat again.

"Getting tired, Ranma?" Ryoga called out after her. "I can keep this up all day!" As Ranma tried another rebound attack, Ryoga used the Breaking Point on the ground, and Ranma was blinded by a cloud of dust. Ryoga tripped her, and Ranma only barely rolled out of the way in time, a Breaking Point strike coming right down on her leg. The explosion still sent her flying, but Ranma landed on her feet. She then stumbled, swaying, before settling back into her stance.

"Ranchan can't take much more of this," Ukyo said glumly. "He's getting tired, and it's only a matter of time until..."

"No..." Akane bit her lip, but then she began to clench her fists. "This is just like before. It's just like before!" She turned on Cologne. "You're doing it again! This is just like the Chestnut Fist, Ranma needs to beat Ryoga to get the Phoenix Pill, but he needs the Phoenix Pill to beat Ryoga! He doesn't have the strength in Ukyo's body, just like you said! He needs his OWN body!"

Cologne smiled, smugly. "All Son-in-Law has to do is agree to marry my Shampoo, and I'll give him the Phoenix Pill."

"Give me the Phoenix Pill." A sudden determination came over Akane's face. "Give me the Phoenix Pill, and I'll... I'll renounce my engagement to Ranma. I promise, on my honor, that I'll give up Ranma, and get my father to give up any engagement to join the Tendo and Saotome families."

"No, Akane!" Ranma called out. She turned to look at Akane, almost getting tagged by Ryoga in the process, but leaped away from him. "Akane, don't do it!"

Akane held her hand out, gesturing for the pill. "This is what you want, isn't it? For me to give up Ranma?" Cologne studied her, as if considering whether she was telling the truth.

"Akane, don't," Ukyo called out. "I know what you're trying to do, but don't give up yet. There's still a chance."

"I'd rather lose Ranma forever than see him die!" Akane protested.

"Don't be stupid, Akane," Ranma said. "Pig Boy ain't gonna kill me." Even so, her exhaustion could be heard in her voice. Ryoga had stopped to listen to the argument, but Ranma was still eyeing him cautiously, not daring to take her attention off of him. "Ain't you noticed that he's just aimin' at my arms and legs?"

"So you'll just be crippled instead?" Akane snapped back, although not entirely with anger. "I can't let you do that!"

Ukyo interrupted. "Cologne! Don't listen to her! This won't buy you anything. Ranchan isn't going to start suddenly loving Shampoo just because he can't have Akane. He's still not going to want to return to China with you. All this will do is make two people miserable! Don't do it!"

"Do it, Cologne!" Ryoga cut in. "That's exactly what I want." He snarled at Ranma, baring a fang. "I want to ruin Ranma's life; I want to make his life miserable, just like he made mine."

Akane turned to him. "Ryoga, no!"

"Give her the Phoenix Pill, Granny. If you don't, I'll stop pulling my punches. If you don't take Akane's offer, then I will strike to KILL. And all it will take is one hit..."

"How can you say that?" Tears began to stream down Akane's face, and her terror was plain, now. "How can you do that, when you know how I feel about him?" Her face twisted in anger, even though she continued crying. "If you kill Ranma, I will HATE you!"

"I know, Akane." Ryoga looked at her, and his expression was calm, almost noble. "I've already accepted that you will never love me. I don't deserve your love. But he... SHE... doesn't either." He pointed at Ranma, who was shaking with anger of her own. "If you take Cologne's deal, then he won't be able to hurt you anymore."

"Ranma isn't abusing me!" Akane said, almost wailing in her desperation. "Any more than he's abusing you! It's all in your head! If you could just see that his insults are his way of saying he LIKES you..."

Ryoga shook his head, "You're so nice, Akane, and so forgiving. Ranma doesn't deserve someone like you. I know you're trying to make excuses for him, but I've seen how upset you've been the last few days. Even now, he's arguing with you and making you unhappy. I know that killing him will hurt you, but the end result is the same. Either way, you'll be free of him."

"Ryoga, you don't understand..."

"You'll hurt for a while," Ryoga said, almost as if he hadn't heard her. "But eventually, you'll forget about him."

"NEVER!" Akane screamed. "I will NEVER forget Ranma!"

Ukyo had been watching the argument, her mood growing darker and darker. She had begun to grind her teeth, her battle aura starting to flicker faintly around her. The wind even seemed to pick up, tossing her hair, and making the dry leaves whirl around her legs. Finally, she turned to meet Cologne's eyes with a glare.

"Give me the Phoenix Pill now, Old Ghoul," Ukyo warned, her voice low and dangerous. "Or I won't be responsible for what happens."

Cologne turned to smirk at her, an eyebrow raised. "Oh? You have a deal as well?"

"No deal. You give it to me. NOW."

Akane turned to look at Ukyo, astonished, and Ranma looked concerned as well. But Cologne met her stare. "What exactly are you planning, Shield Sister?"

"Give me the Phoenix Pill!" Ukyo shouted. Her eyes had begun to glow. "I won't ask you again!"

Cologne stood her ground, unfazed by Ukyo's fury. Her amusement was gone, though, replaced by a calm wariness. "You aren't strong enough to take me on, Shield Sister," she commented. "And this show of anger will avail you nothing. Son-in-Law already knows what he must do to get the Phoenix Pill."

"So be it." Ukyo turned and walked towards the stream. She reached into her pocket for the cloth she had been using to bandage Ranma's hands, and began to wrap it around her own wrists. As she walked to the stream, she wrapped her hands tightly, leaving her fingers free, but still binding them across her knuckles. As she stepped into the water, her form shifted into her cursed body. She then finished tying off the wrappings, tightening them around her smaller hands.

"Ucchan..." Ranma said, concerned. "What are you doin'?"

She stood in the stream, her eyes closed. Her anger almost seemed to be a physical thing, tendrils of power seeping into the air around her, wrapping around her body like the cloth that wrapped her fists. She was shaking, now, and the blackness in her face was far worse than even when Shampoo pulled her joke. Her eyes snapped open, and she glared at Ryoga, snarling.

"You wanna fight the person who ruined your life, Ryoga? Well, you got your fight. I'm gonna show you what it means to have your life ruined..."

Ryoga looked worried, but not for himself. "Don't interfere, Ukyo. This isn't about you. This is a fight between men..."

"Bull!" Ukyo shot back. She stalked out of the stream, her fists tightly clenched. Her voice rose, in an intensity Akane had never heard before. Even in the dojo she didn't seem this angry. "I told you to leave Ranchan alone. I told you I wouldn't let you hurt him. And I told you that you did NOT want to fight me. Now you're about to find out WHY."

Ryoga backed away from her, warily, as she stopped in front of him, her arms at her side. She did not take a stance, but there was tension in every muscle of her body. "I don't fight girls," Ryoga said, his voice uncertain.

"Well that's too bad, because you're gonna fight me whether you want to or not." The glow in her eyes grew brighter. Her voice was wild, out of control. "If you won't defend yourself, then you might as well start diggin' your own grave..." She smiled, coldly. "Ryoga Hibiki, prepare to die!"


	52. The Breaking Point

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 52

"Sis! Be careful!" Ranma called out. "You don't have ta do this!" She backed away from Ukyo cautiously, as the now red haired martial artist charged at Ryoga. Ranma was obviously considering whether she should step between the two of them, but Ukyo wasn't giving her time to act.

Akane was worried as well, confused by Ukyo's sudden change in mood, but was distracted by an awkward moment of wounded pride. If she had rushed in to take on Ryoga, Ranma would have stepped in to stop her immediately, probably calling her stupid and clumsy and accusing her of interfering in a "man's fight". Yet, he lets Ukyo step in and defend him? She struggled for a moment to control the surge of jealousy and keep her focus on the battle.

As Ranma got closer, though, and she saw the expression on the ponytailed girl's face, her anger cooled. Ranma was very, very worried, she could tell, and frightened. And Ukyo was completely ignoring her twin's concerns. She had charged right at Ryoga, who instinctively ducked away from her. She did not respond at all, even when Ranma called out to her again. And Ranma seemed to be hesitant to get too close to her, her own stance still tight and defensive, even though Ryoga was no longer attacking her.

"I don't want to hurt you, Ukyo," Ryoga cut in. But again, Ukyo paid no attention to his words. He stood his ground this time, obviously on his guard, but not expecting Ukyo's attacks to do any more damage than Ranma's had. As Ukyo drew near, he struck out in a closed fist attack that Ukyo dodged easily, and then she stepped inside his reach and slammed her fist into his stomach. As with Ranma's attack, the punch was accompanied by a buzzing sound. Ryoga was knocked back a fair distance, landing on his feet and one hand, allowing him to keep his balance as he slid to a stop.

As Ryoga started to straighten himself, his eyes suddenly widened. He doubled over again, and put an arm across his stomach. He coughed, and blood came up. He was so shocked that he left himself open for a kick, and this one smashed into his face. Again, it was no simple kick, but a Chestnut Fist enhanced jackhammer blow, that made a repeated cracking noise as Ukyo's foot hit Ryoga's face. He was sent flying, the blow sending him spinning end over end.

Ryoga struggled to his feet, his hand up to cradle his jaw. He looked to be in serious pain, now. Ranma, Akane and Cologne looked at each other, while Ukyo charged in again to the attack. Aware now that he could not take a direct hit, Ryoga avoided her attacks, but Ukyo was relentless. She didn't say a word, just continued her unstoppable assault, her face still dark with hatred.

There was something about Ukyo's manner that seemed familiar to Akane. This was not her usual fighting style. Ukyo was usually a cautious fighter, relaxed and laid back, waiting for an opening or for her opponent to be worn down. Now, she was aggressive, vicious, pummeling Ryoga mercilessly, even at the cost of a counterattack. Ryoga was hard pressed to keep her off of him, and she was so fast that most of his attacks just missed her outright. But while she didn't leave openings in her defense, it was as if she didn't even care. Occasionally Ryoga would get a strike through, but it didn't even faze her. Ukyo just continued to push forward, driving the lost boy back.

"Stop it!" Ryoga called, growing irritated, now. "I don't want to have to do this!" He held out a finger, and reluctantly, began to strike with it, aiming at Ukyo's arm. She landed another attack with her Chestnut Fist, though, and Ryoga gasped, the wind knocked out of him.

How was she able to make her Chestnut Fist work? Akane knew that Ukyo wasn't that much stronger than Ranma, even in her more muscular cursed body. Yet, the attack worked for Ukyo, when it didn't for Ranma. Clearly, she had worked herself into a rage... and then Akane suddenly remembered Ukyo's words, that first time in the dojo when Ukyo made her control her temper. "It's okay to get angry, angry is good. It makes you stronger, gives you a burst of adrenaline."

"She's driven herself into the Neko-Ken!" Akane shouted. "She's using her anger to boost her strength!"

"What?" Cologne looked at the dark haired tomboy. "I didn't know Shield Sister learned that technique..."

"She didn't," Ranma corrected. She was still watching Ukyo, her expression resigned. "She's affected by the Neko-Ken, but not the same way I am. While I'm afraid of cats, she becomes enraged and desperate around them. She's driven to protect me... at any cost."

"She's gone into a berserker rage," Akane said softly. She glanced at Cologne, and the old Amazon nodded.

"But there are no cats around here!" Ryoga called out. He was still trying to avoid Ukyo's attacks, and with better understanding of the situation, decided to try using his Bakusai Tenketsu on the ground as a shield. The redhead continued to tirelessly press her attack, though, completely ignoring the clouds of dust raised by the explosions. A few jagged pieces of rock cut across her skin, but she deflected most of them the same way Ranma did, simply knocking them aside with her hands.

"I guess she doesn't need the cats," Akane said. "Just Ranma being in danger is enough." She looked at Ranma. "You knew."

Ranma nodded. "She's done this once before, to the panda." She stared at Ryoga. "The day she got cursed."

Ryoga met Ranma's blue green eyes, and gulped. He then looked back at Ukyo. The only indication that she was paying attention to the conversation was the wicked grin that spread over her face. She struck again, and Ryoga dodged, but still cried out in pain as her barrage clipped his arm. He felt his fingers going numb, but struck out, blindly aiming a Breaking Point strike at her arm. He expected it to miss, but unbelievably, it hit.

"Sis!" Ranma called out, as the strike hit Ukyo's arm. Akane gasped as well. Ukyo simply continued as if she had not been touched. The attack had hit her because she had left an opening making a Chestnut Fist blow of her own, and she caught Ryoga in the leg. The lost boy screamed as his leg buckled underneath him.

"It... the Breaking Point didn't work," Akane breathed, clutching her good hand to her chest as if to get her heart started.

Ukyo pressed her attack, and Ryoga survived only because he rolled with the blow, turning his head out of the way of her strike. She hit the ground below him instead, raising a cloud of dust of her own with the blindingly fast strikes of the Chestnut Fist. Ryoga scurried on his hands and knees away from the red headed girl, and then got to his feet, grimacing at the pain in his leg. It felt broken, although it seemed to support his weight. Either way, Ryoga knew he couldn't dodge for much longer.

Cologne shook her head, sadly. There was no satisfaction in her voice as she spoke. "The Breaking Point was developed for miners to use to create tunnels quickly and easily. It only works on rock."

"You mean Ranma was never in any danger?" Akane cried out, shocked. Then, her anger suddenly faded, and she put a hand to her face. "Well, I guess I'm grateful for that, at least."

Ukyo, however, clearly heard Cologne's comment, because the fury in her expression only increased. "Looks like the shoe is on the other foot, huh?" she snarled. "Now you're the one with an attack that won't work on me." Ryoga scrambled to get away from her. Now, the battle seemed like a mirror of Ranma dodging the Bakusai Tenketsu blasts before, but it was Ryoga dodging out of the way, and making a Breaking Point blast, which Ukyo tirelessly charged right into.

"It's over, Ryoga!" Akane called out. "Give up, before she really hurts you."

Ryoga considered it for a moment, but then he saw the look in Ukyo's eyes. "I don't think she's listening."

"She isn't," Ranma said, her voice tight. "She's not gonna stop when she's like this."

"But she's not going to KILL him..." Akane argued, but as she looked in Ukyo's eyes, she realized it as well.

"She is in a berserker rage," Cologne said. "And she will not stop until she or her opponent is dead. And with Ryoga's resilience, brought on by the Bakusai Tenketsu training, that's almost impossible. Hibiki cannot win this fight, now, but neither can Shield Sister. This fight will continue until they both die of exhaustion."

"Thanks for the word of confidence, old mummy!" Ryoga shouted. He then ducked as Ukyo came at him again. Unable to retreat, he blew the two of them apart with a Bakusai Tenketsu.

Cologne smiled at bit at his defiance, but her voice was serious. "She is already pushing her body beyond its limits to be able to do this kind of damage." She gestured at Ukyo's hands, and the bandages that were starting to be stained with her blood. "She's beating her own body to death. It's just a question whether that and the Bakusai Tenketsu will wear her down before or after she kills Hibiki."

"Good enough for me," Ukyo said, her voice cruel. "What about you, Charlotte? You ready to die, like you keep saying? Or is that just more of your bull...?"

Cologne shook her head. "This is not what I intended. I was aware of Son-in-Law's Neko-Ken training and was even prepared in case he tried to use it. But I was not expecting this..."

"I've got to stop her!" Akane yelled, and she rushed at Ukyo. She tried to grab the red headed girl from behind, but with one arm she was not able to get much of a grip.

"Akane! No!" Ranma called out. Ukyo drew her elbow back and slammed it into Akane, and the other girl went flying. She landed with a thump on the ground, cradling her injured arm, with a look of pain on her face.

Ryoga charged in, hoping the distraction would allow him to catch Ukyo off guard. She struck out at him, though, and although he tried to use his arm to block, the Chestnut Fist enhanced punch shoved his arm aside, and smashed into his chest. Ryoga staggered back, his breathing growing ragged. His whole arm had gone numb, and he fell to the ground, his leg giving out from the strain. Ukyo closed in for the kill.

Ranma leaped at her, wrapping her long arms around the smaller red haired girl. Ukyo's smaller mass was more stable, and she twisted, throwing Ranma off of her. Ranma flew through the air, but she flipped, coming down on her feet, and darted back in. Ukyo met her charge, and grabbed Ranma's arm, twisting it up and back, viciously. Ranma cried out in pain, but was able to flip over, and then pull herself free.

"Ukyo!" Akane yelled out. "You've got to stop this! I know you're mad at Ryoga, but you're letting your anger control you. Just like you told me, you've got to get it under control!"

"I am in control," Ukyo said darkly. "As Charlotte here is about to find out..."

She charged at Ryoga again, but Ranma tackled her, forcing her away from the Lost Boy. Akane finished getting to her feet, and helped Ryoga get out of the line of fire. Ukyo tried to follow them, but Ranma kept her distracted with her flying attacks.

Ranma was still exhausted, though, and avoided using her own Chestnut Fist, knowing it would quickly wear her out. Ukyo suddenly turned on her sister, hitting the other girl with a barrage of punches and kicks that Ranma only barely seemed to keep up with. The air was filled with a thin spray of blood. Ranma's cursed form, as tough as she was, was still not enough to stand up to Ukyo's greater strength.

"Come on, Sis," Ranma said. "I know you don't wanna do this. Akane's right. Ryoga's beaten. You don't need to hurt him anymore."

"Why are you defending him?" Ukyo shouted. "He used me, he used Akane! Doesn't that make you angry? How can you get in my way?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Ranma yelled back. "Yeah, I wanna see that pig beaten to a pulp as much as you do! But for some reason, Akane don't want me to kill him. So I won't. And somehow, I get the feelin' you don't wanna kill him either..."

"Yes, I do! He DESERVES to die!" Ukyo countered. Her eyes were wild now, the darkness of her anger replaced by desperation, and fear. "He deserves to die for what he did to me... and to Akane. He made me sit there and watch while he used her! He made me help him keep his secret, hide the truth from my best friend. I... I sat there watching, all night, while he... he cuddled up to her, and... and she didn't even know! I couldn't tell her! I couldn't tell her, I couldn't stop him, from... from..."

Akane interrupted, still holding Ryoga upright as he struggled to catch his breath. He was watching the fight, stunned. "It's all right, Ukyo! I understand how you feel! But you've got to let go! Your anger, your hatred, you've got to let go of it! Just like Ryoga." He glanced at her, but she wasn't looking at him. "This is going to destroy you both if you let it continue!"

"He FORCED me to help him while he... took her innocence!" Ukyo yelled, at Ranma. She struck out at Ranma again, and the ponytailed girl backed away, not resisting as her sister kept up the assault. "I couldn't protect her! I wanted to protect her, I wanted to protect her for you, but I couldn't! I couldn't protect you! I let him take something from you, from the woman that you love..."

Suddenly, Ukyo's face twisted in anguish. She fell to her knees, putting her hands to her face, as the tears began to fall. "The woman you love more than me."

Ukyo wailed in her grief, and then Ranma knelt next to her, and took her in his arms. There was just a moment's hesitation, but then he held her, tightly. "Akane forgives ya, Ucchan, and so do I. I love you, Sis."

Ryoga's face had gone pale, and he stared, open mouthed. After a moment, Akane heard him whisper, "I... I didn't mean..."

Akane pulled him back a little. "Not right now, Ryoga. Let Ranma handle this."

Ranma just held Ukyo, while she cried, clinging to his chest. "Let it go, Sis," Ranma said. "Just let it go."

"I didn't mean... to do that," Ryoga continued, his voice still quiet. "I... I don't understand. She... she knew who I was. She threatened to hurt me if I touched her. Surely she can't think I would... do... that..."

There was a moment of silence, broken only by Ukyo's sobs. Then Akane looked at Ryoga. "Can you explain what it feels like, to be small and helpless, to be constantly afraid of being somebody's meal?"

Ryoga looked up at her, his eyes widening as her meaning sank in. "No," he said softly. "I can't."

"Neither can I," she said. "It's... not something you can explain."

They both turned to look back at the two girls huddled on the forest floor, Ranma holding her sister tightly, speaking softly to her. "But Ranma..." Ryoga muttered.

"He understands," Akane said, her voice sad. "I wish he didn't. I wouldn't want anyone to know what that... feels like. But he does."

"But..."

Akane glanced at him, her expression stern, but understanding. "Don't try to think about it. Just put it behind you." She looked back at Ranma and Ukyo. "That's what she's doing."

Ranma looked up, as Cologne approached. She tossed something to the brown haired girl, and she caught it. It was the Phoenix Pill locket, still on its chain. "You earned this," the Amazon Elder said. "As did Shield Sister."

"But... I didn't beat him," Ranma said, confused. "You said I couldn't use anyone else's skills or prowess but my own. Ukyo beat him, not me."

"It was your technique that she used," Cologne answered, her voice nonchalant. "And that's your body, or your body as a female."

She then smiled, her same wry smile as usual. "Close enough for me." With that, she turned and hopped off on her staff.

* * *

A very quiet trio of girls arrived at Ranma's campsite, each too lost in their own thoughts to speak. Ukyo looked exhausted, and her mood was very quiet and reserved. Ranma was quiet as well, and held her sister with an arm around her waist, as they walked. Although Ukyo didn't lean against her, she seemed very grateful for the comfort.

"I'll put some hot water on," Akane said, as they approached the campfire. She set down her tent and supplies, which she had packed up for the trip back to their camp, and began fishing around for a kettle. She quickly fetched one, and then filled it up with water from the stream.

The other two were quiet, as Akane set the kettle over the fire. She could guess why. "You don't think Cologne tricked us again, do you?"

"I hope not," Ukyo said. Her eyes narrowed. "If she did, I've had it with that old coot."

"I don't think she'd do that," Ranma said. Akane could hear the uncertainty in her voice, though. They had been through so much, and finally had the Phoenix Pill in their grasp. It was hard to believe it wouldn't be snatched away, at the last minute.

Ranma had even taken the pill already, just in case. All that remained now was to test it. "I'm sure it will work," Akane said, trying to sound optimistic. "Cologne may not have told us that the Breaking Point doesn't work on people, or that Ranma would get burned trying to learn the Chestnut Fist, but she didn't lie about it, either. I don't think she would give us the pill and then just not have it work."

She wished she could dispel her own fears, but Akane's words seem to have cheered Ranma up. "Well then, get a move on, girly!" She said, in a drawl something like Ukyo's.

Akane glanced up at her. "Did you just call me 'girly'?"

Ranma swallowed. She gave a tentative smile. "Y-Yeah."

Deciding to tease her a little, Akane put a hand on her hip. "Didn't you say you don't like for me to be girly?"

"Well, ya know, bein' an uncute tomboy and all, you could use to be a little more like a girl," Ranma smirked, catching the gleam in Akane's eyes. "But not TOO much, if you know what I mean."

"You mean, not as much as you?"

"Hey, I ain't girly at all." Ranma wasn't exactly insulted, but she seemed sure of herself.

"That wasn't what I thought when I saw you in that dress, with your hair up in pigtails. You looked pretty girly to me."

"That was just a disguise!" Ranma protested. "I figured nobody'd recognize Sis in a girly getup like that..."

Ukyo chuckled. "So I guess that makes you more girly than the both of us."

"Gah," Ranma commented. Then she muttered something under her breath.

"What was that?" Akane asked.

"I said I gotta unwrap myself."

Both Ukyo and Akane burst out laughing. "Well, go free those luscious breasts of yours, girly girl," Akane quipped. Ranma snorted again, and ducked into the tent. She came out a few moments later with her shirt partially buttoned, and her pants loosened around her waist.

Akane brought the kettle over to her. "Well, I think it's hot enough, so say goodbye to the girly girl." She giggled as she handed the kettle to Ranma.

Ranma paused for a moment, obviously preparing herself for the worst. Then she poured the hot water over herself. She gave a sigh of relief as she felt the water cascade over her, without burning her skin. A few seconds later, her body suddenly expanded, filling out the loosened clothing. Her hair shortened and returned to its natural black.

"It worked! I'm a man again! Wahoo!" Overjoyed, Ranma picked up Akane, and twirled her around. The kettle just clanged to the ground, tossed to the side and ignored. Akane laughed brightly, pleased to see Ranma so happy. Ranma stopped and held Akane tightly, as he stared into her eyes. Akane looked up at him, savoring the feel of his warmth and strength after so long.

Suddenly, Akane leaped up, and pressed her lips against Ranma's. She put one hand behind his head, drawing him close as she kissed him deeply, almost devouring him with her intensity. Her lips moved as she sought a better angle, guiding Ranma with her hand to kiss her more firmly. And she began to moan, gasping into Ranma's mouth, and making little growling noises in the back of her throat.

Then, she ended the kiss, and drew back. Her eyes widened a bit, and her cheeks turned flaming red. She cast her eyes downward, swallowing as she stepped away. She put a hand to her injured arm, rubbing it protectively, even though she hadn't hurt it by holding Ranma.

"Um... uh... I'm sorry, Ranma," she muttered, ashamed. After a moment, she cut her eyes back up at him, shyly. "I... I guess I missed you..."

Ranma smirked at her. "I missed me too, tomboy."

"Baka," Akane breathed, but then Ranma tilted her chin up, and kissed her again. Akane managed to keep her control this time, but still returned the kiss passionately.

Unfortunately, the tender moment was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing her throat. Both Ranma and Akane blushed deeply, as they turned to look at Ukyo.

She was grinning from ear to ear. She had picked up the kettle from where it had fallen, and used the last of the water to return to her normal form. "Ya know, this is heartwarming as all get out, but if I don't get to bed right now, I'm going to collapse right where I stand. So do you two mind if I turn in?"

"Naw, Sis. Take the big tent, you and Akane can share it. I'll set up Akane's tent, for me."

"All right." She smirked at Akane. "I'll see you when you're ready to go to bed then - unless I'm already asleep. If I am, don't wake me." She headed for the tent. "You two have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do..."

"Sis..." Ranma whined, but Ukyo had already ducked inside the tent. He looked down at Akane, who was still blushing deeply, but smiling up at him. Her smile slowly faded, though, and she looked away from him. Her expression seemed to become one of shame again.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, and then slapped her forehead. "Oh, no! I forgot to ask Ukyo if she wanted to cook tonight!"

"I'm not wakin' her up just to cook somethin'!"

"I know, she's exhausted. I can't do that to her!" She looked up at Ranma, biting her lip. "But... would you eat my cooking?"

"I never said I wouldn't," Ranma commented, a bit sourly.

Akane blushed and looked away again. "I know, but... I don't want to cook if you're going to... hate it."

Ranma put a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't I help you with it? I'm no cook myself, but I can at least keep an eye on ya."

A tentative smile came over Akane's face. "Okay. Maybe you're right." Her voice grew a little bolder. "I can do okay. After all, I've been cooking for a whole week now, and it hasn't been that bad. Ryoga liked it..."

That make Ranma wince, and a frown came over his face again. Akane swallowed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Of course Ryoga said he liked it. That doesn't mean it was good..."

"Don't worry about it, Akane," Ranma said. He started helping Akane unpack her supplies. "With me to help you, it'll be just like back at home."

There was just enough left for one last stew, and Akane quickly set about mixing the ingredients in her pot, after washing it out. Ranma made a few suggestions, but once the stew was simmering it looked like Akane had things well in hand. So, Ranma set about setting up her tent. Akane just sat, stirring the pot, and occasionally tasting it as she added her seasonings. It seemed to be going well, and so she started to get her nervousness under control.

Her pensive mood was not entirely due to the cooking, however. Her mind played over the argument they had almost gotten into, and how she was so worried that he would insult her cooking. Did it really bother her so much that he insulted her? She wanted to apologize for leaving him earlier, to go with Ryoga, but she just couldn't do it. She took a deep breath, knowing she had to broach the subject, but she just couldn't find the courage to speak.

Ranma jumped, as Akane let out a loud scream. He rushed over, expecting to find her under attack, but she was berating herself, and trying to add Tabasco sauce to the stew. Although Ranma didn't mind if the stew was a little spicy, it was obvious Akane had flown into a panic. "Whoa, whoa, hey! What are ya doin'?" Ranma asked, as he tried to get the bottle away from her. Akane fought back, and they struggled for the bottle.

"I added vinegar again!" Akane shouted, her eyes tearing up. "It was an accident! I just wasn't paying attention, and..."

"Well, hold on, just stop a moment."

"If I don't fix it now, it'll be ruined!" Akane replied, her voice desperate. "I gotta fix it!"

"Well, it won't be any more ruined a minute from now. So stop, take a breath, and relax for a minute, okay?"

Akane tried to resist, but Ranma kept pulling at the bottle until she finally let it go. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, although she was shaking. "That's it," Ranma said. "Just find your focus."

Finally, Akane seemed to regain control of herself. She sniffled, and started to sob a little. "Okay, okay. What do you want me to do?"

"Well, first of all, Akane, when you mess up, you don't just keep addin' stuff to try and fix it. Ya throw it out and start over."

Akane's eyes flew open. "I can't throw it out!" She yelled, on the verge of panic again. "That's all the meat we have left! There isn't anything else!"

"All right, all right," Ranma gestured for her to calm down. "First off, taste it, and make sure it ya really did ruin it. How much vinegar did you add?"

Akane tasted it, but then made a face. "Too much."

"Okay, what do you have left?"

"Nothing but some vegetables. Mainly some peppers I didn't want to use before. I wasn't sure if Ryoga would like it."

"All right. We both like spicy food, you know that. So just go ahead and add all those peppers, and whatever other hot stuff you've got, too." He handed her the Tabasco sauce bottle, and she looked oddly at it as she took it, and then scowled.

"You told me not to add this," she accused.

"I told you to wait a moment and calm down," Ranma said with a smirk. "I told ya to think about it, and now you've thought about it. The spicy flavor will cover up the vinegar."

She looked unsure. "Okay, if you say so." She quickly added the peppers to the pot, and then tasted it before adding a little more Tabasco. "You're right... this is okay."

"Told ya so. Now just let that finish warmin' up, and we'll eat."

It took several minutes for Akane's heart to quit pounding in her chest, but the momentary panic had done nothing to dispel her fears. Finally, she found herself speaking the thoughts that had so bothered her before, although she couldn't raise her voice any further than a whisper. "Is this the way it's always going to be for us?"

"What do ya mean?"

She looked up at him. "I was so happy a minute ago. I was so happy seeing you happy, to be a man again. And now we're arguing and fighting again. Why do we keep doing that?"

"I dunno. Is it so bad?"

Akane turned to look at him, startled, but his expression was serious. She looked into his eyes as he stared back at her, and she could see the fear there, so much like her own. "I... I don't know, Ranma." She looked down. "Aren't we supposed to be... getting along, or something?"

"What would be the fun in that? Sis and I are always fightin' all the time. Pop and I always fight. Well, maybe that's a bad example..." Ranma looked off into the distance, as he grinned, ruefully.

"Yes, but your sister can cook," Akane told him. "And she's a good martial artist, too. You pick on each other, but you're proud of her. I just feel like... I feel like..." She looked at the ground. "I'm in the way."

Ranma was silent for a long moment. "You ain't in the way," Ranma said, finally, in a dismissive tone of voice. "Don't be stupid."

"I don't know if I can believe you," Akane muttered.

The pigtailed boy gave a loud sigh. "Look, you're a good martial artist, okay. You've got a ways to go, but man, when you set your mind to something..." He was looking at her arm, in the sling. "I dunno. You get hurt sometimes, but..."

Akane looked up at him, as he toyed with his pigtail, with his hand behind his head. She could tell he was frustrated, trying to reassure her, but not sure how. She managed to smile. "Thanks. I guess you're right."

She was silent for a moment, as she stirred the pot. "It's just... sometimes I wish I could hear you say my cooking is good. Even if you don't mean it. Just to hear you say it."

"I ain't gonna do that, Akane," Ranma said sternly. Then his expression softened. "But when ya do cook somethin' good, I'll tell ya."

"What if it's NEVER good, Ranma?" She rounded on him, the tears coming to her eyes again. "What if it never gets any better? What if I can't do it?"

"So you're just gonna give up? Just like that?"

"No, not just like that!" She turned away, wiping her eyes. "I don't WANT to give up. But... how long should I keep trying?"

Ranma sighed. Finally, he tentatively put an arm around her. "As long as it takes." He paused a moment, as if he thought of something. "Don't worry. You'll get it. And in the meantime, think of it as training."

"Training?"

"Yeah. Believe me, Pops and I ate much worse stuff than this when I was growin' up. Even when Ukyo came along, like I said, sometimes we couldn't get fresh ingredients, and it went a bit bad. There were times I got pretty sick from the stuff we ate."

Akane was looking at him, one eyebrow raised, but Ranma continued. "After a while, it just started to toughen us all up, and it wasn't so bad any more. So Pops said that it was like training. That's one reason I can take stuff like Kodachi's paralysis poison, and it wears off so fast. My body's used to dealing with stuff like that."

From the expression on Akane's face, that was not exactly what she had wanted to hear. She wasn't angry, but that didn't stop her battle aura from crackling with indignation. "So you're telling me that my cooking is training to resist poisons?"

Ranma knew he was treading on thin ice, but he still managed a half a grin. "Uh... yeah?"

"I guess it will have to do." Akane sighed, rolling her eyes. "It's not much of a compliment, but I'll take what I can get."

"Sorry, tomboy," Ranma said, and his voice was sincere.

"Don't worry about it." She shook her head, but then smiled. "At least you tried. Now let's see how this stew turned out."

It was pretty hot, as Akane had expected, but she was able to eat it. Ranma devoured his portion with his usual enthusiasm, but Akane was able to match him bite for bite. Her appetite was still as great as it had been earlier, and she found herself eating almost too fast to taste it. Although she did break out into a sweat. Finally, Ranma noticed, and grinned at her.

"It can't be that awful if you're eatin' it like that."

"I've been really hungry all week, Ranma." She lifted her arm. "Probably because of this."

"Maybe. But it could just be you're gettin' stronger. Sis an' I never got a lot to eat growin' up, but there were always times Pops was able to scam somebody or scrounge some food up, and it always made us feel a lot stronger. Plus, since comin' to your home there's always been plenty to eat.

"If you work out like we do, you need a lotta energy. So I'm not surprised you're eatin' more."

"But I didn't really do anything but watch Ryoga train," Akane said. But even as she did, she remembered her training on her own, and her sparring with the improvised speed bag. She looked down at the ground, blushing, not really wanting Ranma to know how she had really hurt herself.

Ranma said nothing, though, apparently not noticing her discomfort. Finally, they both finished their meal, and Akane packed up the cooking gear for the trip home. To her embarrassment, Akane found herself having to hold back a belch. Apparently, the meal was sitting on her stomach a little badly. She hoped what Ranma had said about bad food didn't apply to the supplies Genma bought for this trip.

She was able to relieve her problem with making any noise, which was good. After all, Akane thought, she might be a tomboy, but there was no way she was going to be THAT much of a tomboy.

"Good night, Ranma," she said, as she headed for her and Ukyo's tent. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Sure, Akane," Ranma replied. He was silent for a moment, but then as Akane lifted the flap to go into the tent, he suddenly spoke up.

"Hey, Akane," he said. "Just so ya know. I don't like ya for your cooking. I like yer cooking for you."

Akane stopped and stared at him. Ranma started to laugh, realizing how cheesy what he had said was, but he didn't look away. After a moment, Akane smiled.

"Thanks, Ranma. Sometimes you can say the right thing."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I made a huge plot error last chapter. Actually, I had been having trouble for a couple of chapters, the words wouldn't come, and I wasn't sure why. I finally realized my mistake when I got to the scene where Ukyo demands the Phoenix Pill from Cologne, and realized I had left something out. My original plan had been for Ukyo to use Shampoo to drive herself into the Neko-Ken. But I had neglected to write Shampoo into the scene. :)

My idea for this portion of the story was to base it on the end of the Phoenix Pill arc, where Ranma goes into the Neko-Ken and fights Cologne. I was always a little bothered by that storyline, though, because it struck me as odd that Cologne was surprised by the Neko-Ken. Shampoo knew about Ranma's fear of cats, particularly in the Anime, so I couldn't see why Shampoo didn't warn Cologne about it. And as I have said earlier, I wanted to drop the actual battle since it is inconsistent, taking place in a watermelon race in the manga, and a snowman race in the Anime.

Although I did not originally know how I was going to end the Phoenix Pill arc, I knew I was going to end it with the Bakusai Tenketsu battle, and Ryoga's challenge would thus be for the Phoenix Pill and not Akane. But it wasn't until I realized that I could have Ukyo go into the Neko-Ken instead of Ranma that it all fell into place. The battle then becomes between Ukyo and Ryoga over the misuse of Ryoga's curse, and their shared betrayal of Akane. Ukyo finally gets to release all of her guilt and feelings of violation, while Ryoga has the consequences of his actions brought home to him.

In retrospect, I think the story works better this way. Shampoo would have been a distraction, whether she had been with Cologne and Akane, which would probably have led to some arguments, or with Ranma and Ukyo. And Ukyo's version of the Neko-Ken is very different from Ranma's, so while I had established it could be brought on by cats, I don't think it's too much of a stretch for her to go into it on her own, as long as there is a threat to Ranma. It helps that Ukyo doesn't go "into" the Neko-Ken like Ranma does; it's an effect she can always draw on.

One holdover from the previous version is Cologne's condition on the duel. Her making Ranma promise to use only his own skills and prowess was meant as protection against the Neko-Ken. While in the Neko-Ken, Ranma is not himself, he is the cat self, and so those aren't "his" skills or prowess, they're the cat's. However, the way the battle actually turned out, Ukyo defeats Ryoga, but it is Ranma that prevents her from killing him, thereby saving Ryoga, and helping Ukyo overcome what he did to her. So he does "defeat" Ryoga, although ultimately Cologne gave him the Phoenix Pill because like Shampoo, she realized her scheme was doing too much harm to Ukyo as well.


	53. Sparring Partners

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 53

Akane awakened with a sharp pain in her stomach, and a sense of urgency that wouldn't allow her to sleep any longer. She had vague memories of nightmares, and awakening from time to time with nausea and discomfort that had kept her tossing and turning all night. She would roll over and ignore the pain, too exhausted to get up, until finally she would drift off again, only to be pulled back out of her light sleep some time later. She couldn't tell for sure how much later, as she wasn't really aware of the passage of time, caught in that state between waking and sleep. Clearly, her cooking had not agreed with her.

Despite the pain, she really didn't have the energy to do anything but just lay there and suffer. It was easier when she was asleep, so she would just close her eyes and just try to relax. This time, however, the stomach ache was accompanied by a pressing need, that just simply couldn't be ignored, no matter how little sleep she had gotten. Reluctantly, Akane sat up, and tried not to retch as the movement set her head spinning.

She glanced over at Ukyo, to make sure her tent mate was still asleep. Ukyo had mentioned to Akane that she tended to kick and punch in her sleep. Normally this didn't bother Ukyo, since Akane slept in her bed, and Ukyo on a bedroll on the floor. At the moment, though, the other girl's sleeping bag was only a few feet away from hers. Considering the way she had been tossing and turning all night, she was slightly concerned that she might have disturbed her friend. The brown haired girl was snoring softly, though, apparently either too deep in sleep or too exhausted herself to notice Akane's thrashing.

Akane regarded her friend fondly, noticing a slight smile on her face. Ukyo did look tired, but relaxed and calm in her sleep. Akane was glad, considering all the girl had gone through. "Sweet dreams, Ucchan," she muttered quietly. She stroked her hair, being careful not to wake her. "From now on, I'll be watching over you."

Reminded again of that urgent need that was clamoring for her attention, Akane crawled out of her own sleeping bag, and made her way out of the tent. Pushing aside the flap, she stepped out into the clearing. In the moonlight, she could clearly see the remains of their campfire, and that it had been built back up to a small fire. Ranma was stoking it, throwing some spare twigs into it to keep it going.

"Ranma!" Akane called out, surprised to see him. "What are you doing still up?"

Ranma turned to her, and smiled knowingly as he looked her over. Akane was sweating, and still had a slightly pained expression. "Same thing as you, I bet," he told her.

Akane blushed deeply as she realized what he meant. "Oh..."

"Here ya go." He tossed her a roll of toilet paper. "There's a good spot down that way with some privacy." He pointed to a path leading out of the clearing.

"Um... oh, okay." Still blushing, Akane gingerly started across the clearing towards the path. As she passed him, Ranma grinned impishly.

"It's gonna hurt like Hell, tomboy. Just thought you should know."

She looked at him, her eyes widening. "I did NOT need to know that!"

Ranma kept the mischievous grin. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Akane disappeared into the trees. A few minutes later, she returned, her face pale, and her body trembling slightly. But she looked much better, her skin having lost its greenish pallor. She walked over to sit down beside him, and Ranma poked at the fire, stirring the coals.

"I guess I'm not ready to cook without Ukyo's help," she said with a sigh.

"You'll get it," Ranma said.

"Training, huh?" she added. "Even so, I think I'll pass on the gastrointestinal distress from now on."

There was a long silence, and then Akane took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry, Ranma. I never meant for you to think I had chosen Ryoga over you. I was just trying to see if he had changed, if he was really ready to forgive you and Ukyo, or if he was just saying what he thought I wanted to hear..."

Ranma looked away, and Akane's lip trembled as she studied him. "I... I... I didn't mean to betray you like that, Ranma. I'm so sorry." Her voice became choked. "Ryoga doesn't mean anything to me. You've got to believe that!"

"Well... Akane..." Ranma kept his head turned away, but he cut his eyes to glance at her. "I guess I never meant for you to think I don't... you know... need you..."

Akane sniffled, and she reached out to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Ranma... You're the only one I ever want to be with. No matter what. I don't want to be with anyone else but you. I swear it."

The pigtailed boy turned and took his fiancee in his arms, while she leaned against his chest. She wasn't crying, really, although a few tears fell anyway. She hugged him tightly, while Ranma stroked her short hair. She stayed like that for several minutes, just savoring the feel of being held close.

"So... what did ya find?" Ranma finally asked. "About Ryoga, I mean."

"I'm not sure." Akane wiped her eyes, and then turned thoughtful. "I hope he's learned something. But I can't really tell. He was so ready to kill you over his grudge, after all that I said to him..."

She looked up into Ranma's blue eyes. "He told me to tell you, though, that if you had been in your male body, you would have won. Ukyo was able to hurt him, and even with the Neko-Ken, he thinks you're still probably stronger than that. So he wanted me to tell you that as far as he's concerned, he got his duel, and you beat him fair and square."

"Well, that's something, anyway," Ranma commented.

Akane smiled a bit. "He did say he plans to keep training, and someday he'll come back and beat you. But he wanted me to tell you..." she blushed, deeply, cutting her eyes away. "... that he expects you to take good care of me, and if you don't, he'll um, 'make you pay'." Despite her embarrassment, Akane still seemed amused at Ryoga's protectiveness.

Her smile then faded. "But I don't know about him and Ukyo. I couldn't get him to talk about her. He said he'd think about it, but... I don't think he wants to admit how mad he still is. He's still making excuses..."

"Pervert pig," Ranma growled. "If I'd known what Sis was goin' through, I woulda been harder on that Pork Chop..."

"Yes, I know Ranma, but I hope that that's what finally got through to him. I just hope..." She stared into Ranma's eyes for a moment. She didn't think it was a good idea to mention her suspicions about Ryoga's feelings for Ukyo. If he thought Ryoga was attracted to his sister, Ranma would probably get protective of her. "... I hope he can come to terms with his anger and realize what a friend he has in Ukyo."

She leaned against Ranma's chest. "... Like I did with you."

They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other. Finally, Akane looked up, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Hey, Ranma, why don't we spar a little?"

Ranma looked around at their darkened camp. "What, now?" He sounded shocked, after all, it was the middle of the night.

"Sure, why not? There's enough light, since the moon is out, and we came here to train. So let's train!"

"What about your arm?"

"What about it?" Akane scowled. "You're not going to take me seriously anyway, so what difference does that make?"

"Hey! I've already told you, I'm not going to..."

Akane waved her hand, smiling. Her irritation at Ranma's concern seemed to have been only momentary. "All right, all right. Just be a little careful of it. I know you're not going to go all out, but you can at least give me a workout. I'm feeling a lot better now, and I want to work off a little energy before I go back to bed."

Ranma eyed the black haired girl cautiously. He could tell she was serious, and she wasn't angry with him, but there was something slightly off about her expression. It was challenging, a bit more than usual, like she was planning something. He considered whether or not there could be any harm in it, and finally decided there was none. After all, she had agreed he could go easy on her, and was showing the proper concern for her arm.

He took a stance opposite her, masking his stance in his usual fashion, and waited for her to attack. She did so, but more cautiously than in her match with Genma, being careful not to overextend herself. As before in the dojo, Ranma found he had to push himself to avoid her blows, even more because he lacked the speed of his sister's body. Akane began to feint, and he had to block one of her punches to keep her from tagging him. She smiled at the victory, but didn't let down her guard.

"Still not going to strike at me, are you?" Akane asked, her eyes twinkling. She was definitely planning something.

"I told you, Akane, I don't hit girls. Even girls as good as you..."

Akane chuckled, smiling a bit at the compliment. But she met his gaze with a smirk. "You keep saying that, but you know what I say to that. You'll hit Ucchan and Shampoo. So come on, give me a challenge..." She opened some holes in her defense to lure him into attacking, while pressing her own attacks to make him push back.

With a smug smile of his own, Ranma struck out with a few light blows, just to make her tighten up her form. Akane immediately responded, countering his attacks. Her brown eyes watched him carefully, obviously waiting for an opening.

When she finally saw one, Akane struck. Ranma blocked it, and then turned to avoid a follow up attack. As he moved, though, Akane suddenly darted the wrong way. Hopping on one foot, as if leaning out too far, Akane suddenly twisted, and appeared to stumble.

Her clumsy move had made his block head straight for her injured arm. Desperate, Ranma pulled it back, knowing that she wouldn't be able to avoid the blow totally. She managed to lift her arm at the last minute, though, and he caught her in the side. His strike sent her flying through the air, the unexpected force of it knocking her off her feet. Akane fell to the ground, rolling to shield her arm from the fall.

"Akane! You okay?" He saw the look of agony come over her face, as Akane's injured arm was wrenched by the fall. The stupid tomboy could have made the break even worse! Pushing that thought aside, Ranma concentrated on rushing to her side. As Akane bit her lip, whimpering in pain, he put out a hand to help her up.

Suddenly, Akane flipped back to her feet, and struck out with a punch right at his chest. His guard was still up, despite his concern, and Ranma was able to twist his arm around, and deflect the blow. Akane's charge carried her past him, and she tried a back kick, but he simply jumped away. She got back into her stance, all signs of pain gone from her expression, and with that wicked smile once again on her face.

"Good try, Akane. That would have caught me, too, if I was a little slower."

"I didn't figure you'd fall for it," Akane said, still smirking. "But I had to try."

Ranma grinned back as Akane circled him. That trick had all the hallmarks of his sister. So that's what Akane was planning. Well, he knew all his sister's tricks, and none of them were going to catch him off guard. Let the tomboy practice them, he thought, it'll do her good to add a little variety to her fighting style.

"I should have expected that," Ranma commented. "Especially after the way you handled the Old Man. Sis taught you that move, huh?"

"Yep. Practiced it for a couple of weeks, in the dojo. Ucchan knew I couldn't take your father in a straight fight, but she said if I could take him down fast, it'd be too much a blow to his pride and he wouldn't challenge me again."

"Another couple of months, and you might be able to take Pops for real."

"Thanks, Ranma," Akane said, obviously pleased.

"I bet you're the one who made that phone call, too," Ranma said. "Sis wouldn't say, but she knew a lot about the training that she wouldna known unless she was there."

Akane blushed deeply, but she nodded. "It took me forever to find an aid station. For a while there, I thought I would have to go back down the mountain and go into town, to find a phone. But that's why I had to leave a message, I knew Ryoga and Cologne would come looking for me if I stayed away too long."

"Why'd ya tell Sis not to tell me?"

"I... I thought you might not trust me, if you knew it came from me." She swallowed, and looked away.

"I trust you, tomboy." Ranma smiled. "Thanks for watchin' my back."

They continued to circle each other, throwing the occasional punch, when suddenly Akane zigged when she should have zagged again. She blundered right into Ranma's punch, and it was about to hit her right in the arm. With her earlier close call still fresh in his mind, Ranma was already on the alert for just such a mistake, and quickly pulled his punch. He didn't even hit her that time, stopping his fist well before it reached her.

Akane stared at his hand for a moment, open mouthed, and then her eyes began to flash with an all too familiar anger. She looked up at him. "You ARE holding back! You didn't even try to stop that! You just decided to stop it, and you did!"

"Hey, at least I didn't hit you!" Ranma snapped back at her.

"I am a martial artist, just like you!" Akane shouted, getting up in his face. The heat of her aura was beginning to radiate from her, now, and Ranma gulped. "A martial artist is supposed to be able to stand a little pain! You aren't taking me seriously!"

"You're a stupid, clumsy tomboy!" Ranma answered. "You've got a broken arm! You SHOULD be more careful!"

"If I have a broken arm, then I DESERVE to be hurt for making a stupid mistake like that!" Akane poked him in the chest. "It's how I learn not to make mistakes! But you don't care about that! All you care about is protecting your Akane, and making sure she doesn't get hurt! But I'm not fragile! I wouldn't need you to protect me, if you'd just TRUST me!"

She pulled back her hand as if to punch him, and Ranma cringed. But suddenly, as her arm came forward, it was as if a switch had been pulled. Akane's anger vanished, and her battle aura snapped inward, wrapping itself tightly around her body before seemingly dissipating. Her fist never landed, instead, she suddenly dropped, and swept with her leg. Ranma flipped over forward onto his face, and Akane's open palm struck him right in the chest. He went flying backwards, the wind knocked out of him by a blow that was carefully controlled, and yet surprisingly powerful.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ranma saw Akane dart forward, with a speed he had never seen from her before. She actually outraced him as he flew through the air, arriving at the same spot just before he hit the ground. She slid around behind him, and he found himself sitting in her lap. Her arm went around his neck, and then she put her other arm, still in the sling, against her wrist. She then tightened her grip on his neck, and Ranma realized he was caught in a chokehold, with her legs pinning his arms to his side.

Ranma struggled to get loose, but he quickly realized that Akane's hold was secure. There was one way to break it, but that meant he would have to put pressure on Akane's injured arm. He looked up into her face, and noticed strain there, as she bit her lip against the pain. But she was grinning, smugly, clearly aware that she had him at her mercy. And with her strength, it would be tough to get his arms free.

"DAMN IT!" Ranma suddenly shouted. "You HAVE been talkin' ta Sis, haven't you?"

"Yep," Akane said. Her smile widened. "So you know what you have to say."

"No way! No way!" He scowled at her, now angry himself. But Akane didn't seem angry at all. "You know this is just a trick! It don't count!"

Akane tightened her arm. "You know what you have to say."

"I can break this easy!" Ranma protested. "You ain't done nothin'!"

She leaned forward, to look him in the eye. Her smile was disarmingly sweet, but Ranma still could not help but grind his teeth at the satisfaction in her eyes. "I know good and well you won't break it, because to do that, you will have to hurt me. You'll have to hurt my arm, possibly injure it worse than it's already hurt."

Her smile turned a bit more serious, her expression softening. "And you also know that I'm having to endure pain to maintain this hold. The longer I hold it, the more it hurts me."

Ranma growled, knowing that she was telling the truth. It was hurting her to maintain the hold. And he could stop it. But...

The challenging smirk returned. "Come on, Ranma. You can say it to Ukyo. So say it to me."

There was a long pause, while Ranma ground his teeth in frustration. Then, he lowered his head. "Fine. You... you... win, Akane." His voice was a whisper. "I'm... defeated."

Akane leaped to her feet, with a whoop of joy. Ranma scowled at her, as she pumped her fist in the air. Then, just before he could really get mad, she looked down at him, and gave him that sweet smile again.

"Ranma..." she said, her voice soft. "How in the world could you fall for such a transparent trick? I even pulled that trick with pretending to be hurt to test you, to see if you'd drop your guard. You didn't." She giggled. "How could you fall for exactly the same thing?"

When Ranma didn't answer, she continued. "When your sister told me that all I had to do was pretend to be angry with you, and you'd drop your guard, I told her she was crazy. I mean, I know I always somehow manage to hit you when you make me mad at you, but I just figured you chose not to dodge, so I could get it out of my system." She smirked. "Either that, or you're so dense you're actually surprised when you say something insulting to me."

Ranma growled and stood up, walking away from her. Akane's expression turned apologetic, and she approached him, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "Do... do you feel you need to be punished or something... when you hurt me?" she asked, hesitantly.

"That's kinda it." He pulled away from her. "So I guess you want the same deal, huh?" He asked, his voice harsh. "I take you seriously, and you don't pull that again..."

Akane took his hand. "Don't be mad. I don't want to hurt you, Ranma. I just want to understand."

"It ain't nuthin' I wanna talk about." Ranma sighed, keeping his face turned away from her.

"Ranma..." Akane could feel him wince as she caressed his back, trying to be reassuring. She wanted to hug him again, but knew better than to push. "Ukyo said she thinks it's your training, that you don't want to dishonor yourself by hitting a girl. But there's more to it, isn't there?" She smiled at him, turning him to face her. "You can tell me, Ranma. You can tell me anything."

Ranma didn't say anything. He just shook his head. After a long moment of silence, Akane spoke again. "Come on, Ranma. If there's a reason that you don't want to spar with me..." She looked hurt, but put on a brave face. "Then I want to know about it. I won't force you, if it bothers you this much."

"It's not that! It's just..." Ranma fell silent again, avoiding her gaze. Finally, he pulled free of her hands, and walked a short distance way. Akane watched him, waiting, as he clenched his fists.

Finally, he relaxed. "If I tell you this, you can't tell NOBODY about it! Sis doesn't know and... I don't want her to know. And if Pops ever finds out, he'll have my head! You can't tell nobody."

"Of course, Ranma. You know you can trust me. I won't tell anyone, I swear."

Ranma was silent again, and when he spoke, his voice was only barely audible. It was barely even a whisper, Ranma was so quiet. Akane had to strain to hear, and when she did, she had to take a moment to decide if she had heard wrong.

"I... I hate fightin'..."

Akane giggled lightly, a bit stunned. She had to have heard wrong. "You... you're kidding."

"I love the challenge of the fight, of course," Ranma said, turning back to her. "I love testin' myself against another martial artist, fighting against the odds, and thinking on my feet, you know, the thrill of it. And I love winning, of course. Even losing, it just makes me want to fight harder, and show that I can come back and win the next time. I love to prove that I'm the best, and more than that, I love... you know... the fun of it."

He shrugged, not exactly able to put his love of the Art into words. But then his expression turned dark. "But in order to fight, I've got to cause people pain. That's what we do, ya know? It's a martial artist's duty to protect the weak. To stop those who would hurt innocent people who can't defend themselves. But in order to do that, you've gotta hurt the people who would hurt the weak. You're hurtin' people, to stop 'em from hurtin' people."

Akane smiled. Of course she understood that. "Every martial artist goes through that, Ranma," she said. "It's part of the responsibility of being a martial artist. You've got to have the wisdom to use your skills responsibly, and not lose control."

"I know. And most of the time I can accept that." He nodded. "It's a sign of respect for your opponent, ya know, that he can endure pain as a man. And I know it's got nothin' to do with bein' a man or a woman!" Ranma shouted, to forestall the explosion he could already see coming, in Akane's narrowed eyes. "I feel the same way about Shampoo or the Old Ghoul! I know yer tough, Akane, and I know you can take it!" He fell silent.

"Thank you, Ranma," Akane said, gently, her initial reaction fading. She could tell that it was hard for Ranma to say that.

He took a deep breath, both in relief that Akane held her temper, and to gather his thoughts. "It wasn't always that way." His eyes unfocused and his voice took on a faraway tone. "Back when I was little, when I first met Ucchan and started fighting with her for food an' stuff, it was fun, you know? It was a game back then. Things like the fact that I was stealing food, or that Ucchan was getting mad at me because I was making her look bad every day. I was too little to understand those things. To me, she was a friend, and she was sharing something with me. Both the food and the sparring...

"I think it was Ukyo that changed first. After the N-Neko-Ken." Ranma looked uncomfortable at his memories of that training, and the horror that they had both shared. "She was different after that. More protective of me, and more serious. She would push me, when we sparred, driving me to be better, toughening me up, so I could take on the Old Man. She got almost... cold sometimes.

"It didn't hit me until I was about ten or twelve. All of a sudden I started to notice that Sis would be really tired and sore after a rough session. And sometimes we would get in... trouble, you know, we would get in fights, and Sis would get hurt. It really started to bother me, to see her hurt, beaten up and bruised, or with a broken arm or somethin'..."

Ranma turned and looked back at Akane, and she noticed he was looking at her arm. She absently rubbed it, through the sling, his expression making her feel unexpectedly guilty for not admitting how she let herself get hurt.

"It slowly started to occur to me that... I was hurting people. That I was hurting Ucchan. My Pop. I knew it hurt ME, of course, but I had never cared before. Now I started to realize that... that Sis was hurting, like I was hurting. And for some reason that really hurt me worse. And... and if I DIDN'T hurt her, well that only meant she would be hurt even WORSE, by someone else!

"It got harder and harder to take. It feels... every time I hit Sis, I feel it, like a punch to the gut. Even if I pull my punches, I still feel it. Not even Pop hits as hard as that." He managed to smile, at that. "After a while... I just stopped sparring with her. I couldn't take it anymore, and I stopped. Even though I knew that I needed to keep trainin' her if she was gonna get tougher... I just couldn't take it."

Ranma paused for a moment, and then he walked over to sit on a log near the campfire. Akane sat next to him, and put her arms around him. "That's when Sis came up with her trick. She talked me into sparring, and pretty much said the same thing to me you did. And then she pulled her trick and... and she... defeated me. She had figured out my weakness and... and she used it to beat me."

Akane had to smile at how Ranma lowered his voice, as if he was still ashamed to admit it. "Pops says a real man never admits defeat, and even though Pops is full of it, still, I gotta be the best martial artist in Japan or... I'm not me, ya know? Ranma Saotome never loses."

He looked up at Akane, and met her smile. He chuckled, a bit self-consciously. "Yeah, I know I'm full of it, too. But I gotta be me." Akane gave him a little hug in response.

"Anyway, it hurts me more to admit I lost than to hurt Ucchan. So she made her deal. As long as I keep pushing Sis to her limits, and hold back only so much that she still has a challenge, she's happy." He looked over at the black haired girl that was holding him, tightly. "That's one reason I'm glad she's got you to spar with, now. You can push her a lot more than I can, and it's not so hard for you. I'm glad she found you. You've helped her get a lot better."

"I've helped HER get a lot better?" Akane sounded surprised by that revelation.

"Yeah. The truth is..." He stared into her brown eyes for a moment. "I never felt that way about anyone else. Pop, Ryoga, Shampoo, all of 'em, there's never been nobody that I feel that way about. Just Sis. If it weren't for Sis, I probably wouldn't have even noticed. I do feel it, now that I know what it feels like; I can tell it's there, a little bit. But Sis is the only one where it gets so... intense."

Akane swallowed, as Ranma held her gaze. "An' then I met you. I knew that first day, in the dojo, it was the same. I knew I'd never be able to lay a hand on you. If I did, it would just hurt worse than anything. An' I just couldn't do it. In a way it's... it's harder than with Ucchan." He looked away. "She's fast, an' so good at dodging that I can hold back an', most of the time, she don't know it, 'cause I don't hit her. She dodges my attacks just as well as I dodge hers.

"With you, though, you're such a klutz and a muscle-bound gorilla that you're too slow to dodge." Ranma smirked at her, a bit, but Akane could also see a flash of apology in his eyes. As if he knew he was insulting her, but couldn't think of a better way to put it. "You're right, ya do need me to hit ya and toughen up your body. But I just know that when I do, it's gonna... it's gonna..."

Akane felt her heart start to beat faster, at the look in his eyes. "Well, it's gonna hurt like Hell," he quipped, with his teasing smirk. But then he looked away, and it took several minutes before he could speak again.

"I guess you think I'm pretty stupid, huh?" He finally said, still not looking at her. "Some manly man I am, getting all worried about hurtin' people..."

"No, Ranma," Akane said softly. "Actually, I can understand completely. I... um... I hate losing my temper the way I do all the time." She shook her head, her smile bitter. "When I get mad, I tend to forget myself and just lash out without thinking. And then, after it passes, and I see what I've done... well, I just feel horrible."

She sighed. "I try to hide it, because I can usually convince myself that I was justified." Her smile turned more teasing, like Ranma's. "I mean, it is usually your fault, baka."

"But the truth is, deep down I know I've hurt someone... someone I care about."

Akane was silent for a moment more. "Pretty soon, I'm just lashing out because I feel weak and out of control and... that just makes it worse. I turn that anger on you, but it's really me that I'm angry at.

"But Ukyo's helped me to control it, and as I've learned to control it, I feel better about myself. Each time, it gets easier, and even when I do get angry, it's easier to forgive myself. It helps knowing that you forgive me. Even though my emotions are still kind of wild and scary sometimes... well, sometimes they can be kind of nice, too."

Akane leaned forward and gently kissed him. Ranma caressed her cheek, and Akane blushed again. "I bet it's the same for you. Take it a little bit at a time, instead of trying all at once to try and force yourself to hit me, give yourself a break now and then."

She smiled, shyly. "You know, Ranma, the truth is, while I want to be a better martial artist, and I want to grow and get stronger, the main reason I ask you to spar all the time is... because I just want to BE with you. I want to spend time with you. This is something I know you enjoy doing, and I want to enjoy it with you. If you want to... have fun sparring, like you used to with your sister, well, that's what I want, too.

"If you're willing to train me seriously at least once a week, then the rest of the time, we can just relax and enjoy it, not trying to push so hard. I'll try to hold back my... temper and not keep insisting that you hit me harder, if you'll just let go and not worry so much about me getting hurt. If you just want to make it a little tap, that's fine as long as you don't let me get bored."

"Oh, I bore you, do I?" Ranma grinned, as he could tell Akane was teasing him.

Akane grinned back, but then her expression became more serious. She put her hands on his chest, as she stared into his eyes, pleading."If you'll try to hold back just a little bit less, Ranma," she said. "I'll try to hold back a little bit more. Do we have a deal?"

"You got it, tomboy."

"So let's try sparring some more." Akane's smile turned challenging, but as she stepped into her stance it was more relaxed, less determined. "But let's just have some fun with it, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." A bit cautiously, Ranma began to strike at her, but her smile widened, and she started to block him, not putting any more into it than he was. In a few minutes, they were trading blows, not seriously, but gradually building up their speed and energy.

As Ranma twisted inside a punch, however, he heard a roll of thunder in the distance. That brought Akane's attack to a stop, as she stepped back to look up at the mountains. A few raindrops fell on Ranma's skin, and he grumbled at the interruption.

"Looks like we won't get to do much more training after all," Akane started to say. Then, very suddenly, the few raindrops became a massive downpour. Ranma and Akane both shrieked and covered their heads, Akane with only one arm since her broken arm was still throbbing a little.

The unexpected shower ended just as quickly as it began, leaving behind only a light drizzle. The damage was already done, however, as Ranma was once again in female form, her clothes turned baggy on her now slender body. She looked down at herself, scowling.

"I wasn't even a man again for a whole night!" Ranma complained, shouting her protest to the sky. Akane couldn't help herself, and burst out giggling.

"I guess we better get to sleep, then," Akane said. Then she took the scowling Ranma in her arms and kissed her. "But I'll still be right here in the morning when you get up, girly girl." She looked into Ranma's turquoise eyes for a moment, stroking her softer and rounder face. "I'm not going anywhere..."

She kissed Ranma again, and then set a kettle of water on to heat. Then she went to her tent to sleep, while Ranma ducked into hers to get out of the drizzle. After giving the kettle enough time to warm up, Ranma managed to dart out quickly and fetch it, and then returned to his male form in the shelter of the tent.

"Take that," he muttered to the rain, as he listened to it pattering on the fabric above his head. Smiling in satisfaction, he settled down to go to sleep.

* * *

The light rain that trickled down on Ranma's camp was just the edge of a much larger storm coming in from the west. As this storm passed over the distant range of the Hida Mountains, many miles from the camp, the rain came down on a small cave. Mysteriously, this cave was blocked, by a large boulder which had been rolled over the cave's mouth.

It was obvious this boulder was not a natural feature, as it was covered in wards, strung all around the huge stone. The rain pouring down had soaked the wards, although they had clearly endured the elements for years, and held firm. A stray bolt of lightning came down and struck the boulder, however, and despite their soggy condition, the wards caught fire.

The fire was unnatural, as if fed by some evil presence. After a time, the line of the wards was broken, and suddenly the boulder exploded. The flaming wards sputtered out as they were flung outwards, along with shards of rock. From deep within the darkness of the cave, the presence stirred. Glowing eyes could be seen in the darkness.

A small, twisted figure made it way out of the cave. It crawled to its feet, free of its prison, and began to laugh in triumph. A second bolt of lightning then struck the figure, as if to silence it. The gnarled shape was thrown to the ground, smoking.

Even this did not seem to contain the evil spirit that fate had set free. After several long moments, the shaken figure once again pulled itself to its feet. Chuckling under its breath, it shakily made its way away from the mouth of the cave, and down the mountain.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Okay, I know I said that I had no more soliloquies left, but I forgot about this one. So no more soliloquies AFTER this one. Maybe... :)

I want to make it clear that I do NOT think that the canon Ranma necessarily feels this way. I think it explains a lot if he does, not just his reluctance to spar with Akane, but why, despite never saying that he is unwilling to kill, he only does so with Saffron, and only as a last resort. He may not even be consciously aware that he feels this way, or may not feel it that intensely. Ranma is certainly aware of when people are hurting, he is not heartless, so this could just be a matter of degree.

My concept here is very much based on two other fanfics; "Genma's Daughter", and Richard Lawson's "Thy Inward Love". Ranko in "Genma's Daughter" is certainly different from Ranma, not only did she grow up differently, but even at the age of four, she was described as "a sensitive child" especially compared to the more aggressive Akane. She ends up rejecting the martial arts lifestyle in part because she realizes that she's come to hate herself for ignoring this sensitivity.

In "Thy Inward Love", Ranma does not reject martial arts, but it is his martial arts that rejects him, when his conscience tells him that he is in the wrong. (Thus explaining why he can't dodge Akane's attacks when she's mad) Again, Ranma concludes he is a bad person based on this realization, and has to be reminded of the good he has done.

I sort of combined the two concepts for my version. I think that I have established that this Ranma is more sensitive than in the canon, both in his closer relationship with Ukyo, and in understanding when Akane is hurt by his actions. He is more comfortable apologizing, and opening up about his feelings in such situations, because he has experience growing up with Ukyo. Thus, he recognizes something about himself that he probably would not have even noticed if he didn't have Ukyo there to make it obvious to him.

If nothing else, this explains why my version of Ranma has so much trouble forcing himself to spar with Akane and Ukyo, when he clearly does not believe as firmly in his father's teaching that "women are weak". You can decide if you think the canon Ranma shares these feelings, or if there's another reason.

Anyway, that wraps up the Bakusai Tenketsu arc, and what a long arc it has been. :D This was way longer than most other arcs of the story, at 9 chapters. (And making the whole Cat's Tongue arc 18 chapters) I realize that there was a lot more character dialog and drama than action in this arc, but really, it had to be that way. Each of the character developments in this arc had a part to play in the final conflict, from Cologne and Akane discussing berserkers to Ukyo triggering her curse to win the Dojo Destroyer fight. Believe me, I was trying to cut it down as much as I could. :D

Hopefully, the final arcs of this story will be much shorter and more manageable. I'm not done, and there will be much more to come. (I may take a break of a week before the next chapter, but it will depend on how much I can get written)


	54. The Evil Of Happosai

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 54

"Akane! Get outta the way, you slow, clumsy tomboy! Your thick thighs are taking up the whole staircase!" Ranma jostled Akane as they came down the stairs, side by side. Akane pushed back against him, and for a few seconds, they bumped shoulders, each trying to get past the other.

"Hey, watch the arm, you jackass!" Akane shot back. Her arm was in a cast now, and she cradled it protectively against her side, while shoving against Ranma with her other hand.

"Jackass? You stealin' my lines now, sugar?" Ukyo came down the stairs trailing the argumentative couple, a few feet behind them, but smiling at their antics.

Akane glanced back at her. "Well, if the shoe fits, I say we make the arrogant baka wear it."

"Uncute," Ranma commented, and slammed his shoulder into her. But as he did, his hand caught hers and caressed it for a moment. Akane gave him a secretive smile, before returning to an angry glare as she entered the family room.

"Can you two give it a rest?" Nabiki said. Her expression was dazed and bleary, and she was irritated by the commotion as usual. Nabiki wasn't a morning person.

"It's all the baka's fault," Akane said, taking her usual seat at her fiance's side.

"Is not," Ranma countered.

Kasumi soon served breakfast, and relative quiet fell over the Tendo family as Ranma, his father, and even Akane began to tear into their meals with gusto. After a few moments, though, Akane began to participate in the game of stealing Ranma's food, and he turned a glare on her.

"Hey! I'm bein' attacked from both sides!" Ranma turned back to his father. "Switch with me."

"No way," Genma said, eyeing Akane as she swiped more of Ranma's food. "She's your fiancee, boy, it's your responsibility to provide for her needs." Genma was so involved in defending himself from his son and prospective daughter-in-law, he didn't notice Ukyo stealing from his bowl.

"As if!" Ranma protested. He then used his chopsticks to block Akane, who grinned at him impishly. "Hey, stop it, tomboy!"

As the two began bickering again, Soun laughed heartily. "Looks like our plan worked, Saotome! They are getting along so well! The schools will be joined before we know it!"

"We are not!" Ranma protested, and Akane added, "I am NOT marrying that baka!"

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at their response. "Only you two would call this getting along. Honestly, if you're happy to see them acting like this, then I'd hate to see how you'd react if they started kissing."

"There is no way I'm going to kiss HIM!" Akane's face turned red with anger and indignation.

"Yeah!" Ranma agreed. "I wouldn't kiss that tomboy! And even if I did, I'll bet her breath still tastes like that awful stew from the training trip!" Ranma turned and smirked at Akane, and she bopped him on the head.

Nabiki's chopsticks froze halfway to her mouth. For just a second, as Akane turned to look at Ranma, she could have sworn she saw a look of amused affection come across her little sister's face. And had that blush been of embarrassment, or was that look in her eyes shyness, and even a little shame? She was doing a good job of acting angry, but her cheeks were more pink than scarlet. Was something going on?

Not wanting anyone to notice her reaction, Nabiki quickly went back to finishing her breakfast. But she studied the interplay between Ranma and Akane more closely. Their hands were hidden under the table, and Nabiki had the definite impression Ranma was brushing up against Akane from time to time. She would twitch suddenly, and then smile to herself, as if she didn't mind being touched. And that seemed to be independent of the insults they were hurling back and forth. In fact, the little touches often seemed to follow the insults, instead of setting them off. For a moment, Nabiki even considered the possibility that Ranma was caressing Akane's thighs, but eventually decided that even Ranma couldn't be that bold.

Even more telling was the way Ukyo was watching the two of them. She clearly was aware of what was going on, and was very amused by it. Although even as Nabiki had the thought, Ukyo's smile faded, and she turned away, looking sad and thoughtful. But then she smiled again, as Ranma and Akane continued their banter, and she threw out a quip of her own. It was a game, Nabiki decided, they really had grown closer thanks to that training trip, but they didn't want the fathers to know about it.

Well, if they were trying to hide something, then Nabiki would have to find out what it was. Something had apparently happened on the training trip. Or even before. Now that she thought about it, Akane and Ranma's fighting had been more playful than serious recently. And Akane had been eating a lot more, although Nabiki hadn't noticed it, until her attention was called to it. She looked her little sister over, noticing the subtle increase in her muscle tone, particularly in her lower body. Nabiki had always been particularly proud of her own legs, and worked out mainly to keep them in shape. Akane had never seemed to care how her training made her look, but Nabiki had to admit that Akane's legs were now more toned than hers were.

Maybe I should go on one of these training trips as well, Nabiki joked to herself. She quickly discarded the idea, knowing how insane Ranma and Ukyo's training had been. Likely, what Akane had to go through to get that level of fitness was just as insane. Still, she couldn't argue with the results.

Having had enough of speculation, Nabiki decided it was time to gather some more information. "So, speaking of training, Akane, how is the arm?"

Akane looked down at her cast. "Actually, it should be coming off today. I was going to go by Dr. Tofu's after school and have him remove it." She glanced up at her pigtailed fiance'. "You want to come along too, Ranma?"

"Yep." His expression had turned more serious. "I wanna make sure it's all right before you start tryin' to spar with that arm again. And I know you'll try it..."

"It wasn't hurt that bad, Ranma. According to Tofu, it was only a partial fracture, and it was half healed before he even got to see it. He said it was probably healed up fine last week, but he wanted to leave the cast on for two weeks to be sure."

"Well, I don't want ta take any chances, tomboy."

"That's incredible, Akane," Nabiki cut in, adding her own support to Ranma's protests. "I would have thought that arm would have you out for a month or more."

Akane shrugged. "Tofu says it's fine, and even he was surprised that it's healing so fast. But I've sure been eating a lot lately, and maybe it's helped me heal faster. Plus, Ucchan taught me some meditation techniques. I haven't really been able to do anything the last two weeks but concentrate on getting better and hope this thing comes off soon." She held up her arm.

Nabiki had noticed the unhappy look on Ranma's face. "So you never told us how your arm got hurt in the first place." Nabiki asked. "Other than to say you fell and it was going to be fine..."

"Yeah," Ranma said, cutting his eyes at Akane. "How did you break it?"

A deep blush spread over Akane's face as she looked down at the table. She sounded very uncomfortable as she answered. "I went off into the woods to try and train on my own. I didn't want Ryoga or Cologne to know what I was doing or to try and stop me. But I lost my footing as I was trying to climb down a cliff and fell. I broke my arm."

Ranma was still glaring at her, but he looked like he was trying to control his anger. "Did you try that stupid Breaking Point technique?"

Her blush deepened. Akane took a deep breath, and then met Ranma's eyes. "Yes, Ranma. That's what I was trying to do when I fell. I did break a few small boulders, like Ryoga did, just to test my strength."

As Ranma started to protest, Akane held up a hand, to interrupt him. "I know; the Breaking Point training is dangerous. That's why I stopped. My body's not tough enough for it." Her eyes narrowed. "But I do plan to keep toughening myself up until I can try it again. It may take a while, but I'll wait if I have to."

Nabiki studied the two of them. The fathers were watching the conversation too, but she was sure they weren't catching the subtle signs she was. It wasn't what Ranma and Akane were saying, exactly, it was what they weren't saying, and the way they looked at each other. They were both calm, expressing their worry for each other, and talking it out without getting angry. Definitely totally different from what she had come to expect from them. Yes, definitely, things had changed between then.

"What would you do with this Breaking Point, Akane?" Nabiki asked, keeping up the prodding a bit. "According to Cologne it can't be used on people."

"No, but that's not the point of the training anyway," Akane answered. "I'm sure it'll help me become a better martial artist."

"That's my girl!" Soun exclaimed tearfully. "It's so good to know the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts is in your hands."

Akane seemed to be unimpressed by her father's theatrics, but still smiled bashfully. "Thank you, Daddy."

"That's right!" Genma agreed. "Thanks to us, our children are growing closer, and becoming great martial artists! It makes a father proud..."

"Thanks to you, huh?" Ranma growled, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, yes. Soon enough, you will both be masters of Anything Goes Martial Arts. And then nothing will come between the two of you joining the legacies of the Saotome and Tendo families!"

As Ranma was about to snap out a response, Genma's cup suddenly cracked. It shattered, the pieces falling in a pile on the table. Kasumi quickly muttered, "Oh, my!" and then began to clean up the mess.

Genma looked down at the remains of his cup. "An omen?" He muttered.

"You don't think..." Soun looked at him for a moment. "You did say 'Master of Anything Goes'..."

"Nonsense, Tendo!" Genma exclaimed, with a good natured laugh. "You don't believe in old wives' tales, do you?" His laughter was cut short, however, as he picked up one of his chopsticks, and it broke.

"Saotome!" Soun was definitely nervous now, and starting to sweat. "You know who we're talking about here. And you even said nothing would come between our children! Are you trying to call down his wrath upon us?"

Genma was still trying to look reassuring, although his laughter was more nervous now, as well. "It's just a coincidence, that's all! I'm sure there's nothing to worry about..."

There was a crash from the dojo. Soun and Genma looked at each other. "The family shrine!" Soun yelled. Then he stood and raced out of the room, Genma right behind him.

"That was odd," Nabiki said. "I wonder what they're up to." She looked back at Ranma and Akane. "Well, you two better get going if you're not going to be late for school."

Akane jumped to her feet, hesitating long enough to devour one more mouthful of food. "Oh, yeah! Come on, Ukyo, you too!"

"I'll be right behind you, sugar," Ukyo said with a smile.

The three ran out of the family room, and Nabiki waited until she heard the front door slam. Then she began to gather up her things to head for school as well. "All right, I'm going to have to make some serious plans for today," she said to herself. "First of all, talk to Akane's friends Sayuri and Yuka. If anything's going on between her and Ranma, they'll know about it."

Nabiki had, of course, heard that Ranma was showering with the girls while stuck in his cursed form. It was Nabiki that Kuno came to in order to confirm the story, after all. It actually hadn't really occurred to Nabiki until Kuno mentioned it, but in retrospect it was so obvious she was surprised she didn't think of it herself. She had tracked down the story of how Ranma had almost transformed in front of Hiroshi and Daisuke, in the boy's locker room, and once his curse was locked again, he really had no choice anyway. It was Akane going along with the plan that was surprising to Nabiki.

A little more investigation had turned up tales of "Ukyo" and "Ranko" trailing into the shower room, chatting amiably with each other, about the time everyone else was leaving. No one suspected anything, of course, not knowing the cursed siblings' true nature. But two newcomers to the school, who hadn't even met before, hitting it off so famously was still something worthy of gossip. Nabiki was actually quite impressed by the plan. It not only protected Ranma from Akane, who would surely pound him for being a pervert otherwise, but if Ranma's secret ever DID get out, Ukyo could reassure the other girls that Ranma never peeped at them, either.

At the time, she just assumed Akane was doing her best to be done and gone by the time Ranma and Ukyo came in. But now, seeing how intimately Ranma and Akane were teasing each other, Nabiki began to wonder if that intimacy extended to taking showers together as well. It also occurred to her that Sayuri and Yuka might be in on the secret, and helping Ukyo and Akane run interference. Nabiki didn't think her little sister would keep her best friends in the dark about something that might affect their very honor and reputation.

Satisfied that she had her first targets, Nabiki headed out of the house, already considering the possibilities, and how this might be a windfall to her bank account.

* * *

"Oh, thank you, Dr. Tofu! That feels SO good!" The relief in Akane's voice was clear, as she flexed her arm. The skin of her forearm had grown pale from lack of sunlight, and she rubbed it with her fingers, as if scratching an itch.

The doctor smiled back at her. "I'm glad it feels better, Akane."

"So, her arm's really okay, huh Doc?" Ranma asked. Akane shot a glare at him.

Tofu noticed her reaction, and his expression turned a little more serious. "Yes, the arm should be fine. But Akane, it may still be a little weak for a while, and I don't want you to put undue strain on it. I want you to take it easy, until you can get your strength back. Go easy on it for at least a week."

Akane blushed, looking properly chagrined, but nodded. "Oh, I plan to. Ukyo and I have already worked out a training program to get me back up to speed slowly. Like Ranma's arms, when he burned them. We'll work on building up my sparring gradually, so my muscles can get back into shape."

Tofu smiled at that, and Ukyo added, "Even with the strength you've lost from having your arm in the cast, you're probably still stronger than me. You're not likely to have lost much muscle mass in just two weeks, it's just a matter of working out the stiffness."

"Over muscled gorilla," Ranma commented, and Akane elbowed him in the stomach, although her blush deepened.

"I'm still more concerned with building up my toughness and being able to block," Akane said, her tone good natured despite Ranma's insult. "And Ucchan will be careful with me, Dr. Tofu, don't worry."

"Hey, I still wanna spar with ya some too," Ranma cut in, and Akane gave him a dazzling smile.

"I know, Ranma, and I don't mind if you take it a bit easy on me until my arm is better."

The three walked out into the sunlight outside of Tofu's clinic and headed back for the Tendo home. Akane threw a few punches, just doing a little shadow boxing, to loosen up her arm as they walked. Suddenly, she turned and punched at Ranma, and he leaped aside.

For a few moments, Ranma just dodged Akane's attacks, not striking back as she charged at him. But she somehow managed to get inside his defenses and slap him, open handed, across the chest. "Tag!" She shouted, loudly. "You're it!"

With that, Akane turned and ran. Ranma started to run after her, but instead he turned and poked Ukyo in the shoulder. "Tag! Now YOU'RE it!" Ranma then took off running after Akane.

"Tag?" Ukyo said, somewhat stunned. Then she recovered as she realized she had let down her guard. "Hey! No fair!" She took off running after the other two teenagers, who had already taken to leaping across the rooftops to escape.

Despite their head start, it didn't take Ukyo long to catch up. A merry chase then ensued over and on top of the shops and houses lining the streets. When they came to the canal, the battle then turned to a struggle to push each other into the water. It seemed much like that the first day, when Ranma and Ukyo first arrived, and fought on that very same fence. Akane quickly lost her balance and tumbled into the canal, but without a curse of her own it didn't bother her. She began to splash the water in hopes of catching one of the other two.

It was in dodging one of these splashes that Ranma turned a back flip, and came down right in front of the ladle lady. As usual, she threw her ladle of water over him, and Ranma again transformed into his sister's mirror image. She growled, while Akane and Ukyo both burst out laughing.

"Why couldn't she get you, Sis?" Ranma said, wringing out her shirt and then tucking it into her pants, as she tightened them around her waist. "I ain't even had the curse unlocked that long!"

"Maybe that's it," Ukyo suggested. "I chose to stay in cursed form, but you were forced to stay that way. Besides, all the time I was in cursed form, it felt like hot water kept tryin' to find me."

"Really?" Akane seemed surprised by that.

"Yep. It wasn't that bad since I could usually just change back. But I suspect the curse works both ways." She grinned at her scowling "sister". "The harder you try to stay in one form, the harder the curse tries to getcha to change."

"And you've been changing back and forth for a while, going to school as Ranko, and being Ukyo at home." Akane said. "Or, maybe you've just grown comfortable with your curse. You don't seem bothered by it as much as Ranma." She gave her fiance' a sympathetic smile.

Ukyo didn't have time to reply, as at that moment there was a commotion from the street. Several of the girls from Furinkan were passing by jogging, and had suddenly begun to cry out in fear. They came running at the other three girls, who turned to see what the noise was about.

The cause of all the chaos was a small, very old man. Like Cologne, he looked to be only two or three feet tall, and was even more wrinkled. He was calling out "Akane!" and leaping from girl to girl, grabbing onto the chest of each and fondling her as he passed. The manhandling, of course, caused each girl in turn to cry out, and begin trying to beat the old man off of her. He wouldn't remain long enough for any of the blows to land, however, already leaping to the next girl.

"Akane?" One of the group had recognized Akane and called out to her, even as the old pervert grabbed onto her. The old man looked up and followed her gaze, and then pointed at Akane, excitedly. "Do you know this freak?" The girl continued, drawing back in horror from the withered figure perched on her chest.

Akane looked bewildered, as she clearly did not recognize the old man. However, he jumped towards her, with a cry of "Akane!" At the last minute, she brought up her book bag, and he slammed face first into it. He dropped to his feet on the ground, apparently none the worse for having missed his target.

"Little Akane!" He called out. "Don't tell me you don't recognize me!"

Akane grew more uncertain, as she shook her head. The old man began to sob, hiding his face in his arm, and Akane's expression grew concerned. "I'm sorry," she said, "I just don't remember. But give me a moment..."

"That's all right," the old man said, sniffling loudly. "I know when I'm not wanted. But just let me have a good cry... IN YOUR BOSOM!"

With that, he leaped at Akane again, and she drew back, fumbling with her book bag. However, even before he could reach her, the old man was driven into the ground by a foot. Ranma stood over him, scowling as she looked down at the pervert. "What is your problem?"

The old man looked up at her. Then, a wide smile spread over his face. "Akane!" He leaped at Ranma, and although she tried to dodge him, he somehow managed to anticipate her movements. The old man latched onto her, and Ranma cried out in a combination of shock and pain, as he started groping her breasts with a surprisingly powerful grip.

Ukyo slammed the old man into the ground again, knocking him away from her sister. "Geez, what took ya so long, Sis!" Ranma snapped at her, rubbing her chest and wincing.

"Sorry, Ranchan, I wasn't expecting him to grab ya. You're soaking wet, after all."

"So is Akane, but he grabbed at her," Ranma pointed out.

"Well, how come you didn't dodge him?"

"The old goat's fast!" Ranma snarled, her gaze turned to watch the withered old freak carefully. "I didn't even have time!"

The strange old man sprang back to his feet, with an agility which belied his age. Just like before, he seemed totally unharmed by Ranma and Ukyo's blows. "You can't be Akane," he said, sizing up the two girls. "Soun Tendo didn't have any twin daughters."

"You know my father?" Akane asked, her voice showing her astonishment, although she was still holding her book bag tightly against her chest.

At the same moment, Ranma snapped back at him, "Hey, my name's Saotome!"

"That can't be right either." The wrinkled old pervert thought for a moment. "Genma had just a single child, a boy."

"You DO know our fathers!" Akane said.

"You really are Akane Tendo?" He turned to look at Akane, and she drew back a bit.

"But Ranchan and Akane don't seem ta know you..." Ukyo put in, somewhat angrily.

The old man pulled out a pipe and puffed on it. "No. They've never met me. But yes, I know Soun and Genma."

"Why you..." Ranma lifted her fist, pushing up her sleeves, but Akane caught her arm.

"Hold on. Looks like we have some questions for Father and your Dad. Let's go home."

* * *

Sure enough, Soun's reaction to the old man was immediate. As soon as he saw the tiny, withered figure, his eyes grew wide, and his mouth fell open. "Muh... Muh... MASTER!" He cried.

He grabbed the old man in an embrace, lifting him into the air. The old man laughed brightly, while Soun sobbed, as usual. "Master Happosai, it is so good to see you're okay!" However, while his tears flowed as forcefully as always, there was a strain in Soun's voice that hinted that his words were not entirely sincere.

Sure enough, while Ranma and Akane glanced at each other, muttering, "Master?" Soun suddenly brought his arm up and attempted to smash the old man on his head. He blocked the blow with one finger, and then, with a throw that seemed almost careless, tossed Soun Tendo across the family room. The much bigger man bounced off the table, and landed in a heap on the engawa.

While the three teens glanced at each other, wide-eyed, Happosai hopped over Soun's prone form and walked out to the koi pond. There, a large panda was busy playing with a tire. "Genma Saotome, as I live and breathe!" The old man said. "You haven't changed a bit."

The panda held up a sign. "I'm just an ordinary panda."

Happosai laughed loudly, patting the panda on his shoulder. "I'd recognize those beady eyes anywhere! A Jusenkyo curse, huh?"

"You know about Jusenkyo?" Ukyo put in.

"Of course," Happosai said, turning to face her. "Who do you think told Soun and Genma about it?"

Ranma had grabbed her panda father around his neck, and began to shake him. "You knew? You knew about Jusenkyo?"

"He never mentioned anything about a curse!" The panda's sign read. "He just warned me that it was dangerous!"

"And of course, you just HAD to go there!"

Happosai looked at Ukyo again. "So, Spring of Drowned Twins, huh? Are you Nabiki? Or Kasumi, maybe?"

Ukyo looked stunned for a moment, but Nabiki answered for her. "I'm Nabiki," she drawled nonchalantly. She was watching from the family room table, with her head resting in her hand. She nodded slightly at her older sister. "That's Kasumi."

"My name's Ukyo." Ukyo said, blushing a bit. "Ukyo Kuonji. I was adopted by Genma."

The old man looked the ponytailed girl up and down. He noted her masculine clothing, and the slight coarseness in her speech. Then he looked over at Ranma, who had started fighting with her father. The panda was leaping and dodging in an attempt to escape from the lanky girl's energetic attacks.

"Genma Saotome!" Happosai shouted, a sudden anger in his voice that startled everyone else. "Do you mean to tell me that you have been training this lovely young lady in Anything Goes?"

Ranma and Genma both turned to look at him, startled, but Ukyo shouted back at him. "Yeah, what of it?"

"You poor thing!" He exclaimed, and Ukyo jumped, more disgusted than reassured by the sympathetic, sad eyed look he gave her. "A beautiful young thing in the prime of her life, to be so mistreated. ALLOW ME TO COMFORT YOU!"

With that, Happosai leaped onto Ukyo's chest, and began to grope her as he had Ranma. Ukyo stiffened, and began to scream, trying her best to pry the pervert off. However, he seemed remarkably able to avoid her attempts to grab him, while still managing to maintain his grip on her more sensitive female attributes.

Finally, Akane managed to punch Happosai off of Ukyo. He flipped back to his feet, but then got stomped on by Ranma. The three girls proceeded to beat on the old pervert for several minutes, before they noticed that he had suddenly vanished.

They looked around, to find him standing back in the family room, in front of the low table. He took another puff on his pipe. "Well, you three are skilled, that is for sure. But it's still a terrible tragedy."

"Tragedy?" Akane spoke up this time, her anger obviously rising. "Just what do you mean by that?"

If Akane was growing angry, Ukyo had already gone beyond all control. "Just who is this old freak?"

"Grandmaster Happosai," Soun said, his eyes downcast. "The founder of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. He was the Master that taught us, when we were younger. I remember those days..."

Soun's expression turned more reminiscent, as he began to speak about his training with Genma. However, behind him, the panda provided some counterpoint with his signs.

"The Master would teach us techniques of stealth and subtlety," Soun began. "And how to escape from a desperate situation."

"We would help him steal women's underwear in his panty raids," the panda's sign read, "and get beaten by the girls chasing him."

"And he taught us the importance of living off the land, and not being wasteful."

"We helped him steal food, and then he would eat it all while making us watch."

"Alas, eventually even masters and students must part ways."

"We got tired of being pounded mercilessly by all the enemies he made when they finally caught up with us."

"So, one day just over ten years ago, we procured something to make the Master's day easier."

"We stole some sake and got him drunk."

"And we decided to go out into the wilderness for some training."

"We tied him up and dragged him into a cave."

"But unfortunately, a boulder accidently fell from a cliffside above and rolled across the entrance of the cave."

"We tossed him in the cave with a lit bundle of dynamite and sealed the entrance with wards."

"We thought that surely he was gone, and we would never see him again."

"But we weren't smart enough to finish him off."

"Ah, but there's still no time like the present, eh, Saotome?"

With that, both man and panda leaped at Happosai. The old man simply jumped into the air. A few seconds later, he was standing on a pile made up of two groaning martial artists. Soun, in particular, was groaning because the panda had landed on top of him. He was somewhat relieved when Kasumi got up from the table, and poured a kettle of hot water over Genma.

Both men promptly began bowing and apologizing profusely to the old Master. He merely laughed again. "Not to worry, boys. I'm not here for revenge. But I am disappointed to see what you have done with my school of Anything Goes Martial Arts. Teaching sensitive, innocent girls my martial arts legacy? Whatever happened to your son, Ranma?"

Genma quickly rose to his feet, and grabbed his "daughter", shoving her in front of Happosai. "That's right! Here's my boy, and he's a fine martial artist!"

Happosai raised an eyebrow, and Ranma turned back to scowl at her father. "Stupid Old Man. Why are you actin' all pathetic over this perverted old geezer, anyways?"

Realizing his mistake, Genma turned back to Kasumi, and grabbed the kettle away from her. Then he poured the water over Ranma. "See, my son is quite manly." Ranma just snorted.

"Hm. Hm. So I see." Happosai puffed away on his pipe, as he circled around the now male Ranma. He looked over at Ukyo. "Interesting Jusenkyo curse. I guess he'll have to do, though. He doesn't look like much, but at least I won't have to go easy on him if he's a boy."

"Hey!" Ranma started to say, but Ukyo cut in on top of him.

"What is that supposed to mean? I'm every bit as good as Ranchan is!" Ukyo clenched her fist, stepping forward to bend over the old pervert. He stared back up at her, smiling a bit. "I trained right by his side!"

"You could never survive MY training, girl," Happosai told her. "You're fast, but that won't help you against me." He gestured with his pipe. "Heck, Little Akane over there would be better able to take it."

"Wait, what?" Akane said. Her eyes widened, and then got all starry. "Really? You really think so?"

Ukyo didn't notice her reaction, though. "I can take it, just fine!" She yelled at the old man, shooting Ranma a glance that dared him to contradict her. He put up his hands.

Happosai shook his head. "An innocent girl's body is not meant to be all scarred and bruised. I couldn't do that. I have too much respect for the boundless beauty of nature." He again got that big-eyed look on his face that was more disturbing than cute.

"What you mean is, a girl wouldn't let you steal panties, and put up with the crap those two morons let you get away with." She waved her hand at Soun and Genma. "You're not afraid of hurting me, you're just afraid I'll fight back!"

Ukyo accentuated her point by trying to poke the old man in the chest, but he rolled inside of her arm, and goosed her breast. Ukyo squealed indignantly and tried to grab him, but he just darted away. Unfortunately, this had angered Ranma as well, and he charged into the fray, fists swinging. "Leggo of my Sis, you dirty old man!"

As Ranma grabbed him, though, Happosai just caught his hand with his pipe. He then flipped his wrist upward, and Ranma went sailing through the ceiling, punching a hole in the roof.

"Okay, nobody does that to my Ranchan!" Ukyo shouted. She leaped at Happosai, but he was far too fast, dodging her so effortlessly that Ukyo tripped and fell to the floor. She then sprang back to her feet, as the old letch jumped onto her bottom.

Ranma fell back through the hole in the ceiling. "I told ya to leave my Sis alone!" He shouted. However, he didn't stand up, but instead began crawling around on the floor like a spider, his arms and legs twisted at odd angles.

"Ranma!" Akane called out. She ran to him, trying to hold him back, as he kept trying to crawl after Happosai. "Are you all right? You look like you've thrown your back out."

"I'll be just fine," Ranma answered, "as soon as I strangle that old man!"

"You and me both!" Ukyo screamed, as Happosai goosed her again. She gave chase, as he ran down the hall and up the stairs, laughing the whole way. Akane tried her best to tend to Ranma, while the bumping and banging over their heads told them that Ukyo was having no more luck catching Happosai.

"Oh, dear," Kasumi commented, looking up at the hole in the ceiling of the family room. "And so soon after we fixed the hole over Akane's room, too..."

* * *

Author's Notes

This is the final, edited version. There are no serious changes, although I did change the wording a bit to clarify that Happosai was imprisoned "just over" ten years ago, setting this just before Genma took off with Ranma on his training trip. The canon is vague, but I consider it possible it could be as much as 13 or 14 years, making Ranma and Akane babies at the time.

My proofreader also caught a line where due to pronoun use it sounded like I had replaced Ukyo with Akane, but I had intended for Akane to knock Happosai off of Ukyo.


	55. Schemers and Fools

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 55

Akane and Ukyo returned from their morning jog, only to hear the relative quiet cut by an ear-splitting, and clearly female, screech. A few moments later, Happosai came racing down the stairs, with Ranma in cursed form close behind.

"Ha! I'll show him!" Ukyo exclaimed. She then turned in the genkan and stepped back outside the door. Akane looked up, to see the lanky girl leaping up onto the roof.

Akane's attention was then drawn back to the hall, as Ranma raced down it, with Happosai attached to her backside. "Get it off me! Get it off me!" she called, trying to reach around herself, and resulting only in spinning around several times as she ran down the hall. Akane gave chase, and finally managed to knock the old man off as they reached the family room.

Happosai turned his attention to Akane, only to be driven back by Ranma. The two girls faced off against the old letch, holding him at a stalemate for a moment, until he suddenly glanced towards the engawa. Ukyo swung into view from above the wooden porch, holding on to the eaves with her hands, and shot feet first towards the tiny martial arts master. Happosai merely leaped over her as she passed, and landed on her chest, groping her enthusiastically. She dropped to the floor, and rolled, throwing the old man off.

"I'll get you yet!" Ukyo cried, and leaped at him. Happosai merely sidestepped around her blows, evading them the way Ranma tended to do with Akane. And it had pretty much the same effect. Ukyo's face grew redder and redder, as the old man's evasion only made her madder.

The battle was drawn up short as Nabiki stepped into the room. She paused, just as Happosai and Ukyo sailed past her. "The first person who bumps me, owes me 2000 yen." Ukyo growled at this, but drew back.

"Breakfast is ready, everyone!" Kasumi said kindly. She brought some hot water for Ranma, and he used it to return to male form, while the family fell into place at the table. Happosai interposed himself between Genma and Ranma, and began eating with the same speed as the other martial artists.

Believing him to be distracted, Ukyo suddenly jumped up from her place on the other side of the table and attacked. Happosai merely raised his chopsticks, almost as if still eating, and she sailed over his head and out over the engawa. Ukyo landed in the koi pond with a splash.

The redheaded girl surfaced in the water. "Why you..." Before she could finish her sentence, though, Happosai shot up from the table and flew out to tackle her, in a sudden burst of motion.

"Well, hello there, sexy!" He cried, grabbing onto Ukyo's now much more pronounced bust line. And due to the magical nature of her enhancement, and the fact that it was only part time, her breasts were much firmer as well. Happosai was clearly impressed. "You didn't tell me your cursed form was so... GIFTED!"

"Get OFFA me!" Ukyo screamed, slamming her fist down into the old man's head. Somehow, her blow managed to connect, and he was driven into the koi pond. Ukyo breathed heavily, her cheeks reddening.

Happosai popped up again, his eyes taking in her magnificence with childlike glee. "So petite! So rounded! So soft and womanly! You are the very essence of femininity, my dear!"

Ukyo snorted, although from the expression on her face she was trying not to feel flattered. "You sound like Kuno. Of course, that was before he decided I was a guy turned into a girl, so there you go."

"I have a gift for you, my dear," the old pervert said brightly. He then pulled out a white, lacy bra. Ukyo jumped back, startled, as he held it out to her.

"Where in the heck did you get THAT?" Ukyo said, making no attempt to hide her disgust. "Did ya steal it?"

"Of course not!" Happosai answered, as if insulted. "It was very expensive. The sales girl even modeled it for me. I'd very much love to see you in it."

"I bet you would..." Ukyo studied the bra for a moment, as if considering it, and then frowned. "It looks the right size, but the cups are too small."

"That'll only enhance your beauty, my dear..."

Ukyo snorted. "And have it pinch? Do you know how much that hurts? Or do you even care?"

"Oh, come on, please..."

"Forget it." Ukyo looked away, crossing her arms. "It might fit my normal body, but you can still forget it."

Happosai leaped over to the table, and stuck the bra in Ranma's face. He was still eating his breakfast, and spilled his bowl as he drew back in shock. "You wear it then," Happosai said.

"Me? Why me?"

"Well, you may be a bit small, but it would never fit Akane."

"Wait, what?" As before, Akane's voice started out confused, but then rather than turn pleased, her eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, try it on!" Happosai waved the bra in front of Ranma, who backed away from it as if afraid to let it touch him.

"I'm a guy! I am NOT gonna wear no bra!"

"Come on, it's a gift from your Master."

"You are not my Master, and I ain't gonna wear no bra!"

"Besides, if it's sized for Ukyo's cursed form, it would be too tight in her normal form, too," Akane put in.

"Actually, since my normal body is so skinny, I wear the same size in both forms," Ukyo pointed out. "It's just the cup size is too small." She grimaced. "That's how I know it'll pinch me. I've taken to wearing the right size for my cursed form all the time. Well, that and sports bras."

"Oh." Akane looked back at the argument between Happosai and Ranma, momentarily distracted by the "girl talk". The two men didn't seem to have noticed the interruption.

"That's it," Ranma growled. "I've had enough of you!" Happosai had gotten up on the table, and Ranma punched at him. The old man just jumped over his head, and Ranma sent the bowls flying, as he flailed wildly.

Happosai landed on Ranma's head. "If you don't wear it, something bad might happen," he said, his voice teasing. "Look at the mess you're making."

Genma and Soun had lifted up their bowls, so they weren't disturbed by the conflict. "Don't worry, son, we're proud of you," Soun said. "Don't let the Master push you around..."

"Ah, that's my boy," Genma agreed. "It's so noble of him to take on the burden of being the Master's heir and allow us to retire in peace. It makes me proud to be his father."

"Come back here, ya old freak!" Yelled Ranma, as he pursued Happosai out into the yard. A splash in the koi pond later, and Ranma was running from Happosai, who waved the bra around, still begging her to try it on, as he chased her.

"Come on, Ukyo," Akane said, standing up from the table. "We'd better get him some hot water before we're late for school."

* * *

"Hello, ladies," Nabiki called out, as she spotted Sayuri and Yuka in the halls. "Is my sister around?"

"No, but I think she was going to meet Ukyo after her Advanced Home Ec class." Sayuri told her.

Nabiki smiled. Of course, she already knew that, she had timed their meeting so Akane would not be around. "So, I'm betting it's a relief to have Ranma going to the boy's showers again..."

Sayuri's eyes widened. "How did you..." Then she shook her head. "Of course. You already know about it, they live with you, after all."

"True. I'm a bit surprised you two found out, though." Nabiki grinned, confidently. "Being an information broker, like myself, it is just as important to know WHAT people know as to know what it is that they know. Being in on the secret, you can help protect it."

Yuka nodded. "Yes, that was our thought. Since we know Ranma turns into Ukyo, and Ukyo into Ranko, we can help explain when their curse is in danger of getting out."

"We already had to deal with that, when you were spreading that rumor about Ukyo proposing to Akane." Sayuri glared at Nabiki, obviously not entirely happy with the mercenary Tendo. "We were the ones that had to cover for your blabbing."

Nabiki shrugged. "I just reported the information as I knew it. When Akane and Ukyo passed your story on to me, I was happy to spread it. It made sense, and I was able to satisfy everyone's curiosity, and make a little profit. Everyone was happy."

"Yeah, but it could have gotten worse." Sayuri glared for a moment, and then shrugged herself. "Word would have gotten out anyway, at least this way we were able to get the RIGHT story out."

"And keep in mind, even I wouldn't let word get out that there was a man in the girl's locker room. Except for Kuno, of course, but no one believes him."

Nabiki paused a moment, then returned to her original point. "But of course, that means you know it was really Ranma calling Akane his fiancee."

"I know!" Yuka exclaimed. "And at the time, it was really a shock. And finding out he... you know... knows Ukyo's body like that. I was really worried about Akane there for a while, and Ukyo too..."

Sayuri glanced at Yuka, as if aware that she might be spilling a bit too much information. But then she seemed to shrug again. "Yeah, but it's obvious that they're really close, now. Once we realized that Akane had been helping keep this secret, and we started to get to know Ranma better, we could see that he wasn't a pervert, like Akane used to think."

"She does a good job of making it look like she still thinks that, doesn't she?" Nabiki snickered.

"Oh, yeah. The whole school would freak if they thought something was going on. Not that anyone's fooled, I don't think, but most people just say they're in denial."

"And it's been hard not to think of Ranma as just one of the girls, this last week." Yuka said. "She's... I mean, he's no pervert. I was really scared, at first. But as I got to know him, I realized that, you know he's... well, he's a girl, when he's a girl..." Her voice trailed off. "It's kind of complicated."

"I can believe that," Nabiki said. "Honestly, I was a bit surprised you guys went along with it. Even more that Akane would put up with it."

"Well, it was our idea," Sayuri said, "but Akane went with it quickly enough. I mean, we're all careful about making sure he doesn't look, but after a while, it just became obvious that he wasn't going to. He and Ukyo got comfortable with it, and I guess we did too."

"And really," Yuka continued, "why would he look? Ukyo's the one he looks at, and she says she's fine with it. And he's got no choice. He knows what it's like to BE Ukyo. He knows what it's like to be... well, a woman."

"It makes me wonder," Yuka said, blushing a bit, "if he... you know. If she goes through... that. Or if not, why not?"

Nabiki shuddered. "I don't think about that, and neither should you." There were some things that even money couldn't entice her to find out.

"So what do you think was the turning point?" Nabiki asked, wanting to change the subject. "Was it when Ranma called her his fiancee?"

"Yeah, that and when he kissed her... in the Neko-Ken, I mean!" Yuka suddenly blushed deeply, and put her hands over her mouth. "Not that they kissed any other time! Um... I mean, Akane was really upset, but she said they talked about it afterwards, and she and Ranma decided they kinda liked each other."

Sayuri turned and glared at Yuka, while she tried to get herself back under control. Nabiki had obviously caught the slip, and was smirking. "You should have seen her, actually," Sayuri said, hoping to recover at least some of Akane's dignity. "She was going from yelling at Ranma and Shampoo to getting all unsure of herself and frightened that she was going too fast. I think she and Ranma finally decided that they were going to take it slow."

She studied Nabiki for a moment to see if she bought it, and to her relief, the brown haired girl seemed to. Her smile was still manipulative as she spoke. "They probably don't want the fathers finding out about it either. The last thing those two idiots want to do is 'take it slow'. They'd want to rush those two to the altar at the first sign of anything between them."

"Akane wouldn't put up with that," Sayuri said cautiously, "and I'm pretty sure Ranma and Ukyo wouldn't either."

"Yeah, but it might be fun to watch." Nabiki's smile widened, but then she waved a hand at Sayuri's look of alarm. "Don't worry, while it would be entertaining, I've no intention of pushing my sister to the point where she gets angry at our father. Such things need to be handled delicately... and 'delicate' does not describe my little sister."

Sayuri and Yuka breathed a sigh of relief, and Nabiki smiled, brightly. "Tell Akane that her secret's safe with me... although I do reserve the right to tease her about it. It's so nice to know she's discovered boys at last." With that, she waved to the girls and headed off down the hall, with a cheery, "Ta ta!"

Sayuri turned on her friend with a scowl. "Yuka! You just had to go and tell her about their kiss!"

"I'm sorry! I just wasn't thinking!"

"Well, hopefully it won't be too bad. Nabiki might ask her for some money or something, but she can't really prove it was anything more than just the Neko-Ken. We'd better go tell Akane you let the cat out of the bag, though..."

Yuka looked uncomfortable, as her friend grabbed her by the hand and dragged her down the hall to their next class.

* * *

As the last bell rang for the day, Ranma and Akane walked out of the school to head home. As they crossed the schoolyard on the way to the gates, their attention was drawn to the raucous laughter of Happosai. "Try and catch me, girls!" He called out gleefully, bounding across the field from the gymnasium. He had a large sack slung over his shoulder.

Ukyo was right on his heels. "Come back here you perverted freak!" She called. "I'm not gonna let you get away." She was followed by a huge crowd of other girls, all in their gym clothes. They were lagging behind slightly, unable to keep up with the lanky martial artist, but just as enraged as she was. Interestingly, Ukyo was not wearing gym clothes, but her usual somewhat masculine outfit. Her gym class was earlier, so apparently she had been lying in wait for the old pervert.

"Get him, Ukyo!" The girls yelled, but Happosai was too fast for her, even though she could keep up with him. He leaped back and forth as she pressed her attack, throwing kicks and punches as she ran. Happosai seemed to be enjoying himself, even though the girls looked all too serious.

"Catch!" Happosai called out, and tossed the pack to Ranma as he came near. He raced on past, with Ukyo right behind him, and quickly the two of them left Ranma and Akane behind. The bag fell open, and Ranma looked stunned as he picked up their contents. "Gym shorts?" He asked.

The girls caught up with them. Seeing Ranma handling the girls' shorts, they naturally attacked him. "Pervert! Are you with him?" Akane leaped out of the way, too startled to realize what was happening.

Ukyo, however, did notice what was going on. "Hey! Leave my Bro alone! He's not in on it!" She ran up, and the girls stopped pounding on Ranma. "You got your shorts back, so just take 'em back to the locker room..." She helped the girls as they gathered up the shorts and started to head back towards the gym.

Akane helped Ranma to his feet. "Are you alright?" He nodded, more surprised himself than hurt.

"Old freak," Ukyo snarled. "He did that on purpose, knowing I'd stop chasing him to protect Ranchan."

"He's sneaky, that's for sure," Ranma said.

Happosai suddenly popped up on top of the wall. "Hey, Ranma, you forgot your bra this morning." He held the lacy bra out, waving it in front of Ranma.

The girls heading for the gym suddenly stopped and turned back to Ranma, with looks of disgust on their faces. A few of the other students also overheard the conversation, and stopped to watch as well. Ranma looked around at them, trying to wave the old man off. "Will you give that a rest? Just who do you think I am?"

"Come on, Ranma, just wear the bra! I'll be mad if you don't!" At Happosai's words, the watching students seemed to become even more disgusted, muttering amongst themselves. Ranma glanced around at them, starting to sweat.

"What is with you?" Ukyo asked him. "Are you tryin' to make Ranchan look bad?"

"Why don't you just give him what he wants, Ranma?" Akane asked. Ranma and Ukyo both looked at her, shocked, but her expression was serious.

"What? I ain't gonna wear no bra!" Ranma yelled back at her.

Akane looked around at the crowd, and then lowered her voice. "You already wrap your breasts, Ranma, what's the difference? It's just a bra."

Ranma stared at her for a moment, his mouth agape. Then his eyes narrowed. "That's different. Wrapping is like... ya know... like cloth. Just cloth and stuff. A bra is GIRL'S CLOTHES! I ain't never gonna wear girl's clothes!"

There was a short silence, while a sly smile slipped over Akane's face. Ranma then shouted, "Don't you dare mention that dress!"

The crowd began to murmur a little louder. Akane shook her head, still smiling. "Baka."

"Look, Ranchan's never going to wear a bra, and it's a waste of time to ask him," Ukyo said. She looked back at Happosai. "But if you want me to wear that bra, then I'll challenge you. If I win, you leave Ranchan alone and stop pestering him about wearin' bras and stuff. If you win, then I'll wear your bra."

"Really?" Happosai got that big-eyed look of adoration again. "And you'll wear it as my gorgeous redheaded sweetie as well?"

Ukyo scowled a moment, looking reluctant to agree. But she finally nodded her head. "Fine. I'll wear it in my cursed form."

"You promise? Promise? Stick a needle in your eye, if you lie to me I'll cry?"

"Okay, okay, I promise!" Ukyo looked irritated at the old man's childish antics.

His expression turned more cunning. "You've got a deal then, girly. And I'll try to go easy on you, but I won't hold back if it means I get what I want."

"You don't have to go easy on me," Ukyo said with a frown. She clenched her fist. "I'll show you that a girl can take anything you dish out."

Ranma and Akane both looked worried, but Ukyo and Happosai just stared at each other, neither blinking. Finally Happosai took out his pipe and took a puff on it. "I'll come to the school tomorrow, then, and we can have our match. We'll see how well Genma trained you."

"I'm looking forward to it, ya old letch," Ukyo shot back.

"See you tomorrow, then!" Happosai bounded off across the rooftops. Ranma, Akane and Ukyo set a more leisurely pace, as they headed out the gate and along the road back towards the Tendo home. They had only gotten a couple of blocks, before the relative quiet was broken by the sound of a bicycle bell.

"Nihao! Airen!" Shampoo called, as she leaped off her bike and wrapped her arms around Ranma. The other two girls scowled at her, but she quickly let go of Ranma and stepped away from him.

"What's up, Shampoo?" Ukyo asked her.

The Amazon gave Ukyo a happy grin. "Shampoo come to see Shield Sister! Shampoo have present!" With that, she turned back to her bike, setting it back up. In the basket on the handlebars, she had a huge stuffed pig. She excitedly picked it up and handed it to Ukyo.

"Shampoo want give back P-chan, but P-chan was Pig Boy. But Shampoo find new P-chan for Shield Sister! Is good and tough, Shield Sister can beat up or cook stupid pig and no one care!" She grinned wickedly. "Much better than stupid Lost Boy that get blood in nose!"

Ukyo looked the pig over. "That's a nice thought, Shampoo, but I don't know..."

Shampoo's mood turned more serious. It was obvious she was hoping her gift wouldn't be taken the wrong way. "Shield Sister like? Shampoo know Shield Sister very upset about Pig Boy..."

Ukyo smiled at her. "Yeah, I know, Shampoo. Thank you. I don't know if stuffed animals are really 'me', though."

"Shampoo, would it be all right for me to take the pig?" Akane asked. "It was my idea to take in 'P-chan' in the first place, after all. Ukyo wouldn't have had to do what she did if I hadn't decided to adopt him."

Shampoo looked startled. "If Ang... Akane like pig, is okay with Shampoo." She gave the black haired girl a tentative smile. "Akane like gift from Shampoo?"

"Yeah, Shampoo, thanks." She smiled back, and then turned to Ukyo. "Is that all right with you?"

"Sure, Akane. Sounds good. Believe it or not, I've kinda missed the little porker."

Akane picked up the stuffed pig and hugged it. "So have I. And I can't wait to see the look on Ryoga's face when I tell him we've replaced him." As Akane wrapped her arms tightly around the pig, it suddenly gave out an "oink", from an internal squeaker. Akane looked startled, and then all three girls stared laughing.

They continued to walk along the street, Shampoo walking alongside her bike. "Shampoo also wanted ask, Shield Sister like to work with Shampoo again? Big Chinese Festival coming up, Great-Grandmother say Cat Cafe could run booth, but not enough just us two. Need another cook, waitress, run booth..."

Ukyo looked thoughtful for a moment. "I dunno, Shampoo, it sounds fun, but I've got a lot of school work to catch up on. I missed a lot of half days when I was helping you before, and before that, even though Ranchan was taking my classes, I've got to bring back up the grades that he brought down."

"Hey!" Ranma protested. "I can't help it if those teachers all make me wanna fall asleep! I was tryin'!"

Ukyo was about to respond, when a strange laughter began to echo off of the buildings along the street. She and the others began to look around, as a muffled voice began to speak. "Ranma Saotome... betrothed of Akane Tendo and Shampoo, self proclaimed 'brother' of Ukyo Kuonji. It is good that I find you all together here this day."

"Who's there?" Ukyo called out. "Show yourself!"

There was a sound from above, and Akane whirled, to see chains coming at them. She leaped at Ranma, expecting him to be the target. "Ranma! Look out!"

As Ranma pulled Akane aside, though, the chains wrapped around Akane's stuffed pig. They bound the toy tightly, and then yanked it up to a nearby roof. A figure was perched on the peak of the roof, balanced on a unicycle. He was wearing a white robe, and had long dark hair, but his face was covered with a mask.

The mystery figure pulled the pig into his arms, and then hopped down to the street, still maintaining his balance on the unicycle. He continued to laugh, quietly, his voice muffled by the mask.

"As you can see, Ranma, I now have Akane Tendo. If you want her back, you will do as I say."

Akane's reaction was quick, as she realized the strange attacker had mistaken her for a pig. "What did you say? Did you just say you think that's Akane Tendo?"

The man ignored her. "If you want to see Akane again, you will attend the Chinese Festival. The instructions are on this ticket." He reached into his robe, and pulled out the ticket, holding it up.

"That's not me!" Akane shouted, but then the man tossed the ticket at her. Instinctively, she caught it. She then glanced over at Ranma. "Geez. He thinks I'm you..."

The man's gaze then turned to Ukyo, and his manner seemed to soften. Even though his eyes couldn't be seen, he looked almost reverent as he hopped off of his unicycle and stepped over to her. "And this is for you, my lovely and beautiful lady..."

"Um... uh... thanks." Ukyo blushed deeply, but her expression turned enraged as she looked at the ticket. "This says it's for SHAMPOO!"

"Shampoo over here!" The purple haired girl said, and the man looked startled. He seemed to look around the group as if trying to confirm Amazon's words, and then he snatched the ticket away from Ukyo, and gave it to Shampoo.

Before anyone could say anything else, he had hopped back onto his unicycle. "Ranma, if you value Akane's life, you will come to the festival on the agreed upon date. There, you will face defeat, with the lovely Shampoo watching."

As he spoke, the long haired man tightened his grip on the stuffed pig, and it squeaked again. "Hey, stop squeezin' her so tightly!" Ranma said, sounding concerned. "You're making Akane cry!"

Akane's eyes narrowed as she regarded her fiance'. "You are so going to pay for that when we get home." She turned back to her "captor". "And just what makes you think that THAT looks like ME!" With that, she leaped at him, and slammed her knee into his face.

The blow knocked off his mask. As his face was revealed, Shampoo gave an irritated growl. "Stupid Mousse! What you do back?"

"That's right!" Mousse cried, as he picked himself up from where he had fallen. He clutched the pig closer to his chest, as if to protect it. "I am back, Ranma Saotome! And until you release your hold on my Shampoo, I will hold your woman!"

"THAT IS NOT ME!" Akane screamed, well past the point of patience. "That's my stupid pig P-chan! Well, my new P-chan, anyway."

Mousse suddenly looked down at the pig, and then reached into his robe to pull out his glasses. "How did this happen?"

"You'd think he'd notice it wasn't the same size or weight to be Akane." Ukyo commented.

"Yeah, Akane's much heavier," Ranma said with a smirk. Akane shot him a dirty look.

"Stupid Mousse!" Shampoo yelled, obviously quite angry herself. "Shampoo never date stupid Mousse!"

"But Shampoo, my darling..." Mousse looked flustered, but then glared at Ranma. At least with his glasses on, he was able to pick the right Ranma. "I'll get you yet, Ranma Saotome. You may have foiled my plan, but if you wish to meet my challenge, you'll still have to come to the Festival. I'll expect you to show unless you're a coward."

Ranma just laughed. "Good luck with that! If your plans are all this stupid, you're not worth my time! Maybe I'll check out this festival, and maybe I won't." He waved his hand, dismissively.

"You'd better show, Saotome!" Mousse countered. He hopped back onto his unicycle. "And for real this time, not that confusion with Akane and Ukyo disguising themselves as you, like last time."

"Hey, what about my pig?" Akane yelled, as Mousse and his unicycle bounced off across the rooftops. He did indeed still have the stuffed pig with him, tucked under his arm. "You can't just take that, I just got him!"

"Stupid Mousse even mess up Shampoo gift..." Shampoo muttered.

Ranma put his hand on Akane's shoulder. "Don't worry, Akane, I'll rescue you. That creep Mousse won't get away with capturing you, that's for sure."

Akane rolled her eyes at Ranma's teasing smirk. "Baka."

"Hopefully by the time I get you back you'll have lost some weight, though. You were looking awfully fat, there."

"Why you..." Akane almost hit him, but at the last minute thought better of it. She put a hand on her hip, with a coy smile. "Really, Ranma? Are you saying that I'm fat?"

Ranma looked her over for a moment, as if considering it. "Well, I guess your thighs aren't all that thick any more. I'll have to come up with something else to call you."

"That's better," Akane said, her eyes twinkling.

"If you work off any more of those breasts, though, they're going to disappear entirely."

"Oh, you ARE going to get it when we get back home!" The insult had clearly hit a nerve, but a lot of the sting was taken out of it by the fact that Ranma started blushing deeply. He had locked eyes with her, grinning rakishly, but Akane could see a hint of uncertainty and awkwardness in his gaze, much like Shampoo before. Plus, he was clearly trying not to glance at her chest. Akane found that his forwardness made her feel a little skittish, and she cut her eyes away, her heart fluttering.

"All right," Ukyo interrupted. "If you two are through flirting with each other, we should get going. And Shampoo, I think I'll help you out with your booth after all. I'm kinda interested in seein' what Mousse has got planned."

Shampoo looked up at her, a stunned look on her face. Watching the interplay between Ranma and Akane had made her feel very uncomfortable, and then, very angry. She shook off the strange mood. "Yeah, Shampoo glad to have help. Need to get back to deliveries. Airen ask Shampoo on date next time, yes? Bye-bye!" She stuck out her tongue at Akane, still not sure why she was feeling so disquieted, and took off on her bike.

Ranma and Akane had already started down the street, playfully teasing each other, but Ukyo watched as the purple haired Amazon raced off. Breathing a tired sigh, she set off to catch up with her friends.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I noticed that when I first posted this, I had Ranma in female form at the start of the scene, but then switched him to male for the argument with Happosai without noting that he had changed. I could have left him as female, just changing the gender of the pronouns for the scene, but a lot of the humor, I feel, comes from Happosai teasing him about the bra while he's in male form. Plus, the end of the scene, where Ranma chases Happosai until he turns female, and then ends up the one being chased, was also funny. So I added Kasumi bringing in a kettle for Ranma when she brought in the breakfast.

I also expanded the scene where Ranma teases Akane about her breasts, hopefully to make it clear that he's flirting, and actually likes her figure.


	56. Battle of the Sexes

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 56

"All right, Nabiki Tendo, why have you called me here?"

Nabiki eyed Kuno coolly. "I have some information you might be interested in, Kuno Baby. But first, buy me an ice cream. I'm in the mood for something sweet."

Kuno purchased Nabiki's treat for her, and then they took a seat in a secluded booth. Kuno fidgeted while Nabiki kept him waiting, eating her ice cream.

Finally, she put down her spoon. "So, I'm sure you remember that kiss Ranma gave Akane right in front of the whole school. After all, it was you and that Gosunkugi fellow who got Saotome thinking he was a cat."

"Of course," Kuno sniffed, disdainfully. "The cad Saotome showed his true colors that day, revealing what an animal he truly is. But he got his just desserts. I, my loyal retainer Sasuke, and that directionally challenged fellow - I don't recall his name - gave him the beating he deserved, for forcing himself on my fierce tigress."

Nabiki folded her hands. "What if I were to tell you that Saotome didn't force himself on Akane? That in fact, she returned the kiss?"

"I would say you are a liar. The pure and innocent Akane would never fall under the spell of Saotome like that."

"Believe what you will, Kuno. But I have heard from reliable sources that the picture Gosunkugi took does not tell the entire story. Between the time that the picture was taken, when my sister was too surprised to react, and when Ukyo stepped in and told the crowd that Saotome had only rubbed his face against her, there was a moment when Akane seemed to kiss Ranma back. Hesitantly, since he believed himself to be a cat at the time, but with definite affection."

"Impossible."

"Not only that, but her friends tell me that their relationship has gotten closer." Nabiki smiled. "MUCH closer. They are occasionally seen holding hands or talking softly while eating together. And while they still appear to fight from time to time, these fights seem to be an act, and can get almost playful. A few of the businesses in town have even reported seeing Ranma and Akane playing a game of chase across their rooftops..."

Kuno seemed to be slowly growing concerned, his certainty fading. "Is that so..."

"And two weeks ago, when Ranma and Akane went together for training in the mountains, something changed between them. Since returning, they have been even closer. Only Ukyo and Genma would know what went on between them there, secluded in the mountains all alone, and they aren't talking."

"That foul Saotome was alone with my goddess Akane?"

"For over a week. And apparently Akane broke her arm while training and Ranma appeared quite concerned about it."

Kuno rose to his feet, slamming his hands down on the table. The rest of the customers stared at his outburst, but Nabiki just held his gaze. "My fierce tigress was injured, and you did not inform me of this? And that monster Saotome was responsible?"

"I didn't say Ranma was responsible, Kuno Baby, only that Akane was injured while training, and Ranma seemed to be upset with her for some reason." Nabiki's voice was level, calm and unconcerned. "The Hibiki boy was involved somehow, as well. There was a challenge, and I gather they got into an argument about it. As I said, Genma and Ukyo aren't talking. However, I suspect that their lover's quarrel brought them even closer, after they made up."

"I won't stand for it!" Kuno shouted. "The foul sorcerer endangers my goddess by dragging her into a fight between him and that low born wanderer? I will make them both pay!"

Nabiki took a bite of her ice cream. "Sit down, Kuno. You're making a scene."

Kuno looked around himself sheepishly, while Nabiki continued eating. There was silence for a long minute while Kuno settled down, and Nabiki just ignored him.

Finally, she looked up again. "Now, this information doesn't come cheap. Ranma and Akane did a good job of hiding that their relationship has moved to the... next level." Nabiki eyed Kuno, and sure enough, the implication was enough to make his expression turn furious again. "And I expected that you would wish to have proof of my claims, so I have sent my agents to gather some photographic evidence of their closeness. Discreetly, of course."

"Of course," Kuno said curtly, while Nabiki took another bite of her ice cream.

"That brings up my next point, though. Now that you have this information, what do you wish to do with it?"

Kuno drew himself up. "Why, I shall smite the foul sorcerer, of course, and free both of my goddesses, Akane and Ukyo, from his spell. He has dallied with their affections, and even their physical forms, long enough. I shall surely call down the Vengeance of Heaven on him, for..."

"Yes, Kuno Baby, but that's what you've been doing since Saotome arrived here, and you have yet to 'smite' him. This information doesn't really change anything; you already knew Ranma and Akane were engaged, and all this shows is that Akane is beginning to return his affection."

"But that is why I must act," Kuno protested, "before the innocent and maidenly Akane falls any further under his spell. Her very VIRTUE is on the line! I must act, before the foul demon has a chance to..."

"Hold on, Kuno," Nabiki said, putting up a hand. "Do you remember what Ukyo told you, when you confronted Ranma about showering with the girls? And I never said that Ranma had taken my sister's virtue, merely that she returned his kiss. She has only BEGUN to return his affection. According to Ukyo, he has been respectful of both his own sister and mine, and their two friends as well. Even though he was trapped in a female form though a mishap of his own making."

"That is true," Kuno admitted grudgingly. "He does protect his sister, as any brother would..."

"Indeed. And that's why I believe Saotome is taking his time with Akane, letting things proceed at her pace. If you rush in and make a scene, you will merely find yourself defeated yet again, unable to prevent Akane from getting any closer to Ranma, and perhaps even driving her into his arms."

Kuno frowned at her. "What, then, do you advise, Nabiki Tendo? Are you here to taunt me? Or is this some sort of test?"

Nabiki put up her hand again. "Discretion, Kuno, is what is required here. When Saotome does make his move, you want to be prepared for it. That means information. And information is my business."

She smiled, wickedly. "For a fee, I'll continue my investigation, and report to you as Ranma and Akane's relationship develops. That way, you will always be the first to know of important changes. You should also know that their fathers are very much in favor of this joining, and so I will make sure they stay in the dark, so they don't interfere with your efforts."

"Very well, Tendo, you have a deal. But just what kind of a fee are we talking about?"

"Well, such an investigation demands photographic supplies, eavesdropping equipment, and much more. Shall we discuss it over lunch? I seem to have developed more of an appetite than this small bit of ice cream can satisfy. But I can't be long; I'll need to get back to school within the hour."

"Oh, and what it is that requires your attention back at the school?" Kuno asked.

Nabiki grinned at him again. "Yours is not the only business opportunity that has been presented to me today..."

* * *

"Step right up!" Nabiki called out, yelling into her megaphone. "Place your bets for the true Battle of the Sexes! The Defender of the Girls of Furinkan High, Ukyo Kuonji, against the perverted Master of Martial Arts, Happosai! Who will win in the battle of virtue versus lechery! Place your bets!"

Two of Nabiki's friends gathered the money, while the crowd pressed in on them, shouting out their bets. Akane shook her head in wonder. "How Big Sister could have jumped on this so fast is beyond even me..."

"Well, I did make my challenge before the whole school," Ukyo said, looking at the crowd that was gathering around. She looked nervous, but not too much so. "I suppose Nabiki couldn't help but get involved. And at least like before with Ranchan, she's set the whole thing up so no one will interfere or get in the way."

"You sure you're gonna be okay, Sis?" Ranma asked her. "You don't have to fight that old freak for me, I ain't gonna wear his old bra..."

"I know, Ranchan, but that guy's had it coming to him. This is more than about the bra; I'm not going to let anyone tell me I can't be a martial artist just because I'm a girl. And certainly not a pervert like him who does nothing but harass girls anyway."

Akane stared at her, worriedly. "Okay, but... be careful. Remember, this is the master who trained both my father and yours."

"That Old Man is not my father," Ukyo muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but you know what I mean. Happosai invented Anything Goes. Everything Genma taught to you, he taught to Genma."

Ukyo clenched her fist. "A lot of what I learned from that old panda I didn't learn from him. I learned from FIGHTING him, from PROTECTING myself from him. I know things the panda doesn't know, that Ranchan doesn't know. I took Anything Goes and made it my own."

She looked back towards the open space in the schoolyard where the crowd waited, for Happosai to arrive. "I'm gonna show that old freak what *I* did with his School. I'll teach him to underestimate me..."

"All right, Ucchan," Akane said, giving her friend a hug. "Just be careful, okay?" Ukyo gave her a thumbs up in return.

Happosai's approach was announced by the sound of female voices, screaming in outrage. The diminutive martial artist bounded over the crowd, a sack once again slung over his shoulder. He came to a stop in front of Ranma.

"Am I too late? Here." He handed the sack to Ranma, who let it drop to the ground, remembering the last time. He glanced up at the crowd of girls that were charging at them, armed with brooms, mops, rakes, and other dangerous-looking implements.

"I'LL hold it," Akane said sharply. She opened the bag, and her eyes widened in shock. "PANTIES?" She closed the bag quickly, her face turning red. "I'll give them back as soon as the fight's over," she snarled, at Happosai. She then stepped away to say the same to the approaching girls, reassuring them that they would get their property back.

"But I stole those fair and square..." Happosai protested, looking back at her. Ranma slugged him across the shoulder.

"Hey, old freak, you came here ta fight Sis. Are you gonna fight her or not?"

"Priorities, my boy, you've got to have priorities. But I guess it's time." He turned to Ukyo. "Are you ready?"

"You bet I am!" Ukyo said intently. She leaped into the center of the area that had been cleared for them by the crowd. Happosai, however, just hopped through the crowd, lifting up the girls' skirts as he passed. The girls cried out in turn, pushing their skirts down as their underwear was exposed to the watching boys.

"Cut it out!" Ukyo shouted. "You think this is a game, ya pervert!"

He made his way into the ring opposite Ukyo. "Just having a little fun, and putting on a show for the masses. Our audience wants to see a little excitement!"

"And we appreciate it!" One of the boys called back. Most of the girls just glared at him.

"All right, that does it!" Ukyo was clearly angry, but her charge was focused and measured. Happosai still evaded her easily, hopping onto her arm, and then over her head to land behind her. Ukyo lashed out with a back kick, but the old pervert clearly had the advantage. They tussled for a few more moments, and then Happosai leaped up at Ukyo's chest. She seemed to have anticipated the attack, though, and slammed the old man into the concrete.

"You think I'm just gonna let you grope me in front of all these people?" Ukyo yelled at him.

"Only if you're fast enough to stop me!" Happosai called back, grinning happily. He leaped at her, and the two figures began to blur as they leaped and dodged at each other. Finally, Happosai came to a stop, standing in a solid stance in front of Ukyo.

"You're not bad, girly. Genma did teach you pretty well. I guess you're ready for me to turn it up a notch." With that, the old man's battle aura exploded away from him, with a force that sent Ukyo skidding back. She put up her arms to protect her face.

From where they stood, watching the fight, Ranma and Akane could feel the force as well. "That... that's just incredible! I've never seen a battle aura that intense before." And she could see it; it was so powerful it could be seen blasting up from the ground below him like a shield.

"Don't give in to him, Sis!" Ranma called out, but his voice was frightened, uncertain. They had never faced anything like this before.

"You still think you can take me on?" Happosai said, laughing a bit. With that, his aura began to expand around him, and he actually, physically, seemed to grow, until he was towering over the schoolyard. Ukyo gaped at the display before her, as Happosai glared down at her, chuckling.

"This... this is just an illusion," she muttered, but Ukyo turned away, hiding her head behind her arm, her body shaking. Ranma and Akane both watched her, worried. She looked terrified.

But then, like a balloon being popped, the colossal Happosai just vanished. There was a blur, and a clashing noise as Happosai raced past Ukyo, and then he stopped behind her. He looked back and grinned. "I hope you like my gift. Will you wear it as that sexy redhead now?"

Ukyo straightened up and looked around herself, and then looked down. Happosai had put the bra on her, over her clothes. She looked back at him and growled. "Very funny."

"You promised!" Happosai said, grinning smugly. "You better not break your promise, or I'll cry!"

Both Ranma and Akane were blushing deeply, and most of the crowd seemed pretty shocked and stunned as well, but Ukyo was unperturbed. "Yeah, yeah," she said, as she reached behind herself to unclasp the bra. "At least now I know it does fit, after all."

"You're gonna wear it? You swear?" As attentive as he was on Ukyo's answer, suddenly he turned away. The Furinkan girl's athletic team was jogging past, and he leaped after them, distracted. "Girlies!"

Ukyo snarled to herself. "Yeah, you better get outta here before I change my mind..." She turned to her two friends, who seemed surprised by her lack of reaction. "Come on, let's get back to class."

Her only thought was to glance at Nabiki and her associates, who were busily collecting on the bets on the fight. They didn't seem too upset, although there appeared to be an equal number of students collecting on their bets as paying them out. "I guess everyone was expecting the fight to be a bit more even. Hopefully she didn't lose too much on the betting pool."

* * *

That evening, Ranma and Akane made their way along the streets to the Chinese Festival. Ranma, of course, didn't seem too eager to be along. "Why do I gotta go to this stupid thing?" He grumbled. "I can't believe you're makin' such a fuss over a stupid stuffed pig."

"First of all, Ranma," Akane said, almost growling herself, "I don't need your help to get back Shampoo's gift. If I want to fight Mousse, I don't want you calling me names and saying I'm no good. I'm not going to let him get away with it, and you'd better not stand in my way."

Ranma scoffed at Akane's stern expression. But then she smiled. "Second, this looks like it might be fun." She took Ranma's arm, and he started at bit at the contact. But then, as if unsure of himself, he leaned against her. "We haven't had the chance to just spend some time together since the fair, and... well..." She looked up at him, blushing a bit, at memories that were both special, and a little melancholy.

Then her expression turned mischievous, her eyes twinkling as she met his gaze. "Besides, I know you really want to go see your sister and get a snack at the Cat Cafe booth. So let's go cheer her on!"

Ranma grinned widely. "Yeah, I bet she's doing great at that booth," he said. "I wonder if she's makin' okonomiyaki?"

They approached the grounds of the festival, where the streets were lined with lanterns and streamers, and the shops and booths decorated in a Chinese style. A large, well-lit sign announced the presence of a troupe of Chinese Acrobats, putting on a performance in a large tent in the center of the square. As Ranma and Akane walked through the crowds milling around the festival, Shampoo came running up to them, carrying a canvas bag under one arm.

"Nihao, Airen!" she called out, waving as she approached. "What Airen do here? Take Shampoo on date?"

"Naw, I ain't got time for that, Shampoo," Ranma called back. "I gotta rescue Akane from that Mousse creep."

Akane elbowed him in the ribs. "Baka." She then smiled at Shampoo. "We were just going to visit Ukyo at your booth. Is that for her?" She indicated the bag, which was filled with groceries.

Shampoo nodded happily. "Yes, Shampoo bring lots of ingredients for Shield Sister. Booth get many customers, Shampoo have to run deliveries, buy more food, all at same time. Shampoo very busy."

"Well, we'll help you with that, and then you can take a break while we get something to eat."

They hurried to the Cat Cafe booth, where they found Ukyo steadily working to handle a long line of customers. Shampoo helped out Ukyo at the grill, while Ranma and Akane took over behind the counter, and they quickly worked the line back down to a manageable level. Ranma then plopped himself down on a stool.

"So, can ya make me an okonomiyaki, Sis?" he asked.

"Of course, Ranchan. You know I always have everything I need for okonomiyaki on hand." She smiled at her brother. "So what would you like on it?"

Ranma grinned. "You know what I want, Sis."

She grinned back. "Okay, one Pot Luck Okonomiyaki, comin' up. Akane, Shampoo, you want the same?"

The two girls nodded, and Ukyo quickly got to work at the grill. Three of the Japanese pancake/omelette combinations were poured out on the griddle, and then Ukyo gathered up the various ingredients and threw them into the batter. Even though it looked like she had just grabbed from the bags of supplies at random, her movements were precise and methodical, and she evenly distributed the meat, seafood and vegetables across each.

She flipped each okonomiyaki off the griddle with a spatula, to serve them to her three friends. Then she finished up with her own previously prepared sauce, drawing a smiling face across the top of Ranma's. Ranma pounced on his like he was starving. In a matter of seconds he had devoured it, and looked up to say, "Can I have another?" Ukyo had already turned to the griddle to begin pouring it.

"This incredible! Shampoo never had before!" Shampoo was clearly impressed, and Ukyo smiled widely at her praise.

"It was my father's specialty, sugar, and was always my favorite thing to cook as well. I always wanted to start an okonomiyaki shop one day, just like my old man."

"Sis makes the best okonomiyaki in the world," Ranma said. "I love okonomiyaki, but no one else comes close."

"That's just because it's made with love, Bro," Ukyo told him, as she served the completed okonomiyaki. This one she had drawn a heart shape on the top of. Ranma ate this one a bit more slowly, although with just as much enthusiasm.

Akane was enjoying her okonomiyaki as well, but at Ukyo's comment, her eyes turned downcast. "I hope one day I can learn to make it too," she muttered. Ukyo glanced at her, but said nothing.

"Hey, are you serving okonomiyaki?" One of the fairgoers passing by had overheard the conversation, and stopped in front of the booth. A line quickly formed behind him.

Ukyo glanced at Shampoo, and she nodded her head. Ukyo then turned back to the man. "We're offering a number of different Chinese dishes, but if you'd like me to make you an okonomiyaki, I have the ingredients."

"I'd like one with shrimp, then, please."

Ranma tapped the man on the shoulder. "Hey, you oughtta try her Pot Luck Okonomiyaki. She chooses the toppings, but believe me, you won't regret it."

"Okay, sure thing."

A few minutes later, Ukyo was in full swing again preparing okonomiyaki. The customers all chatted amongst themselves, commenting on how good it was. Pretty soon, the line was back and longer than it had been before.

"Geez, Shampoo, I'm running low on supplies again," she called out. Shampoo was working back behind the counter, to try and help handle the traffic. "I had enough ingredients for some okonomiyaki, but I never thought we'd get any requests for it."

Akane stepped up to take her place. "I'll handle the customers, you go get some more ingredients."

Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo get Great-Grandmother to bring more supplies, too. Probably use up our storage for the week, but be worth it..."

"Don't forget, Pot Luck Okonomiyaki can make use of anything. Mainly, I just need more batter and sauce if I'm going to keep up."

"Okay, Shampoo get right on it." She quickly hurried out of the booth.

"Akane, I'm going to need you to help me."

"What?" She looked up, shocked. "You... you want me to cook?"

"I need more sauce. I don't have time to make sauce and prepare the okonomiyaki, so I need you to watch it for me. I'll prepare it, you just stir it and keep an eye on it for me."

"Oh, okay." Swallowing nervously, Akane stepped from behind the counter.

"Give us a moment, folks," Ukyo said to the waiting crowd. "This won't be more than a minute." She then mixed up the ingredients for her sauce, and set it over a low flame, while directing Akane in how to stir it. It would be better if she could give it time to ferment, but they were in a rush, so Ukyo used a bit more heat than usual.

"Ranma Saotome! What are you doing hiding out here, you coward! Come and face me!" All eyes turned to the line still waiting in front of the booth. The customer at the head of the line had been accosted by Mousse. The half blind boy had stepped out of the crowd to grab the man by the collar.

Ranma quickly vaulted over the counter, and pushed Mousse away. "Put yer glasses on, stupid, that ain't me!"

Mousse took out his glasses, and peered at the pigtailed boy. "Why didn't you meet me as you agreed? Do you have such little honor?"

"You never said nothin' about where you wanted to fight! If you wanna fight me, you gotta at least tell me where to meet you. You said ta come to this stupid festival, and here I am!"

"The time and place of our meeting were on the ticket I gave you!" He pointed at it, as Ranma pulled it out to look at it. "You were supposed to see the Chinese Acrobat Troupe at the appointed time! That was an HOUR ago!"

"Well, ya never said so!"

Mousse started to argue back, but Ukyo finally came around the counter. "Look, quit making a scene and scaring away my customers. If you still wanna fight Ranchan, you can do it later. I still have people to feed."

"An' I want ya to give Akane back, too," Ranma snapped. "Even if she is gettin' a little fat."

"Ranma!" Akane yelled at him.

"Akane, keep stirring that, and don't mind Ranchan." She paused a moment, then did a double take. "And don't you dare put that in there!"

Akane looked down at the bottle that she had in her hand. "But... I was just going to... um..." Her face turned beet red, and she put the bottle down.

"I don't care about your business!" Mousse protested. "I'm here for a fight with Ranma Saotome, and if he's too much of a coward to..."

Ukyo turned back to Mousse. "Look, you love Shampoo, right?"

He drew back, startled by the change in subject. "Uh... yes, of course I do! I love Shampoo more than..."

She poked him in the chest. "Well, I am running this booth for Shampoo and her Great-Grandmother, so you'd better care about her business." Ukyo looked him up and down, as if sizing him up. "Do you know anything about cooking?"

"No... uh, not really..."

"Then you're on the counter." She dragged him back behind the booth and shoved him in front of the cash register. "Ranchan, you help me."

"What?" Ranma glanced at the grill. "I don't know nuthin' about cookin' okonomiyaki!"

"You've seen me cook often enough, Ranchan, just follow my lead. Akane, keep stirring, and don't worry about us!" Akane snapped her head back to look at the pot, grumbling as she started stirring again. Ukyo dragged Ranma around to the grill, and pretty soon the line waiting outside of the booth began moving again.

After about ten minutes of constant work, the waiting crowd had thinned out to a manageable level again. Ukyo gave Ranma a break from the grill, and set him to working on another batch of sauce. A few of the customers requested something other than okonomiyaki, and Ukyo let Akane handle the simpler requests, like ramen, while making sure she followed her instructions to the letter. After a while, the four of them seemed to settle into a comfortable rhythm.

Ukyo edged over a little closer to Mousse. "Hey, if you're really serious about Shampoo, would you like a little advice? From a woman, who knows what a girl wants in a man..."

The long haired martial artist regarded her cautiously. "I suppose so, Tendo. What is your point?"

"Kounji," Ukyo corrected him, frowning. "And THAT is my point. A woman doesn't like to see her man holding some other woman in his arms. Even if it's not his fault, and even if she claims not to be interested, still, no woman likes to see that. However much Shampoo may protest that she doesn't want you, still, she can't be happy to see that. It makes her feel like you don't really care about her."

"I do care about Shampoo!" Mousse protested. "But I can't help that I have bad eyesight! I try to wear my glasses, but..." he glanced down, somewhat embarrassed. "They make me look funny. And even with my glasses, my prescription is so thick they just get in my way."

"Did Shampoo tell you that?" When Mousse said nothing, Ukyo continued. "Well, you need to decide if you would rather look funny, or if you want to continue to make Shampoo irritated with you." She glanced at Ranma and Akane. "Jealousy can help you show how you feel about someone, but it can also come between a couple and drive them apart."

"I know that," Mousse said. "I know Shampoo gets upset with me sometimes. I'm not blind, you know. But what can I do? I just want to show her how much I love her..."

"Yes, but you're doing exactly the opposite." Ukyo sighed. "If you WERE blind, you might have an excuse. But you can obviously tell what's going on around you. You knew Ranma was here, even though you grabbed the wrong guy, and even though you mistook me for Akane, at least you didn't think I was Shampoo."

"I know Shampoo's not here," Mousse growled. "And I know that Tendo girl's here... somewhere."

"And that's my point. Can't you listen for the sound of her voice, to tell where Shampoo is? Can't you tell her scent from that of another woman? You don't seem to use your other senses the way you should, to confirm what you see."

Mousse said nothing for a moment. "I suppose... It's just, I've learned to react quickly, so someone doesn't catch me off guard, because of my bad eyesight. When I see Shampoo... I just want to be with her."

"Just take an extra second, to stop and say to yourself, 'is this really who I think it is?' Stop and put on your glasses, or just listen for her voice. That extra second won't bother Shampoo any, but it might bother her a whole lot LESS than if you don't."

Ukyo paused and looked at Mousse carefully. "Look at it this way. You say you love Shampoo. But she's got to wonder if you even know what she looks like. What does that say about your love?"

If Mousse had an answer, he never got to say it. For at that moment, Shampoo arrived, with a cheery, "Nihao!" Cologne was by her side, hopping along on her staff. Completely ignoring Ukyo's advice, Mousse rushed Cologne and hugged her, and the old Amazon knocked him over the head.

"Shampoo not come to see Mousse!" Shampoo said huffily, folding her arms over her chest. "Shampoo come to see Airen!" She waved at Ranma. "Airen! Airen!"

"Airen! Airen!" A second voice mimicked Shampoo's, this one male and somewhat raspy. Happosai bounded up to the voluptuous young girl, happily grabbing at her ample breasts. Shampoo only narrowly evaded the old pervert's grasp, leaping into the air and turning a backflip to land some distance away from him.

"You no touch Amazon warrior!" Shampoo called out, angrily. "Only Airen touch Shampoo like that! Shampoo kill!"

Shampoo charged at the tiny old man, but Cologne put out her staff to stop her. "Hold on. This old man is more than he appears."

"What are ya doin' here, ya old freak?" Ranma cut in, stepping in front of Shampoo and Cologne, to put himself between them and Happosai. "Didn't you get enough of Sis beatin' on ya at school?"

"Yes, you won your challenge," Ukyo put in, "so what do you want now?"

"Is that any way to talk to your Master?" Happosai said with a grin. "I just thought I'd stop by and see what all the fun's about."

"You think you can come here and manhandle my Shampoo?" Mousse snarled at him. "I won't stand for it!"

With that, he snapped his wrists, and dozens of blades fanned out from the sleeves of his robe. He charged at Happosai, but the perverted old master evaded his strikes easily. Slipping inside the reach of his blades, Happosai just flicked his pipe upwards, and Mousse went flying up into the air.

"Mousse!" Shampoo cried out. Her eyes narrowed. "Mousse stupid, but is Amazon, no one make fool of Amazon like that." She started to charge, but Cologne rapped her on the head with her staff.

"I told you to hold, Shampoo. This one is dangerous, he is."

"Well, I sure ain't scared of that old freak," Ranma said. He ran at Happosai, but as the old man dodged away, Ranma was almost hit by Mousse, who fell back on top of them. He only leaped away at the last minute.

"That's it!" Ranma called out, but Happosai just laughed, evading his attacks. Mousse shook his head dazedly to clear it, and then, realizing he was being ignored, leaped into the fray as well.

"This isn't nearly fun enough," Happosai said. He bounced around from stall to stall until he found a bucket of washwater, and grabbed it to fling at Ranma. "I much prefer you this way."

Ranma ignored the water as it splashed him, turning him into his sister's twin. However, a gasp arose from the rest of the observers watching. Ranma took a few swings at the old man, only to notice that Happosai had become distracted as well. Turning around, Ranma looked around for whatever had caught everyone's attention.

It took the cursed girl several minutes to realize that what everyone was looking at was a small white duck. It was standing in the street behind her and quacking furiously. The duck was jumping up and down on a pile of clothes, the clothes Mousse had been wearing. It was even wearing a tiny pair of glasses. And Mousse was nowhere to be seen. It still didn't sink in for Ranma until she heard Shampoo say, "Stupid Mousse is duck?"

The duck continued jumping up and down, his quacking sounding like growls and curses. Then, in a motion identical to the one before, except for his smaller size, Mousse sprouted a double handful of knives from among the feathers of his wings. The daggers went flying at Happosai, and the duck followed, with a scream of rage.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I honestly don't know where this came from. :D I was just going to have a short scene with Ukyo serving okonomiyaki and then move on to the circus scene, and then THIS happened. I thought at first I might drop the circus completely, as this accomplishes the same thing, revealing that Mousse is cursed and turns into a duck. However, there's a joke I still want to use there, so I will probably return to it AFTER the fight with Mousse is resolved.

Rearranging the order of events is getting to be the shtick of this story. And I'm certainly enjoying it. :D

The good news is that my Muse is apparently back from lounging on the beach long enough to provide me with this. I have no idea if whatever comes next will take another three weeks, though. I guess we will find out together.


	57. Duck, Duck, Mousse

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 57

"So, cursed at Jusenkyo as well, eh, my boy?" Happosai said, as he effortlessly dodged the sharp knives shooting at him. He evaded the angrily squawking duck just as easily. "Small world, isn't it?"

As Mousse charged past Happosai, however, the white duck spread his wings, taking to the air with a furious scattering of feathers. He dived bombed the diminutive old man, a hail of bladed weapons and spiked chains fanning out from his wings. Happosai ducked behind Ranma, who cried out indignantly as she was forced to dodge the attack as well.

"Watch where yer throwin' them things, Mousse, ya blind jerk!" Ranma called out. "I'm on your side!" As if to demonstrate, she then leaped at Happosai, trying to grab him. Happosai jumped over her head, and Ranma landed sprawled on the ground.

Happosai bounded a few feet away, then looked up as the duck came around for another pass. This time as he approached, several round, colorful balloons sprouted from his wings. The duck gave an infuriated quack, and then swept his wings forward, throwing the balloons at the old man. A shower of knives followed, and burst the balloons, releasing their contents.

Happosai leaped aside, as water splashed around him, leaving puddles where he had been standing. He hopped over to where the line of customers was still waiting in front of Ukyo's booth, watching the battle in amazement. "I'm betting that's not ordinary water, is it?" He said to Mousse. "You wouldn't be using Jusenkyo water, there, to try and give this old man a curse?"

Ukyo recognized the danger as well. "Everyone get back!" She yelled, at the customers. "Get out of the line of fire!"

Mousse threw another spread of water balloons, and Happosai just cackled happily, leaping away to leave the people behind him exposed to the attack. But Ranma suddenly leaped in, grabbing a bunch of people in the crowd as she tackled them with her body. The water only barely missed them, and Ranma rolled across the grass, coming to her feet. "What are you two morons doin'! Do you wanna get these people cursed?"

"Quack! Quack!" Mousse repeated, indignantly. He banked and dived on Ranma, spraying the cursed girl with another spread of water balloons. She leaped out of the way, and the balloons only barely missed a fish tank at a fish catching booth. Instead, it hit a trained monkey in a bright red vest that had come into the booth to investigate the brightly colored fish. A second later, it was a small white duck, wearing a bright red vest. The duck began to jump around, quacking, and waving its wings in a way that wouldn't allow it to fly.

"Oh, no!" Akane quickly grabbed a pot of water, which was kept on a burner next to the grill, to provide hot water for tea. She then hesitated as the commotion continued outside of the booth. Customers had begun to run in fear, while Happosai and Ranma ran around trying to dodge each other, and Mousse's falling water bombs.

"What are ya attackin' me for?" Ranma called out, increasingly irritated. She ducked, covering her head as Mousse flew past her, but then Happosai stepped into the duck's path of travel. Flipping his pipe on the end of his fingers as Mousse approached him, he caught the duck under its beak, and then sent him shooting into the sky.

"Mousse!" Shampoo cried out. Her eyes narrowed. "You too much insult Amazons, pervert old man!" With that, she charged. Happosai side stepped her, and the girl slammed right into the fish catching booth. The legs of the table collapsed, and the fish tank tipped over, drenching Shampoo with its contents.

"C-C-C-CAT!" Ranma screamed, pointing as Shampoo transformed into a lavender and white cat. Shampoo shook the water out of her fur, and then looked up at Ranma.

"Nyoaw!" Shampoo meowed happily, as she leaped into her Airen's arms. Of course, Ranma did not put out her arms to catch Shampoo, instead the cat struck her in the face. Shampoo clung there, trying to hang on, as Ranma took off running. Ranma began to scream as she ran around the booths, knocking them over and sending the bystanders scrambling to get out of her way.

Happosai laughed uproariously, as the festival street erupted into bedlam. Akane darted out of the booth, stopping to pour hot water over the monkey to change him back, and then took off running after Ranma. She finally cornered the brown haired girl, pulling Shampoo off of her, and dropping the cat onto the ground. Ranma wrapped her arms around Akane and buried her face in the other girl's chest, shivering. Akane kept herself between Ranma and the cat, while glancing over her shoulder at Shampoo to pour the hot water over her.

"Shampoo comfort Airen!" Shampoo insisted, as she returned to her human form. Akane just scowled at her. Happosai kept laughing, until suddenly a row of spatulas embedded themselves in the ground at his feet.

"ENOUGH!" Ukyo stood in front of her booth, grinding her teeth as she glared at Happosai. "You have scared my customers, destroyed the festival, and made a fool out of me and my Ranchan for the last time! I don't care if you are the Grandmaster of Anything Goes, I'm not going to let you get away with this!"

"Lighten up, girl, you're way too serious!" Happosai said with a grin. "Life is meant to be enjoyed."

Ukyo slashed backwards with her hand. The support pole for the stand toppled, bringing the canvas awning fluttering down over the counter. Ukyo caught the pole as it fell towards her, and then spun it before bringing it to rest under her arm. "I have had enough of you, old man," she snarled. "This isn't about a challenge, or me or Ranchan wearing your bra. This is you and me, once and for all."

Happosai's grin didn't falter. "You still feel you're up to taking me on?" His battle aura began to build around him.

"I would be careful, Shield Sister," Cologne warned her. "I know I've seen this old man before, although I can't remember where." He glanced back at her, and she studied him for a minute. "But wherever it is we've met before, I do know this: You are not ready to face him."

"I know I can't defeat him," Ukyo said, "but I'm not gonna back down." She extended her staff in front of her, in both hands. "And don't bother with that battle aura trick again," she said to Happosai. "I'm ready for it this time."

"If you say so," Happosai replied. His aura exploded away from him, but Ukyo's erupted outward as well, and she blocked the incoming rush of energy with her staff. With that, the two fighters leaped at each other.

* * *

Mousse plummeted out of the sky, flapping his wings in a valiant attempt to slow his fall and regain control. When Happosai had punched him before, in human form, he had merely sailed up and right back down again. With his body weight greatly reduced by being a duck, however, Mousse had flown much higher, and ended up at the mercy of the air currents. He flailed about, not even sure of his direction, but sure that he would be coming down far distant from where he was sent flying.

At least he still seemed to be within the boundaries of the Chinese Festival, as he noticed the lights and noises of the crowd below him. Finally sure of which way was down, he righted himself in the air, and managed a shaky splashdown in a fountain. There, he bobbed back to the surface, unconsciously paddling about as he cursed under his breath. Or quacked under his breath, anyway.

"Quack... quack..." Mousse said forlornly. He hopped up to the edge of the fountain, then down to the street, his beaked head hanging low. He was not even defeated by his hated rival, it was some wrinkled old outsider. And now Ranma not only knew about his curse, but knew about the Spring of Drowned Duck water he had brought back from China with him. His enemy would be ready the next time they fought. Mousse's feathers drooped, as he dragged his wings along the ground, wandering aimlessly through the festival streets.

Finally, he made his way into an alley. There, hot water suddenly cascaded over his body. Mousse looked around, startled, as a female voice cried out in embarrassment. She had probably forgotten that upon returning to human form he would be naked. Fortunately, Mousse was able to produce his robe with the same ease as he could produce his Hidden Weapons, and quickly dressed himself.

He turned to face the woman who had come to his rescue. Remembering what Ukyo had said earlier, he decided to stop a moment to decide who she was. He could smell the athletic scent of her sweat, the warm glow of a warrior who kept her body in peak condition. He could also detect just the faintest hint of Shampoo's perfume. Her breathing was slightly fast, probably from running after him, but she was not so out of shape that she was panting. He could also just make out her soft, rounded face, those wide, innocent eyes, and that blue-purple hair, the color brought out by the shadows of evening.

His heart told him the rest. "Oh, Shampoo, my angel of mercy! Only you would come to bring me hot water in my moment of need." He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her against his chest. Although, now that he noticed it, her hair was a lot shorter than he remembered. "Shampoo, did you cut your hair?"

His "angel of mercy" slugged him in the face. "I'm Akane Tendo, you jerk!"

"Akane Tendo?" He stepped away from her, lowering his glasses. "Why are you wearing the same perfume as my Shampoo?"

Akane looked confused for a moment, then glanced down and noticed cat hair on her kimono. "Oh. I must have gotten some of Shampoo's fur on me when I pulled her off of Ranma. You probably smelled the perfume on that."

"Why are you helping me, Akane Tendo?" Mousse asked her.

The dark haired girl looked up, her brown eyes serious. "Because, Mousse, we want the same thing. You don't want Ranma to take Shampoo away from you, and I don't want Shampoo to take Ranma away from me."

"That's different. You're Ranma's woman, and you're defending your man. That womanizer Ranma has stolen Shampoo from me."

Those eyes flashed with familiar anger. "I told you, I'm nobody's woman, and Ranma isn't a womanizer. Shampoo is pursuing him, not the other way around. But that's not important."

"No?"

"No, what's important is that you attacked Ranma, when he was trying to help you. Were you trying to get him cursed, with the Spring of Drowned Duck? Is that why you tried to kidnap me? To set a trap for Ranma?"

"It's Ranma's fault that I am cursed," Mousse answered. "After my defeat at Ranma's hands - and yours as well, I might add - I went back to China to further my training. I had heard that Cologne took Shampoo to Jusenkyo for training, so I went there myself. Imagine my shock when I found out the springs were cursed, and fell into the Spring of Drowned Duck! And to make matters worse, I there learned that my darling Shampoo had been cursed as well! It was then that I came up with my plan..."

"Let me guess..." Akane sighed, rolling her eyes. "You decided to ruin Ranma's happiness, in order to pay him back for making your life a living Hell..."

Mousse looked startled. "How did you know?"

"Oh, it just sounds familiar to me somehow..." Akane giggled a bit, but then her frown returned. "Look, if you think you're going to get revenge on Ranma by giving him a curse... you do know he's already cursed, don't you?"

"He is?"

"He fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl! Didn't you see him change gender?" She shook her head, realizing that of course he didn't. "Didn't you hear his voice change?"

"I didn't notice it in all the confusion..." Mousse looked thoughtful. He hadn't really noticed any change in Ranma, since from his point of view both he and Happosai had grown relative to him becoming a duck. But he had noticed the higher pitched voice. He had ignored it since it was obviously Ranma, from his insults and coarse speech.

"Ranma turns into his sister, Ukyo. She turns into a female version of him, the redheaded girl that you fought." Akane smiled at him. "That's the real reason we were all trying to pretend to be Ranma and fight you, we didn't want you to think it was Ukyo fighting you when it was Ranma. He was stuck in girl form."

"So that enemy of women turns into a woman himself? He probably enjoys it..."

Akane's eyes narrowed. "No, he doesn't. He hates it. Not only does he hate turning into a woman, but he hates what it means for his sister. He feels he has no right to know his sister's body like he does, that he is dishonoring her. I know you don't believe me, when I say he's not a womanizer, but he really does love his sister and he cares about her feelings. His curse is very painful to him."

She paused a moment. "In fact, even if you do splash Ranma and exchange his curse for the Spring of Drowned Duck, he's likely to like it better. He might even be grateful to you. At the very least, he won't be any more unhappy with his curse than he is right now." Akane also considered the possibility that the curses might mix, but decided not to mention that to Mousse. It would probably just turn Ranma into a female duck, anyway.

"And maybe, since he's already cursed, he can't be cursed again. You're not going to hurt Ranma by turning him into a duck. Why don't you work with him, and try to win over Shampoo instead of trying to beat Ranma?"

"Beating Ranma is how I will win over Shampoo!" Mousse said proudly. "And if I can't hurt Ranma by turning him into a duck... maybe I can hurt him by turning one of the women he loves into a duck."

Akane backed away, her expression twisting into a shocked grimace, as Mousse started towards her. This wasn't the way it was supposed to go. "Eh? Wait... you mean, turn ME into a duck?"

"Of course. You don't have a curse, do you?"

"Um, no, but Ranma's going to be really upset with you if you curse me!" Akane mentally slapped herself, as she realized that her slip would make Mousse attack her for sure. "And I'm not going to let you just curse me, either!" She fell into a stance, hoping she could fight her way out of her blunder. "I can take care of myself!"

"Prepare yourself then, Akane Tendo!" Mousse shouted. His water bombs appeared from the sleeves of his robes, and Mousse flung them at her. Reacting almost instinctively, Akane leaped upward, turning a back flip as she reached the wall, and kicked off of it to gain height. She sailed over Mousse's head, and out of the alley.

Akane took off running, hoping Mousse would not attack her in the crowd. As before, though, he threw the water balloons with no concern for bystanders. "Geez," Akane said to herself, "what is it with Ranma's enemies and being too pigheaded to keep from endangering innocents? I hope I never get like that." She darted back and forth, trying to evade the splattering water, while keeping away from the thicker crowds.

As she ran, Akane saw a group of children gathered around a water squirter race game. One of Mousse's bombs was headed straight for them. Akane tackled the children to get them out of the way, and the water splashed over the booth, thankfully not touching anyone. Akane continued on, ignoring the startled protests from the kids behind her.

"I've got to get away from the Festival," she said. "Somewhere where the crowds wouldn't go..." Fortunately, the crowds seemed to be thinning out, drawn by a commotion somewhere else on the fairgrounds. But there were still enough people around for them to be in danger. Akane leaped up onto the booths, hoping by staying above the streets she could keep away from the crowd. But Mousse was still on her tail, and dodging his constant barrage of attacks was exhausting.

Up ahead, she saw the carnival tent for the Chinese Acrobats. Remembering Mousse had said the show ended an hour ago, she took a chance it would be empty. Throwing aside the tent flap, she ducked inside.

Although evening was gathering outside, it still took Akane's eyes a moment to adjust to the relative darkness inside the tent. She quickly darted underneath the stands, hoping she would lose her pursuer. Sure enough, Mousse charged into the tent and into the center of the ring, before he looked around and realized Akane was nowhere to be seen.

"Hiding from me, Akane Tendo?" Mousse called out. "Did you think you'd evade me in here, in the very circus I've been travelling with while I made my way through China? I know this tent like the back of my hand."

He slammed into a pole, and then adjusted his glasses. Shaking off the impact, he glanced around, and then ran to the performers' entrance. There, he ducked through the curtain and disappeared.

Akane circled around the tent in the other direction, staying under the cover of the stands. Finally, she came to another curtained off opening, which led to a small storeroom set up beside the tent. She heard Mousse re-enter the tent, and looked back to see him carrying a bucket. He slipped into the shadows under the stands himself, disappearing from Akane's view.

"I have here more of the Spring of Drowned Duck," Mousse said, his voice coming closer as he made his way around the tent, "I brought a whole supply of it back from Jusenkyo." Akane edged towards the storeroom, slowly, not wanting to alert Mousse by making any sound. "I was going to curse Ranma, but there should be more than enough for you."

Akane shoved the curtain aside, and ran into the storeroom. She started looking around for a place to hide. The small building was packed with boxes and crates, though, so full of supplies that there was hardly any room to move. Akane tried climbing over a group of crates, hoping there would be space behind it, but they were stacked right up to the wall. And there were no other exits from the room. She was trapped.

As Akane clambered over a box, she accidently kicked over a small statue of a Chinese dragon. It hit the floor with a clatter. Cursing her clumsiness, Akane whipped her head around to look back at the entrance to the storeroom. Mousse's footsteps could be heard just outside, and then he stopped. He had heard! Akane frantically looked around herself. There was an ornate tapestry hanging over a crate to her right. Quickly she grabbed it. Maybe she could throw it over herself, and Mousse wouldn't see her...

Before she could put her plan into motion, Mousse burst into the room. "I have you now, Akane Tendo!" Akane's eyes widened in terror as she turned to look at him, and saw the bucketful of water coming right at her face.

* * *

Ukyo slammed her staff down where Happosai had been standing. He jumped around, laughing merrily. "Is that all you've got, girly?" The old man taunted. "You're not going to try and get out of our deal, are you? I'm still looking forward to seeing you in that bra!"

"I won't forget", Ukyo growled. She was still intensely focused on the match, though, keeping up with the Master's leaps and dodges, although she couldn't quite get ahead of him. As she charged in, Happosai caught her staff under his arm, and tried to flip her up into the air, a variation on his move with his pipe. Ukyo reacted in time, though, letting go of the staff to flip over his head.

Happosai brandished the staff he had taken from her and leaped at Ukyo, but she merely cart wheeled aside. She landed inside a booth, doing a handstand to get over the counter. She grabbed a handful of pinwheels and flung them at Happosai, even as she continued her flips, back out into the street. He blocked the pinwheels with the staff, and they stuck into the wood like darts. Ukyo landed next to a shooting gallery, and reached behind herself to grab the BB gun.

"I am impressed", Happosai said, balancing on his staff much like Cologne. He then struck, and Ukyo blocked with the rifle, holding it like a staff of her own. The two weapons then flashed into motion, clashing with each other in an elaborate display of skill and precision. Happosai never even touched the ground, the tiny martial artist twirling the much larger staff around him while he seemingly hung in midair. "You DO have a talent for using the environment to your advantage. But a weapon is only as good as its wielder!"

With that, he made a serious of quick jabs with the staff, and the rifle flew from Ukyo's hands. She jumped backwards, leaping past a set of paper lanterns hanging from a rope above the street. She grabbed two of them, bringing them around to block Happosai's strikes, and leaving them stuck onto the ends of the staff. She then landed in the street, and caught the rifle as it completed its own arc through the air.

With the staff slowed down by the lanterns hanging off of its ends, Ukyo was able to counter Happosai's attacks. And she pressed her own attack, not letting him have time to shake the lanterns off. Cologne began to cackle. "Only Shield Sister could make a weapon out of a paper lantern."

Shampoo giggled as well. "Too, too true! Bonbori not weapon!"

Happosai didn't seem angry, however, if anything, the challenge only seemed to make him more amused. He countered Ukyo's blows, and then flipped over the staff to throw a punch at her face. Ukyo rolled aside, breathing hard. For a moment, it seemed like a fist the size of an elephant had come at her. It was only the old man's battle aura, though, making it seem like he had grown in size. Her own battle aura was countering it, but keeping it up constantly around her was rapidly draining her strength.

Ukyo fell back slightly. She was putting on a good show, but the outcome of this fight was inevitable. She was already tiring, and Happosai didn't seem to be slowing down at all. She wondered for a moment where such an old man got all this energy. He smirked at her as he came to a stop as well, waiting for her next move. Ukyo could feel his battle aura growing larger, trying to overpower her, and she fought back the waves of fear.

This was a mental fight, as much as a physical one. And like her brother, Ukyo Kuonji never lost. Leaping back into action, she sprang over Happosai's head, and back to her booth. It might mean ruining the rest of her supplies, but Happosai had pretty much run off all of her customers anyway.

Landing behind the counter, Ukyo picked up her sauce and flung it at the old man. She then followed it with more ingredients, creating a sticky mess all around Happosai, even as he dodged the missiles flying at him. "Oh boy!" He cried out, "Food fight!" Some of the food came flying back at her, and Ukyo twisted to avoid it.

She then hefted the grill, raising it over her head. Happosai took a step back, suddenly and unexpectedly on his guard, but she had dropped a puddle of sauce right behind him. He slipped, and the flying grill hit him in the face. A second later, a spatula struck the grill, and it exploded with a roar.

When the smoke cleared, however, Happosai was nowhere to be seen. Ukyo glanced around, and spotted him standing a few feet away, his feet apart in a wide stance. He was grinning madly. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

Suddenly, he turned and leaped at some of the girls watching the fight behind him. "Pretty ladies!" He shouted. "Are you enjoying the show?" The girls all screamed and tried to beat him off. He jumped from girl to girl, until finally someone pulled him off of the girls. It was Ranma, now in his male form, and he slammed his fist into the old pervert, driving him to the ground.

"Ranma!" Happosai called out. "Is that any way to treat your Master?" Ranma tried to take a swing at him, but the old man jumped up onto his fist.

"Hey, hold on," Ukyo said. "Don't try and fight him, Ranchan."

When Happosai turned to look at her, curious, Ukyo put a hand on her hip. She gestured to him, looking cute and somewhat suggestive. "Hey, sugar. How would you like to see that bra now?"

Ranma and the girls standing around him looked disgusted. However, Happosai's expression brightened. "Really! Oh, Ukyo, you make this old man so happy!" With that, he leaped out of Ranma's grasp and at Ukyo. Ukyo, though, just planted her foot in his face as he came near.

In a fluid move, she snatched Happosai out of the air, before he could hit the ground. "Like I said before, you think I'm gonna let you grope me in front of all these people? But you can't help it, can you? I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to fall for a trap like that, but you really didn't have any choice. Did you?"

Happosai pouted, hanging from Ukyo's arm, as she held him well away from her chest. "How can you be so cruel to this old man..." He said.

"You're an addict. It's like you're hooked on women. You can't help groping and jumping at them, even in the middle of a fight. And you had to be weakened by that explosion, and using your battle aura like that all through the fight. Did you need to recover your energy by touching those women? Is that where all your energy comes from?"

The old pervert gave her a sly smile. "You're pretty perceptive, Kuonji. Maybe I was wrong about you after all."

Ukyo stared at him for a moment. It was the first time he had called her by name. "Do you mean it?"

"Sure. You still want to be trained by me?"

Ukyo set him down. "It's not because you think girls are weak, is it? It's because we're too much of a distraction. Heck, you've agreed to train Ranchan, and you still can't keep your hands off his female form."

"Well, maybe this old man can try something new after all. So it's agreed then. You and Ranma can both be my heirs."

"Hey, I am not your heir, and you're not my Master!" Ranma protested. Ukyo just looked up at him and shook her head.

"You got a deal." She put out her hand, but Happosai leaped up and grabbed onto her chest. Ukyo let out a scream as the old man gave her a squeeze, but then he let go.

"See you around, Ukyo my dear!" Happosai cried out happily. With that, he bounded off through the crowds, disappearing from the festival.

"Geez, what a dirty old man," Ukyo muttered to herself. She looked up as Ranma approached her.

"You okay, Sis?" Her brother asked.

"Sure, I'll probably feel it tomorrow, but the old man wasn't too hard on me." She looked at Cologne, regarding her with a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry about your grill, Cologne. I guess I got a little carried away."

"Not at all, Shield Sister," Cologne cackled. "That fight was more fun than I have seen in years.

"I do suggest you be careful, from now on." Her expression turned more serious. "That old man is trouble, and I know I know him from somewhere. I just can't quite place it..." She signed. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

Ranma was looking around himself. "Hey, where's Akane?"

Ukyo looked around as well. "She had a pot of hot water. She used it to change you and Shampoo back. Maybe she decided to do the same for Mousse."

"That clumsy tomboy went off looking for Mousse!" Ranma yelled, suddenly angry. "He... he might do anything to her!"

"Hold on, Ranchan. Mousse was trying to fight you, but that doesn't mean he'd hurt Akane."

"He tried to kidnap her!" Ranma shouted back. "And he's got that Drowned Duck water! He might turn Akane into a duck! Akane!" Ranma's eyes widened as it began to dawn on him just how much danger Akane was in. "Akane!"

The pigtailed martial artist took off running, vanishing into the crowd. Ukyo glanced at Cologne, and then at Shampoo. "Well, I guess Ranchan can take care of finding Akane and Mousse. We better see if we can do something about cleaning this mess up."

* * *

Ranma ran along the streets of the festival, calling out Akane's name. It had been simple enough to find the path Akane and Mousse had taken during their fight, several of the bystanders had seen a girl being chased by a boy with long black hair, and had pointed out the direction they had gone. As he hurried down the street, he came across the water squirter game, and overheard the boys talking about Akane leaping at them and knocking them over.

On hearing what had happened, Ranma took a look at the booth. There was still a lot of the water lying around on the ground, and it was all surrounding the water tank. The water tank which was open at the top. Ranma grabbed one of the water guns. The kids playing the game cried out at the interruption, but Ranma stopped them before they started shooting at him or each other.

"This water, did it come from the guy that was chasin' Akane?"

"Yeah, he had all these water balloons and splashed her." The boy giggled. "It was funny."

Ranma glanced around at the booth, the people standing around it, and the other booths nearby. Then he saw a stray dog walking around behind the booth. He shot it with the water gun, and it turned into a small white duck.

"Hey, what are you doing?" The booth vendor cried out in alarm, as Ranma pushed over his water tank. The water flowed out behind the booth, and soaked into the grass.

"Believe me, you'll thank me later!" Ranma called out, as he ran off.

He had already seen the monkey turn into a duck, but this confirmed that Mousse was still using the water balloons, and trying to curse Akane, at that. When he caught up with the nearsighted idiot, he was a dead man! And if he had managed to curse Akane... Ranma cut that train of thought off. It was too disturbing to think about. Instead, he just ran on, more worried than ever. "Akane!" He called out, hoping he would be in time.

As he approached the circus tent, a line of water puddles told him Akane and Mousse had gone that way. He ran up to the tent flap and threw it open, calling out Akane's name. But there was no sign of either her or Mousse. He looked around the tent, but it was empty. Nothing seemed out of place, until he looked off to the side and noticed a small round opening in the wall, covered by a curtain.

The curtain was ripped. Some crates had been knocked out through the doorway, and several of them were smashed open, their contents scattered in front of the opening. Ranma approached the doorway cautiously. There had obviously been a fight here, although there were no water puddles. Maybe Mousse had run out of water bombs, though, or maybe... maybe he hadn't needed to use them again once they hit their target.

With a growing feeling of trepidation, Ranma stepped up to the torn curtain. He pushed it aside, to see a small room, filled with props for the Chinese Acrobats. More of the crates had been broken open, and the ground was littered with equipment. A movement caught Ranma's eye, and he noticed a tapestry, lying in a pile on the ground. Something was under the tapestry, and was struggling to get out.

Ranma's heart leaped to his throat as he took a step towards the tapestry. Shaking, he lifted one corner of it. There was a loud squawk, and a fluttering of feathers, and a duck burst out from under the heavy cloth. It hopped out into the open, waving its wings and quacking indignantly.

It wasn't Mousse, as the duck wasn't wearing glasses. But Ranma guessed it was a female duck, even though it had no markings to identify it as such. But there was something about its eyes that made him think it was female. It had the biggest eyes he had ever seen on a duck, and more telling, its eyes were a deep brown. Ranma didn't think a duck normally would have brown eyes.

Brown eyes. Akane's eyes. Akane was cursed. Ranma found himself unable to do anything but just slump forward, his head in his hands. The duck began to jump up and down in front of him, beating on him with its wings.

"I know, I know..." Ranma said, his voice choked. He almost didn't care that he was crying. "Baka. It's all my fault."

The duck paused, as if confused. Ranma looked up into her eyes for a moment, and then suddenly drew her into his arms. "I'm so sorry!" He cried.

There was a moment of hesitation, and then the duck began to snuggle against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I swear, Akane, this don't change anything! It don't change how I feel about ya! Even if yer cursed, I'll always think of you the same. It don't matter to me. I swear it."

He tried his best to control the tears, knowing Akane wouldn't want to see him get upset. "I'll take ya back home, Akane, and I'll change you back. And this'll be our secret. I know you wouldn't want anyone to know. An' I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you and help you through this. I'll... I'll take good care of ya, Akane." He looked into the duck's eyes again, biting his lip. "I'll do whatever I have to ta make it right. And that means WHATEVER I have to..."

The duck started to struggle again, and hit him with her wings. Ranma let go. "I know, I know, Akane." He wiped his eyes. "Yer a tough tomboy, and you can take care of yourself. But I'm just sayin'... I'll do it if I have to. It's up ta you. Either way, I'll be right there, by your side. I'll make sure you don't have ta go through this alone."

That seemed to calm her down. The duck relaxed and let Ranma pick her up. With a heavy heart, knowing that in this one, most important thing he had failed miserably, Ranma left the tent and headed for the Tendo home.


	58. Akane's Fowl Play

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 58

Ranma crept quietly into the Tendo home, trying not to alert anyone to his presence. He held tightly onto the duck that was Akane's cursed form, although she was no longer trying to struggle to escape him. He knew that she was probably upset about what had happened, but was thankful she understood the need for quiet. He didn't need to explain to Soun Tendo what had happened to his daughter, and didn't want to face either of Akane's sisters either.

He was particularly cautious as he approached the furoba. He wasn't sure if anyone would be in there, but it was late in the evening, and he was sure the bath would be prepared. As he stepped inside the laundry room and was approaching the divider, he heard a noise. He quickly backed away, and a male voice from inside the bathing room told him that Tendo was in there. He slipped back out the door and into the engawa so he could watch for Soun when he came out.

Sure enough, after several minutes Akane's father finally left the bath. He whistled to himself, tightening his robe as he made his way to his own room, which was conveniently right next to the bath. He didn't notice Ranma, who hid around the corner of the engawa where it continued towards the family room. Once the coast was clear, Ranma snuck back into the laundry room and closed the door.

"It won't be long now, Akane, and you can change back," he said to the duck. He was surprised to note that she seemed to have nodded off, and she blinked sleepily as she looked up at him. Ranma couldn't help feeling an overwhelming surge of guilt. She was probably exhausted, having to fight Mousse, and then to get cursed on top of that! All because he stayed and watched his sister fight Happosai, instead of looking after Akane like he should. Of course, part of him said that it was Akane's fault for running off on her own like that, but he tried not to listen to it.

He finally made his way into the furoba, and set the duck down on the tiled edge of the tub. "All right, Akane, like I said, no one else needs to know about this. I'll keep your secret, an' I'll protect you." The duck looked up at him, just staring at him.

"This is all my fault, I know it is." Ranma hung his head. "I should've been lookin' out for you, and I didn't. I let that idiot Mousse get in a fight with you, and I know he only cursed you to get to me. I know I was makin' fun of him stealin' that pig an' sayin' it was you, but really, I was worried about you. If I had known... I woulda never left you alone with him."

"I meant what I said. I wouldn't never make fun of ya because of yer curse. You've put up with my curse for so long, and this don't change how I feel about you. I... I... I really care about you a lot, Akane, no matter what ya turn into..."

He heard a slight gasp, and looked up. The duck was still staring at him. He studied her for a moment, and then looked down. "Anyway, like I said, this is all my fault, and I'll do whatever I can ta make it right. I'll be right here, as long as you'll have me. An' I guess I can help a lot with lettin' you know what it's like to be cursed. At least you don't have to go through it alone."

"Anyway, you go ahead and change back." He settled down to sit next to the furo, turning so his back was away from her. He knew the mirror was in front of him, but he put both hands over his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't peek," he said, as he heard a slight splash behind him. "I won't look, I swear."

There was a short silence, and then Akane spoke, her voice amused. "Well, that's very sweet of you, Ranma, but it's hardly necessary. I mean, there's actually no reason for you to..."

Ranma almost turned towards her, but caught himself just in time. "But Akane! You're... naked!" He felt his face growing hot. "I... I can't look at you."

There was another pause, and then Akane spoke again, her voice sensuous and almost seductive. "Come on, Ranma. We've moved beyond that, haven't we?"

"What?" Ranma swallowed. "Um... what do you mean?"

"Do you want to look at me, Ranma? I mean... you keep saying I'm flat chested and uncute. I know that doesn't mean I'm ugly, it's more about the way I act but... am I attractive to you at all, Ranma? Am... am I pretty?"

"Um... uh..." This wasn't a question Ranma wanted to answer.

There was a moment where all Ranma heard was the dripping of the water in the furo, and then Akane continued. "I... I want you to look at me, Ranma. Not like some boy who wants to 'win a date with me', but like someone who thinks I'm an uncute tomboy, but I'm still cute when I smile. I want to think that... that you like the way I look, and you WANT to look at me, even if you're too honorable to actually do it.

"Do you want to look at me, Ranma? Because if you do... go ahead and look."

"Uh... Akane... I, uh..." Ranma wasn't sure what to say. She WANTED him to look at her naked? Sure, they'd taken those showers together, and even been here in the furoba together, but Ranma had never actually LOOKED. But she wanted him to look? She wanted him to say she was pretty?

"Ranma. Go ahead and look at me. I won't hit you. I promise."

She wouldn't hit him? She really wanted him to look? She thought that they had 'moved beyond that'? Ranma wasn't sure what he wanted to do, even if he was sure he wanted to look, but somehow, he found his head turning to face the furo anyway.

The duck, still floating in the water of the furo, stared back at him.

"YOU PERVERT! YOU WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO LOOK!" Ranma turned at the voice, behind him. Akane towered over him, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. She was still wearing the kimono she had worn to the festival, although she had tied it up to free her legs for running. Ranma wasn't looking at Akane's legs, though; he swallowed as he looked up into her eyes.

He recognized her expression. Akane's eyes were narrowed dangerously. But her smile was sly, haughty and filled with smug satisfaction. And to his surprise, she was not blushing. No, he was blushing, he knew his face had to be beet red, but there wasn't a hint of pink on Akane's cheeks.

"You said I could!" Ranma protested, beginning to panic. "It's not what you think! I wasn't going to but I... um..." I what, he asked himself? Why did I look? Did I really want to see Akane naked? His mind grasped for the first thing he could think of, to stop that train of thought. "You said you weren't going to call me a pervert anymore!"

That smug grin only grew wider. "That was before I knew you were really going to look, you pervert!"

"I'm not a pervert!" Ranma yelled back at her, stung by her words. "I don't know why I looked anyway! I don't want to look at no flat chested tomboy! I can look at a girl's body any time I want to! Sis's body may be flat chested too, but at least they're bigger than yours!"

Ranma thought for sure that would make Akane start hitting him, but her eyes were still twinkling with mischief. "Yeah, they are pretty luscious, aren't they?" She said, her voice sarcastic, but amused.

Certain now that his life was over, Ranma wrapped both arms over his head. "You promised you wouldn't hit me!"

"And I'm not going to hit you." She still smiled. "But I never said I wouldn't get mad."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, okay!" Ranma wasn't sure what had happened, but he was sure things couldn't get worse. "I didn't mean to! I don't know why I looked."

Akane knelt next to him. To his surprise, she took his hands in hers. "Are you sure? Are you sure it wasn't because deep down you did want to look?" Her voice was gentle again, tempting.

Ranma looked up at her, startled. Now what was she doing? Was this some sort of trap? "What? A-Akane..."

"I'm sorry, Ranma." Akane smiled at him, her expression sincere. "A woman isn't supposed to... tease a man like that." Now she started to blush. "Not a nice girl, anyway. Only perverted girls do things like that. I guess... I guess I was being perverted, too, a little bit. I shouldn't have done that, and it was wrong."

She gave him a look of such wide eyed innocence that Ranma felt his breath catch in his throat. "Do you forgive me, Ranma?"

"Uh... yeah... S-so... so long as ya don't do it again..."

Akane giggled. "You're right, Ranma, I did say that you could," she said. "I should never have said you could look at me when I didn't mean it." She looked up at him bashfully, her cheeks reddening. "It wasn't fair of me to trick you, or to tease you with something I wasn't ready to show you.

"But Ranma..." She took his hands again. "When that time comes, I promise I'll make it up to you. When I'M strong enough to let you see me... like that... I'll let you know. And Ranma..." She smiled at him. "You're the only man I would ever want to see me like that."

Ranma looked away from her. He knew it was a stupid thing to say, and probably not very manly, but it had just popped into his head. And it was true. "You're the only woman I wanna see like that..."

Akane's smile lit up the room. "Thank you, Ranma. And..." She blushed even more deeply. "When the time comes, you're the only man I want to see." She swallowed. "I know I'm not ready for that. I'm still... you know... frightened." She smiled when Ranma looked up at her. "But I'm not nearly as frightened as I used to be."

Ranma looked away from her, blushing deeply. But nothing scared him, and this was a matter of pride. "Well, ya know, I am such a good lookin' guy and all that..." He smiled to cover his embarrassment.

Akane just giggled. "We take it slow, right Ranma?" Her hands tightened around his.

Ranma nodded. Then, he stared into her eyes for a few moments. Akane gave a gasp, as he suddenly leaped at her and wrapped his arms around her. Akane relaxed in his embrace, as she ran her hands across his back.

"I'm glad you're okay," Ranma said.

* * *

A new day dawned at the Tendo home, and the family slowly gathered around the table for breakfast. Akane and Ukyo returned from their morning jog, and hurried upstairs to change for school. When they came back down, Akane in her school uniform and Ukyo in her shirt and pants, Ukyo was in redheaded form. The two girls sat down at the table in their usual spots, Akane next to Ranma, and Ukyo opposite him and their father.

Nabiki noticed Ukyo was in her cursed form, and eyed the girl with a hint of irritation. "You weren't a redhead when you came in. Why did you change?"

Ukyo looked up, as if the question surprised her. Although there was a hint of a smile on her lips. "Oh, I had to make good on Master Happosai's challenge. He wanted me to wear that bra in redheaded form, so here I am."

Happosai looked up at her, smiling in delight. "You're wearing my bra? Really, do you mean it?"

"Yep!" Ukyo smiled smugly. "Never let it be said I'm not true to my word."

"And I was there when she changed into it," Akane said, pausing in taking a bite of her breakfast, "so I can confirm she's wearing it. It was a bit tight, but it actually looked really nice, Grandfather."

"Yes, thank you for the gift, Sensei," Ukyo said. They had talked about this upstairs. Akane had decided to call Happosai 'Grandfather', out of respect, but as his student Ukyo knew it was more proper to call him 'teacher'.

Happosai stared at the girl's chest for a moment. Then his face fell. "But... I can't see it." He jumped up to grab at Ukyo's breasts. She was ready for the attack, though, and slammed him down into the table.

"I'm not gunna take my top off for you," Ukyo said calmly. "You said you wanted to see me in this bra, and I'm wearing it."

Akane spoke up as well, her voice just as nonchalant. "According to the terms of the challenge, if Ukyo lost, she would wear your bra, and wear it in her cursed form. You never said anything about seeing the bra when it was on her."

A slight smile crept across her face. "Or even on Ranma, for that matter." Next to her, Ranma suddenly gave a snort of amusement.

"But that's not fair!" Happosai stomped his foot, pouting. Then a sly grin came over his face. "But if I don't see the bra, how can I know you've lived up to my conditions?"

Akane took another bite of her meal, but didn't hesitate in her reply. "Like I said, I can vouch for the fact that she's wearing the bra."

Nabiki burst into laughter. "They've outmaneuvered you, Grandfather. Admit it. You neglected to make the terms of your challenge clear. And you've got to admit, Ukyo's lived up to her part of the deal. She even changed into her cursed form for you."

Happosai's expression turned stern. "It's not wise to trick your Master, disciple." At his tone, both Soun and Genma looked up, worried. "You would not want to arouse my anger."

Ukyo started to speak, but Nabiki interrupted. "Oh, don't be such a sore loser," she said disdainfully. "If necessary, I can confirm, as an independent third party, that Ukyo is wearing your bra. A deal is a deal."

"If that is what I had meant, student..." Happosai began, but before he could continue, a loud, raucous laughter cut him short.

"Hohohohohoho! It has been so long since I have seen you, my Ranma darling! Come to your darling Kodachi's arms!"

Kodachi had leaped over the wall, dressed in her St. Hebereke school uniform. She wrapped her arms around Ranma, while the rest of the family sitting at the table pulled away in shock.

Ukyo was the first to recover. "What are you doing here, Kodachi?"

Kodachi eyed her with distain. "Ranko Tendo. So you are still here living with my darling Ranma. My brother keeps saying you are some sort of illusion, but I know better. Are you still pursuing my Ranma darling, you redheaded hussy?"

Ukyo scowled back at her. "My feelings for Ranchan are none of your business. Now what are you doing here? You can't tell me you just 'dropped by', and neither Akane nor I are competing in any tournaments you might be in."

Kodachi glanced at Akane, who had stood up to confront her as well. She let go of Ranma and turned to face her. "I have heard a rumor that my Ranma darling has been seen... kissing... this disgusting peasant."

The response from the two fathers was immediate. "Is this true?" "Ah, my boy, that's the way to treat your fiancee'." "We must plan a wedding at once, Saotome!" "Yes, yes, surely our children have admitted their love at last."

Akane turned beet red. "That was the kiss in the Neko-Ken!" she shouted, at the parents. "And it wasn't a kiss anyway, Ranma just rubbed his face against me!" She turned back to Kodachi. "You've been misinformed. Ask your brother, he knows about the Neko-Ken kiss..." While Akane's tone was even, she had still started to shiver.

"It was my brother Tatewaki who informed me of this rumor," Kodachi said. "He did not say anything about a... 'Neko-Ken'."

"I told him that Ranma and Akane were CLOSER," Nabiki cut in, "that was all. This kiss must be a product of his feverish imagination."

"Nabiki!" Akane exclaimed. Her eyes narrowed as she scowled at her sister.

"I only wanted to make sure he found out from me, and not someone else," Nabiki told her. "That way I could control the information that he was given." She leaned a little closer, to whisper in Akane's ear. "And in fact, I've got HIM paying to keep the information on how close you two have REALLY become from our fathers."

Akane's blush deepened a bit and she eyed her sister worriedly, but turned back to Kodachi. "So you see, it's all a misunderstanding. I... I didn't kiss Ranma, not while he was under the influence of the Neko-Ken, anyway. He wasn't himself, and he was just rubbing his face against mine, so it doesn't really count as a kiss." She touched her fingertips together, unable to look Kodachi in the eye as she said this, and Ranma was looking away, too.

Kodachi studied her, obviously noting her discomfort. "But Tatewaki had other evidence as well. Pictures of the two of you..."

Nabiki cut her off. "Ranma and Akane are growing closer, yes, as friends do. And maybe even more. But it is Kuno that is convinced there is a full blown romance going on."

"Oh, no. You are not fooling me." Kodachi frowned at her. "It is obvious that Akane Tendo and her seductive cousin Ranko as well," she gestured at Ukyo, "are in love with my Ranma darling. But I will not let them get their hooks in him. My Ranma darling shall be mine at last!"

With that, Kodachi gave out another ear splitting laugh, grabbing Ranma and hugging him, while he winced at her touch. Nabiki glanced at the two fathers, and rolled her eyes, a gesture that clearly said, "She is obviously insane. Don't believe anything she says."

Akane tried to pull Kodachi off of Ranma, and she leaped back, drawing her gymnastics ribbon. "Be warned, Akane and Ranko! You have not seen the last of Kodachi the Black Rose!" With that, still laughing insanely, she leaped over the wall and was gone.

* * *

As soon as school let out for the afternoon, Akane hurried to the gate, where she waited impatiently for Ranma. "Hurry up!" She called to him, as he trailed out of the building behind Hiroshi and Daisuke. "We're going to be late to see the Chinese Acrobats!"

Ranma scowled as he rushed up to her, and Akane took off walking down the street as he got close. He hurried to catch up with her. "Why in the world would you wanna go back to that stupid thing? It was just dumb Mousse and his stupid traps..."

Akane swung her book bag in front of her, smiling cheerily. "I just think it'll be fun, is all." She then eyed Ranma, and lowered her voice. "I talked to Mousse after our fight. I think I have an idea to help him and Shampoo get together."

"Why would you wanna help him? He did try ta turn ya into a duck, you know!"

"I know, but I don't think it was as much to get to you. He just wants to show Shampoo that he's better than you, that he will make a better husband to her. But I think he's going about it all wrong."

Ranma snorted. "Ain't nobody better than me."

"Baka." Akane rolled her eyes. "But that's what I mean. He's more concerned about you than showing Shampoo how he really feels about her." She smiled, impishly. "I think I can help with that."

"What are you gonna do?" Ranma eyed her suspiciously.

"You'll find out." She said nothing more, and the two of them walked along side by side, in silence. Then Ranma cleared his throat, uncomfortably.

"So... um... how'd you get away from that Mousse, anyway?"

Akane looked up at him. "After he cornered me in that storeroom, I grabbed this tapestry that was lying on a table nearby. I was going to hide under it. But then Mousse came charging into the room. I just reacted instinctively, I guess, and threw the cloth up in front of myself as a shield. The water hit the tapestry, and not me."

"Yeah..." Ranma was looking down at the street. "I saw that duck under that tapestry an'... I just thought he got you."

Akane could hear the fear and concern in his voice. She took his hand as they walked along the street. "Well, he didn't. And I gave him a good beating for trying it." She squeezed Ranma's hand, while waving her book bag threateningly with the other. "But then I got him to settle down and talk to me, and I agreed to bring you and Shampoo back to see the Acrobat Troupe, if he'd let me handle it and stop trying to fight you."

"And you believed the blind idiot?"

"He loves Shampoo," Akane said, her expression serious. "I think he'll give it a shot if he thinks it'll help him win Shampoo."

"So ya think you can help him?"

"You'll see..." Akane smiled again.

They continued walking, but Akane studied the worried expression on Ranma's face. Finally, she squeezed his hand again. "I just wanted you to know, Ranma, I know I got off lucky this time, but if I ever do get cursed or anything like that, I don't want you to worry." She stopped, and Ranma stopped and turned to face her. "I don't think it'd be so bad, to have a curse, and it might help me understand what you have to go through a little better."

"Don't even say that!" Ranma said, his eyes narrowing. "You got no idea how bad the curse is! I ain't never gonna let you get cursed, no way!"

"I know." Akane took both of Ranma's hands, and pulled him closer. "And I know how much it would hurt you if I were to get cursed because of you." She began to blush a little, but still gazed steadily into his blue eyes. "I heard what you said, back there in the furo, and... I really appreciate that."

Ranma began to blush as well, looking down at the street. But his voice was firm as he spoke. "It's true, I meant it. I don't care what ya look like, Akane. Even though... what you said... um... about bein' pretty. Well, I think you're kinda cute." Akane blushed as well, and for a moment, the two teenagers just stood there holding each others' hands, and staring at the ground.

Ranma's lips then slipped into a wry smirk, although he still didn't meet her eyes. "You even made a kinda cute duck..."

"I'm not so fat as a duck, huh Ranma?" Akane giggled, as they fell silent again.

Then her expression turned more serious. "But I want YOU to know, if I ever did get cursed, I would never blame it on you. I'd be okay with it." She tugged at his hands, and he lifted his head to look her in the eye. "The only reason I wouldn't want to get cursed is because I know how much it would bother you. For that reason, I'm going to do my best to make sure that never happens."

"Me too, Akane," Ranma said. She stroked his face for a moment, and then he leaned down a little closer to her. For just a moment, Akane was sure he was going to kiss her, but then he glanced around at the busy street. Akane drew him into a quick embrace, instead, and then just settled on walking along beside him, with his hand in hers.

"Maybe we can talk about this some more, if we can get some time alone," she said, her eyes twinkling. Ranma grinned, and nodded his agreement.

It took them a few more minutes to get to the Chinese Festival, and then they stopped by the Cat Cafe booth. Shampoo was working the register, while Ukyo was behind the grill as usual. As soon as she saw Ranma, Shampoo let out a happy, "Airen!" and leaped over the counter to wrap her arms around him. Akane scowled at her for a moment, but then just rolled her eyes.

"Um... hi, Shampoo," Ranma said, glancing back at Akane as if making sure she wasn't going to punch him. As Akane gestured impatiently at Shampoo, he turned back to her. "You ready to go see this Chinese Acrobat thing?"

"Shampoo happy to go anywhere with Airen," she said, rubbing her body up against his. Ranma started to sweat, and his discomfort only deepened as she turned and gave Akane a smug look. The short haired girl apparently had decided that she had had enough, as she grabbed Shampoo's arm and pulled it from around Ranma's waist. Although Akane didn't pull hard enough to dislodge the Amazon, Ranma was relieved that he could start breathing again.

"You'll have time to cuddle with your 'Airen' at the circus, Shampoo," Akane growled, interrupting Shampoo before she could protest. "For now let him sit down and have an okonomiyaki. I'm sure Ranma wants to talk to his sister."

"You want the usual, Ranchan, Akane?" Ukyo asked, as Shampoo dragged Ranma back to the booth and "helped" him to sit down. She then pointedly sat down between him and Akane.

Akane sat next to the Amazon, shaking her head, but regarded her friend with a smile. "Why don't you just save time and make two for each of us." She said.

"Worked up an appetite in that fight yesterday, huh Akane-chan?" Ukyo asked her with a grin. She began to prepare the okonomiyaki, although she had to pour the batter out into a pan, since this grill was not equipped with a griddle.

"I guess so." She glanced around, noticing several more customers at the counter, and a number standing around eating in the street in front of the booth. At least there was no line waiting to be served. "Are you doing okay today? Is business as good as it was yesterday?"

"Pretty much. Once the newness of my serving okonomiyaki wore off, it pretty much went back to normal. It's been about half okonomiyaki, half the more traditional Chinese dishes. It was a little hectic during the lunch rush, but I expect the okonomiyaki to tail off from now on, as folks get more interested in dinner."

"Looks like yer makin' a name for yourself, Sis!" Ranma commented brightly, as Ukyo served him his meal. He dug into it with enthusiasm.

"Yeah." She served Akane her okonomiyaki as well, and then looked back at Ranma, thoughtfully. "You know, I never expected anyone would want me to pick what goes on their okonomiyaki. But the Pot Luck Okonomiyaki has been our best seller. Even Cologne was impressed. She said she's never seen business like this."

"It's because it's different every time you try it," Akane told her, "and it's always great. You know exactly how to mix flavors to make it perfect, no matter what you put on it."

Ukyo blushed a little as she turned back to the grill. "Thanks, Akane. That means a lot to me."

"Maybe you could hire on at the Cat Cafe full time." Ranma put in. "I'd bet you'd bring in lots of business."

Shampoo looked up, startled. Then she glanced at Ranma, and gave Ukyo a hopeful look. The ponytailed girl shook her head, though. "I'd have to take too much time off for school. And I'm not ready to be a full time chef yet. I'd have to learn a bit more before I felt comfortable doin' that." She smiled at Shampoo. "It's been nice helping Shampoo and Cologne out, but this is just until the Festival is over."

"Is too, too bad," Shampoo said. "Shampoo love working with Shield Sister. Any time Shield Sister want to come back, Shampoo happy to have!"

"Yeah, Cologne said the same thing. Maybe I'll think about it."

Ranma had already finished off his okonomiyaki, and Akane stood as she finished hers as well. "Well, we'd better get to the carnival tent unless we want to miss the show. You have your ticket, right Shampoo?"

Shampoo was in the process of pulling Ranma to his feet, primarily to keep Akane from doing it. She glanced back at the girl, and then pulled out her ticket. "Sure, Shampoo have. But Mousse not give Angry Girl ticket, yes?"

"I picked one up yesterday." Akane put her hand on Shampoo's shoulder, in a friendly manner, completely ignoring Shampoo's insult. "Well then, let's go. I think this is going to be fun."

Shampoo looked down at the hand on her shoulder, then up at Akane's mischievous grin. Her expression wasn't particularly devious or conniving, but it was obvious she was planning something. Shampoo glomped Ranma, then turned to look back at Akane. "Anywhere Shampoo with Airen, Shampoo have fun."

Akane snorted a little, her smile dimming slightly. She shook her head. "Whatever, Shampoo. Let's just go." With that, she turned her back on the two, and marched down the street towards the carnival tent.

"Akane! Akane... hey, wait up!" Ranma hurried after her, with Shampoo still clinging to him.

Ukyo shook her head, amused. "Good luck, Akane-chan. You're gonna need it."

* * *

The circus turned out to be quite entertaining, with jugglers and animal acts, and even a couple of trained pandas. Ranma chuckled at that, it wasn't the first time he had considered selling his Pop to a circus. Ranma sat between Akane and Shampoo, and Shampoo had stopped trying to hang onto him once the show started, which made Akane more relaxed. She was apparently still hungry, because she had asked Ranma to pick up a few snacks for her, and was sipping from a large iced oolong tea.

Akane was obviously waiting for something to happen, because she would occasionally stop and look around, but then she would shrug and get back to watching the performers. It was probably Mousse she was waiting for. Ranma kept an eye out for him as well, not wanting the Amazon to get the drop on him, but there was no sign of the long haired boy anywhere. Ranma began to wonder if Akane had made a mistake in trusting him. But then, if Mousse wasn't going to show up, what would be the point in making Akane think he would? Unsure what else to do, Ranma just continued watching the show, just like Akane. He glanced at her as she cried out happily at one of the acts. At least she seemed to be having fun...

As that performance ended, the ringmaster came out on stage. He was a large Chinese man, wearing an ornate robe and dark glasses with round lenses. "Please for next performance we needing your help. One lovely young lady from audience please come stage," he said, in broken Japanese much like Shampoo's. "For brave volunteer we give most excellent prize."

He held up the stuffed pig that Mousse had stolen from Akane. She gasped as she recognized it. "That's my P-chan!" she cried.

"Aiyah! Shampoo gift!"

"Hey, Akane!" Ranma shouted out. "What are ya doin' down there! Get back up here before you get hurt!"

Akane regarded him with narrowed eyes, and he smirked back at her. She threw her tea in his face. "Very funny. If you're so worried about me then GET IN THERE AND GET MY GIFT BACK!"

Somewhat disoriented by her sudden transformation into a woman, Ranma was further surprised when Akane grabbed her around the waist. At first, Akane just cinched up her belt, so her pants wouldn't fall down, on her skinnier frame. But then, Ranma was hefted into the air, and found herself flying towards the ring. The over muscled tomboy had just picked her up and thrown her!

"What Angry Girl do!" Shampoo shouted, rising to her feet as well.

Akane just sat back down. "Don't worry, he'll be fine. He'll probably love the attention."

Sure enough, Ranma did several flips as she sailed into the ring, and the ponytailed girl landed deftly, to applause from the audience. She spread her arms, grinning at them. Then several of the circus assistants came running up and lifted her into the air.

"Okay, we have volunteer now!" The ringmaster called. "What is fate of poor captured girl? Watch and see."

Ranma was carried to a large wooden target at one side of the ring, and chained to the target with manacles on her arms and legs. As the assistants cleared away, to leave her hanging from her chains, Ranma struggled to get free. "Angry Girl sure Airen be okay?" Shampoo asked, worriedly, as Ranma was clearly unable to pull her arms out of the shackles.

"It's just an act," Akane said. "I'm sure he'll be fine." But she couldn't keep the worry out of her eyes.

The assistants had begun wheeling out a food cart, on which was set a silver tray, covered with a large domed lid. The cart was positioned in front of the target, and then the ringmaster grabbed the handle on top of the lid. "Welcome please our big star..."

He lifted the lid, and immediately, a volley of sharp knives shot from under the dome. They impacted in the target around Ranma, outlining her body. As the ringmaster continued his flourish, a duck was revealed, standing on the silver platter. It was Mousse, in his duck form. He held a single knife in his beak, and waved a wing in greeting to the audience.

"... Mu-Mu-chan, the duck!" the ringmaster announced, to applause from the crowd.

"That's Mousse!" Akane cried out, standing up.

"Mousse going to attack Airen! Airen trapped!" Shampoo yelled. Sure enough, the duck had turned to glare at Ranma. Even the thickness of his glasses wasn't enough to hide the duck's anger. He snapped his wings, and more knives sprouted. Ranma heaved at the shackles on her arms, but Mousse had already made his throw, and the knives shot at her.

Akane dropped in front of Ranma, blocking the knives with her arm. They clattered to the floor. "Mousse!" She called out. "We agreed that you weren't going to hurt Ranma!"

The duck began to jump up and down, quacking furiously. Shampoo moved to stand between him and Ranma. "Shampoo no let Mousse hurt Airen! Mousse leave Airen alone!"

Mousse hung his head, then reached under his wing and produced a bouquet of roses. Shampoo slapped them aside. "Shampoo told you, Shampoo never date stupid Mousse!"

The crowd had begun to murmur, and the ringmaster looked around, as their disquiet began to turn into boos. "Hey, what you do? You no supposed to be here, get off stage now!"

Akane pulled the man aside. "Just make like this is part of the show. And get me some hot water, okay?"

She then turned to Mousse, raising her voice so she could be heard by the crowd as well. "Mu-mu-chan the duck, why do you hate this pony tailed girl so? Is it because she is not your true love, Shampoo?"

"Shampoo not love stupid Mousse!" Shampoo shouted. "And what Angry Girl doing?"

"Actually, I'm just making this up as I go along," Akane said, her cheeks turning a little pink. The ringmaster showed up behind her with a kettle of water, and she quickly thanked him as she grabbed it.

"Mu-mu-chan the duck is no ordinary duck!" Akane announced. "He's really... oo, wait." She suddenly stopped, and grabbed Mousse, stuffing him under the cart. It was covered in a silken cloth, so it hid him from view. "Get out your robe," she hissed at him, as Mousse squawked in protest, flapping his wings. Once he was completely obscured by the cloth, she poured the hot water over him.

A minute later, Mousse stepped out from under the cloth. "Introducing, Mousse, the Master of Hidden Weapons!" Akane exclaimed, gesturing at him. The audience seemed shocked, as did the ringmaster, but then they broke out in applause.

"Um... guys," Ranma muttered. "Can you, you know, get me free from here?"

Akane ignored her. "Mousse loves Shampoo, but she rejected him, so he ran away to join the circus. Or something," she grimaced. "Anyway, Mousse, now that your Shampoo is here, how will you win her love?"

"Shampoo not love stupid Mousse!" Shampoo screamed, stomping her foot. "Shampoo say that! Shampoo NEVER love stupid Mousse!"

Mousse pointed at Ranma. "This is all your fault, Ranma Saotome! You took my Shampoo from me! But I will still have my revenge!" From the folds of his robe, he produced yet another bucket. "This is the last of the Spring of Drowned Duck water that I brought back from China! With this, I will make sure that you share my curse. I don't care if you're already cursed or not, Shampoo won't love you if you're a duck like me!"

"Guys!" Ranma shouted, beginning to really panic now. She pulled at her bonds. "I'd really like to get free now!"

"Mousse, no!" Akane shouted, but Shampoo had already beaten her to it. She kicked the pail of water out of Mousse's hand, and it splashed down on him, turning him back into a duck. There was a moment of stunned silence, and then the audience broke out in laughter.

"It not because you duck that Shampoo no date you," Shampoo said, turning her nose up. "It because you stupid blind Mousse."

"Quack! Quack!" Mousse shouted. Then he ducked back under the cart. Akane poured the hot water over him, and he emerged again as a human.

Mousse walked over to Shampoo, trying to take her hand, but she slapped it away. "Shampoo..." he asked her. "Do you really hate me so much?"

"Yes!" Shampoo answered, yelling back at him. "Shampoo hate stupid Mousse. Stupid Mousse always get in way and ruin everything! Shampoo HATE Mousse!"

"Oooooo..." The audience drew in a collective breath, in sympathy.

Mousse hung his head, but Akane smiled to herself. It wasn't exactly what she was planning, but it had worked perfectly.

"That was cruel, Shampoo!" she shouted, making sure her voice was loud enough to carry. "Mousse loves you, and you just broke his heart. I've had enough, and I'm going to do something about it. Right here, Shampoo, right in front of all these people, I challenge you!"

Shampoo's eyes widened, as did Ranma's. The ponytailed girl started to struggle even harder to break free. Shampoo, however, smiled wickedly.

"Angry Girl challenge Shampoo for Airen? Shampoo beat Angry Girl for sure, and then..."

"No, Shampoo," Akane shouted, cutting her off. "I challenge you for MOUSSE!"

* * *

Author's Note:

Yes, yes, it was evil of me to end two chapters in a row on cliffhangers. :D The "joke" I mentioned back in Chapter 56 that I had dropped, though, was Akane throwing her drink in Ranma's face so she could be the female volunteer for the circus act. In the canon, Ranma attended in female form to start with, which was actually a bit wierd, but she was probably scamming free food. Since Ranma has no reason to come back to save Akane from being turned into a duck, though, I needed a reason to get him back to the carnival, and still needing to get the pig back was a good enough one.

Ukyo ALMOST took off on this chapter like she did the last time, but for the most part I was able to hold her back. :D It's about time she started thinking about her true calling as a chef, though, and get back behind the grill on a permanent basis.

I also find it interesting I ended up using Chapter titles (for the chapter selector) that are so close to the canon for these two chapters. My sister suggested "Duck, Duck, Mousse", but "Fowl Play" just fit this chapter, only it is Akane making the sneaky plans, not Mousse.


	59. A Show of Blind Love

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 59

"That's right, Shampoo!" Akane said. "We fight for Mousse's affection. And whoever loses has to give up Mousse forever!" She took a moment to tie up her skirt so it wouldn't be in her way. The males in the audience suddenly seemed more attentive, noticing that she was exposing more leg, but she had also made sure to wear shorts under her school uniform today.

Shampoo laughed, brightly. "Angry Girl want stupid Mousse? Can have him! Shampoo think Akane make great girlfriend for Mousse!"

Akane smiled, unperturbed. "This is for more than just love, Shampoo. This is for Mousse's FRIENDSHIP! Are you willing to give that up? All the years you spent with Mousse, growing up? The times he protected you, and stood by your side? He loves you, and you may not love him back, but are you willing to just throw that away?"

"Akane! Whaddya doin'?" Ranma was still shackled to the knife throwing target, and looked around at the crowd, worried. They were listening in on the conversation, intently, and many of the women in the audience had begun to sob, overcome by the emotional scene. Mousse was kneeling in the ring, hurt by Shampoo's words, but shocked that Akane was standing up for him.

Shampoo just snorted. "Mousse no protect Shampoo! Blind Mousse try protect pig, cow, think is Shampoo! Shampoo go off on own, protect self. Shampoo Amazon warrior, no need protection from stupid male!"

"Whatever, Shampoo. I'll win Mousse's friendship, and then I'll have him AND Ranma! And everyone here will know that I've beaten you!" Akane gestured at the crowd.

Shampoo's eyes narrowed. "Akane no beat Amazon warrior. Akane just Angry Girl, play at being warrior..."

"Akane!" Ranma protested, her voice rising. "Are you crazy? You're gonna get yourself killed!" She began to struggle against her shackles again. "You can't fight Shampoo!"

Akane hurried over to her, and began to free Ranma from the chains. "Don't worry," she said, lowering her voice so only Ranma could hear. "I don't intend to beat her, just put up a good fight. She'll have to win Mousse from me in the end, but I won't let her give me the Kiss of Death."

"What makes ya think she's even gonna fight you in the first place?"

Akane paused a moment, then glanced back at Shampoo. She was watching her rival carefully, obviously aware that she was up to something. She turned back to Ranma. "Listen, you remember the fight with Kodachi, when she challenged me for you?"

Ranma nodded, and Akane continued. "At the time, I said I didn't want to fight for you. I wasn't really sure about my feelings for you back then, and didn't want people to think that I'd fallen for you. But even back then, before I really started to care for you, when I beat Kodachi, I... well, I got this real sense of satisfaction, Ranma. Like I had kept Kodachi from taking you away, and that felt really good. Even though I didn't want to admit it, it felt really good..."

"An' you think if Shampoo fights for Mousse, she'll feel the same way?"

"I'm sure of it. When Happosai attacked Mousse, she acted worried about him. I think she doesn't want to admit it, but deep down she doesn't want to lose Mousse's friendship... just like I didn't want to lose you." Akane blushed a little as she looked up into Ranma's blue green eyes, but then she finished freeing the other girl from her restraints.

She helped Ranma to step down to the ground, and then turned back to Shampoo. "Are you going to fight, Shampoo, or just give up? I'm ready, are you?" She dropped into a stance.

"Shampoo not fight for stupid Mousse!" Shampoo protested, growing exasperated at Akane's stubbornness.

"So you're just going to turn down my challenge? In front of all these people?" Akane smiled wickedly. "Is that what a brave Amazon warrior would do?"

Shampoo's eyes narrowed. "Amazon warrior no turn down challenge. But Shampoo not fight for Mousse. Shampoo fight to show Airen that Angry Girl weak. Shampoo show Angry Girl what it mean to challenge Amazon warrior."

"Akane!" Ranma was frightened, now, and she stepped between the two girls. "I dunno what yer doin' but stop it! If I'd known you were going to come here to challenge Shampoo..."

"It's just a challenge, Ranma, I'll be fine." Akane put out her arm, gently pushing Ranma aside. "She doesn't even have her weapons. This isn't a serious fight, just to see which of us is the best, right Shampoo?"

Shampoo snorted, her smile malicious. "Shampoo no need weapons to show Angry Girl who is best," she said.

"Exactly, now get out of the way." She glared at Ranma for a moment, and the brown haired girl swallowed, reluctant to give in. Akane lowered her voice, as she held Ranma's gaze. "Just trust me, okay?"

Still unsure, Ranma backed away. Akane fell back into her stance. It looked casual, but Ranma knew it was a variation on the Anything Goes style, similar to Ukyo's. It wasn't particularly aggressive, and looked deceptively basic, but it was a stance from which Akane could react instantly.

Before Ranma could even completely get out of the way, Shampoo leaped in. For a moment, Akane seemed surprised, as she had forgotten about the Amazon's incredible speed. But her defensive stance served her well, and she was able to instinctively block Shampoo's first few attacks, even as she regained her focus. Shampoo had obviously intended to take her out with the first blow, but Akane had no intention of making it that easy.

As Shampoo pressed forward, her fists shooting out with a speed close to the Chestnut Fist, Akane took a few steps back, and then leaped into the air, letting the Amazon's blows pass under her. Shampoo quickly turned to follow her escape, lashing out with a foot to try and catch the other girl in midair. Akane let the kick catch her in the leg, but used its momentum to send her into a somersault, landing on her hands before flipping back upright. She danced back as Shampoo pressed the attack.

"Not make fun of Amazon warrior now, yes?" Shampoo said with a smirk. Akane had fallen silent, her face creased in concentration as she focused on the fight. Even so, her taunt just made Akane smile.

"I'm just getting warmed up, Shampoo," the short haired tomboy answered, turning to the offense with a massive punch. Shampoo blocked it easily, but was startled as the impact knocked off her rhythm, and left an opening in her defense. Akane followed up with a kick, and Shampoo was forced to leap back, only avoiding the impact by inches. As it was, she felt a shockwave of air pressure as it passed by her side.

Shampoo's eyes widened as she realized she had underestimated the Tendo girl's strength. She had known she was strong, of course, but felt there was no way the Japanese girl could match an Amazon trained from birth. Yet, despite Akane's deceptively slender build, Shampoo guessed she had more raw power than Amazons twice her size. Not that Shampoo wasn't incredibly strong herself; she packed amazing power into her somewhat small and stocky frame. But, she had to reluctantly admit, Akane might actually have the edge here.

Still, Shampoo knew she was quite a bit faster and could compensate for the Tendo girl's strength. But she quickly decided it might be best to not push her offense quite so hard. Even as the thought crossed her mind, and it struck her that Akane had read her surprised expression, the black haired girl suddenly lunged forward, and a short flurry of punches caught her on the right shoulder. Shampoo blocked and then pressed her own attack, suddenly angry that the other girl had gotten past her guard.

Now it was Akane that was back on the defensive. She heard Mousse cry out, "Shampoo!" obviously noticing her hit, but it had just been a glancing blow. She ignored the blind boy, all her concentration needed on blocking Shampoo's attacks. Several got through, and Akane grunted at the power behind the Amazon's punches, but her training with Ukyo had paid off. None of the attacks hit her anywhere serious, and she was able to shrug off the pain. Although she figured she'd have some bruises to deal with for a few days.

It was much like fighting Ukyo's cursed form, Akane decided. Shampoo had the same basic strength and musculature as her friend, as well as her stability and balance. Akane shifted her focus to the placement of her feet, knowing aerial combat wasn't her strong suit, but it was her only defense against Shampoo. Sure enough, she was a fraction too slow to block a punch and it sent her flying across the ring. At the last moment, she managed to right herself and leap back, and delivered a solid kick to the surprised Amazon.

Shampoo backed away, breathing heavily and starting to grumble under her breath. Akane was breathing hard as well, but she had been expecting that. Her opponent, in the other hand, had apparently anticipated an easy fight, and was quite incensed that it was not. For a moment, Akane worried that the Amazon might be taking this too seriously. The last thing she wanted to do was humiliate her like Ranma had, before she gave him the Kiss of Death.

She cut that train of thought short as Mousse spoke up again. "Shampoo!" he called out, his concern obvious. "Catch!" He produced a couple of chui from his robe, and tossed them to her. Akane growled a bit at this, but then struggled to regain her center. Hopefully it wouldn't change much, and maybe this gesture would make Shampoo a little more considerate of Mousse in the future.

Shampoo just scowled at the weapons, although she caught both. "Shampoo not need help from stupid Mousse!" she snapped. She raised the chui, though, and Akane readied herself. A quick glance at Ranma showed her that the ponytailed girl was worried, and tensed to act if she needed to, but still standing outside of the fight. Knowing that Ranma was there helped calm her fears a bit, and she relaxed.

Again, Shampoo charged at her, and Akane just leaped over her swings. Her movements were slowed by the weight of the chui, and thus it was much easier to dodge her. Of course, the consequences if she should be hit were now much worse, and Akane could feel the rush of wind past her as they missed. As the battle continued on and Akane was forced to block, she hissed in pain as the heavy maces slammed into her forearms.

There was no way she was going to back down, however. Almost forgetting for the moment that her plan was to lose, Akane pushed herself to meet the new level of threat. She was going to have to make her attacks more forceful, her attitude more serious. Her battle aura began to swirl around her, as she tentatively released the volatile mix of her emotions. She stole another glance at Ranma, letting the calm she felt from knowing he was there help her focus her feelings. Shampoo countered by building her own battle aura, and the crowd watched, hushed. They could sense the tension in the air, even though the two girls' auras were nowhere near as obvious as Happosai's.

The two fighters seemed to flash past each other, suddenly moving so quickly they could almost not be seen. Shampoo's own rage built, as Akane scored hit after hit on her, while Akane cried out when a chui caught her in the ribs. Then, Akane made a feint, and the tide of battle turned. One of the massive chui went flying, as Akane knocked it out of Shampoo's hand, and then a snap kick sent the Amazon flying. She lost the other mace as she hit the ground, hard, and then flipped over as she bounced across the floor of the ring.

Akane swallowed, backing away. Would she consider that a defeat? She watched Shampoo lay motionless for a few heart stopping moments, but then the other girl moaned, and began to sit up. Akane settled back into her stance, hoping Shampoo would attack her again. She hadn't intended to hit her quite that hard, but with the threat her chui represented, she hadn't been able to hold back.

As Shampoo started to sit up, though, Mousse ran up to stand over her. "That's enough! You said that you'd get Shampoo to fight over me, but you never said you would hurt her!"

Akane took a deep breath, trying to still the wild beating of her heart. "It's all right, Mousse. I'm sure she's not hurt that bad." She didn't think it was a good idea to point out that if Mousse hadn't given her a weapon, she wouldn't have had to hit that hard. "We can continue this fight, no one has won, yet." She glanced at Shampoo, hoping she agreed.

The Amazon was glaring at Mousse, angrily. "No interfere! This fight between women! Stupid Mousse get out of way!"

Mousse held out an arm, as if to shield Shampoo. "No! I won't let you get hurt, not even if it's to win you! I don't care how cold you are to me! I love you, Shampoo, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you!"

The audience let out a gasp, at this romantic show of dedication. Akane felt herself smile, at a warm memory of a certain pigtailed boy, making a very similar proclamation in an ice skating rink. Reluctantly, she put that thought aside to concentrate on the current battle. Although not before considering the irony of her playing the role of their Couple Cleaver.

Shampoo didn't seem moved by his gesture. "Get out of way! Shampoo must beat Angry Girl! Shampoo is Amazon!" She began to beat on his shoulder, but surprisingly, he ignored her, as if she wasn't hurting him.

"I'm the one who made this deal, Shampoo!" He said, "And I'm taking it back! If Akane Tendo wants to continue this fight with you, she'll have to go through me!"

Akane backed up, her eyes widening, as dozens of chains came flying at her, from Mousse's robes. She leaped to the side, spinning almost out of control as she evaded the blows. Quickly she forced her mind back into focus. She almost put her foot down wrong, but at the last minute rolled with the fall, as Ukyo had taught her. Getting back to her feet, she glanced at Ranma, and as she expected, the girl was about to charge into the fray.

"Don't, Ranma!" She called out, although she knew quite well how quickly things had gotten out of hand. "If Mousse starts to fight you, it'll only get worse. Just stay there, and don't move!"

"But Akane..." Ranma bit her lip worried. "If you get..."

"I know, I know, just for now, let me handle it." Akane turned back to Mousse, all her attention needed to dodge his missile attacks. While she had fought him before, with Ranma and Ukyo, his attacks had been divided among the three of them. And since neither Ukyo nor Ranma used ranged weapons, she wasn't used to fighting them.

Hoping to buy herself some time, Akane darted behind the wooden target. One look at Mousse was enough to tell her that he was serious. He had obviously lost control of himself, seeing Shampoo in danger, and like Shampoo when she was using the chui, had gotten too mad to think straight. She had to try and talk him down, but if that didn't work, she would have to fight back, just like she did against Shampoo.

"Hey, Mousse, you wouldn't hit a girl, would you?" Ranma called out, hoping that would distract him.

"Baka!" Akane yelled back at her, as a flurry of sharp knives came at her. She was forced around to the other side of the target to escape. "He comes from a tribe where the men are considered weak! It's probably the other way around for him!"

Not that she really wanted to hit him anyway. Akane concentrated on dodging Mousse's chains and weapons. She was forced to jump back, as a couple of bombs exploded in front of her. At least he was out of his water balloons. With her escape route cut off, Akane had to try and leap back through the chains, and one of them caught her around the wrist. She tumbled out of control, but again rolled to break her fall.

Coming up to her feet, Akane clenched her fist. With the chain still wrapped around it, she couldn't run. She heard Ranma call out, her voice frightened, but Akane forced down her own fear. If she couldn't escape, then there was only one direction to go. She charged forward, ducking and evading as a bombardment of different weapons came at her.

"Mousse, I don't want to fight you!" Akane yelled, as she ran. She didn't think it would get through to him, but hoped it would. "I'm on your side! I want to help you win Shampoo!"

Akane felt a blade cut into her side, but she kept up her charge, throwing a punch right at Mousse's face. Maybe if she knocked off his glasses, it would help. He ducked back, to avoid her blow, and she continued to press her attack. She managed to catch him with a leg sweep, but he recovered quickly, and the chain around her arm dragged her towards him as he was tossed away. Another flurry of knives came at her, and almost instinctively, she leaped up and onto the wooden target that was still next to them. The knives stuck into the target with a series of thunks.

The target started to shift under her weight. Suddenly inspired, she threw herself backwards to build up momentum, then forwards, even as she pulled at the target with all her strength. It toppled, and fell on top of Mousse as he turned to make another attack. He put up his hands to try to stop it, but its weight was too much. It fell to the floor of the ring, trapping Mousse under it.

Akane sat on the edge of the target, trying to catch her breath. She was hopeful that Mousse was stunned, but those hopes were dashed as her perch began to move underneath her. "Akane, look out!" Ranma called out. Akane tried to catch her balance as the target tipped over, thrown off by her weight. She was thrown to the ground, landing on her shoulder to cushion the blow, and then rolled over to face Mousse. He rose up above her, holding the target above his head, his eyes glowing with determination.

"I fight on!" Mousse cried, as Akane scrabbled on her back trying to get away from him. He brought the target down, to smash her with it.

"Mousse, no!" Shampoo came running up, with the bucket she had kicked out of Mousse's hands earlier. She had apparently refilled it, with plain water. "Is Shampoo fight!" With that, she threw the water on Mousse. He transformed into a duck, and then entire weight of the target came crashing down on him again.

"Aiyah!" Shampoo put both hands to her mouth, shocked by her own carelessness. "Shampoo sorry!" She jumped down to grab the target and lift it off of the pinned duck, who was buried out of sight. Akane got to her knees and helped her. The two girls quickly tossed the massive target away, revealing the white duck, lying sprawled on the ground. He lay still, unconscious, and Shampoo put a hand to her mouth again.

"Mousse..."

"I'm sure he's fine," Akane said, concerned, but she wisely stepped back and let Shampoo pick the duck up. The Amazon cradled the duck to her chest, absently stroking his head, until she could confirm that he was breathing. Akane noticed as she breathed a sigh of relief.

The ringmaster had apparently noticed the rise and fall of Mousse's breathing as well. "And Mu-mu-chan is okay! He's just fine, folks!"

The audience burst out in enthusiastic cheers. Akane glanced back at them and smiled a little, although she felt her cheeks grow a little warm at the show they had just put on for them. She looked up at Shampoo, who was still cradling the unconscious duck in her arms.

"Stupid Mousse," she muttered. "Shampoo take Mu-mu-chan home to Cat Cafe," she said, a little louder. "Shampoo have to keep eye on stupid Mousse, make sure not get in trouble."

The crowd continued their applause, but Shampoo ignored them. She stood up, and then looked down at Akane. "Still want fight?"

Akane wrapped her arms around her knees, smiling up at the other girl. "Let's say you won this round, Shampoo."

Shampoo huffed, turning her nose up as she looked away. "Shampoo still no want stupid Mousse," she said. But her eyes showed concern as she looked down at the duck again, and she held him gently, almost tenderly, as she left the tent.

Ranma suddenly rushed to Akane's side, and began to examine the cut Mousse's blades had given her. Akane drew in her breath, as the brown haired girl's not so gentle ministrations sent a shooting pain through her. She clobbered Ranma over the head. "Gently, baka! That hurts, you know!"

"What were ya thinkin', you tomboy!" Ranma snapped back at her. "Either one of those two morons coulda seriously hurt you!"

"I know, Ranma, but I think it was worth it." She smiled back at the door where Shampoo and Mousse had left. "She may still be denying it to herself, but I think she really does care for Mousse."

Ranma shook her head at the sparkly-eyed romantic look Akane was giving them. "I don't think even Mousse deserves that. That girl's crazy."

Akane hit her again. "Baka! Be happy for them!"

"Feh. As if a tomboy like you could play matchmaker for anyone."

"Oh yeah, well at least I did better than an arrogant jerk like you would have done! I'll bet you would have just challenged Mousse to a duel or something. And then get so caught up in your ego that you couldn't let yourself lose!"

"And least that was a better plan than tryin' ta force a fight that NEITHER of ya wanted to win! Who'd want that half blind duck, anyway?"

"Shut up, Ranma! Mousse is a nice guy, and I think Shampoo could be really happy with him!"

"Well, they're both morons, so they're perfect for each other."

Their argument continued as they started to make their way out of the tent. But then Ranma suddenly stopped, and ran back to the ringmaster. Grabbing the stuffed pig away from him, she ran back to Akane, and handed her the toy. Akane gripped it to her chest, tightly, a small smile stealing across her face. Ranma grinned impishly back at her, and they rejoined the crowds outside at the festival.

* * *

Ukyo was continuing to look after the Cat Cafe's booth at the festival, when she saw a familiar, elegant looking young woman with long black hair walking by. Long black hair pulled up into a ponytail on the side of her head. She took a closer look, to confirm that the girl was, indeed, Kodachi Kuno, and then finished serving an okonomiyaki to her customer.

"Hold on a moment", she said, as the man began eating, and he looked up at her. "Go ahead and finish, but I've got to step out for a moment. You don't mind, do you?" When the man shook his head, she hopped over the counter.

"Kodachi! Kodachi!" Ukyo ran after the tall young woman, who was actually a little taller than Ukyo herself. It wasn't difficult to pick her out of the crowd. And she was looking around furtively, obviously searching for someone. "Hey, you aren't lookin' for Ranchan, are you?"

Kodachi looked down her nose at her. "Excuse me, but I don't know you. What business is it of yours that I am looking for my Ranma darling, you... you..." She looked Ukyo up and down. "... you common street vendor."

"Street vendor!" Ukyo scowled, but then realized that Kodachi really didn't know who she was. "That's right; you've never seen me in this form before. I'm Ukyo, Ukyo Kuonji. Ranchan is my brother."

"Kuonji? That 'ponytailed beauty' that my brother Tatewaki is always going on about?" She looked Ukyo over again. "You certainly have the ponytail, but 'beauty' is stretching it."

"Hey, listen, jackass, I don't care whether you think I'm beautiful or not! I just want ya to leave my Bro alone!"

"How vulgar." Kodachi sniffed. "You sound like that Ranko Tendo."

"Yeah, well, she and I agree on a lot of things." Ukyo smirked. "So what are you doing here?"

"If you must know, Nabiki Tendo told me that I would find my Ranma darling here, along with that hussy that calls herself his fiancee. I was going to relieve him of the burden of her lowly presence, and ask him to accompany me to this carnival instead."

"Oh, great, Nabiki again." Ukyo shook her head. "Listen, for your information, Ranma is with both Akane and Shampoo, and they've gone to see the Chinese Acrobats. You weren't invited, so just butt out!"

"Shampoo?" Kodachi's mouth twisted into a grimace. "Is that someone's name?"

"The girl that was trying to kill Ranchan when you first met us. You remember, the one who busted through the wall?"

"Oh, yes, that uncouth barbarian that was calling my Ranma darling Ran-chan. Much like you and Ranko, in fact."

"Eh, she picked up the nickname from us." Ukyo shrugged. "For that matter, she's got a nickname for you, too. She calls you 'Screechy Girl'." She raised an eyebrow, teasingly.

Kodachi broke into shrill laughter, demonstrating exactly how appropriate that name was. "How droll! And she is after my Ranma darling as well, is she? And you? I'll bet you're just like your 'sister', Ranko. Claiming to be Ranma's sister, but secretly harboring a desire for him."

Ukyo's eyes darkened, although her cheeks turned a little pink. "Look, I've had enough of that. I love Ranchan, of course I do, but I want him to be happy. And Akane's the one that makes him happy. You and Shampoo may be too blind or too deluded to see that, but I'm not!"

"Oh, but of course everyone wants my Ranma darling! He is such a prince of a man, such perfection that of course all women must throw themselves at his feet! But I shall be the only one to win him! Ho ho ho ho ho ho!" The crowd began to back away from Kodachi's insane laughter.

Ukyo shook her head. "Geez, Kodachi. 'Prince of a man?' You put me and Ranko down all the time for being 'common' and living on the road. You realize Ranchan lived as a vagabond his whole life. His family isn't all that important, and we've never had any money. Martial Arts is all that he's got. Do you really think he is some noble lord?"

"Of course!" Kodachi put her hand up to her mouth, laughing again, although not quite as shrilly. "I know better than to believe your lies. My Ranma darling is surely from the most noble of families, and surely his bloodline is as pure and as powerful as my own. And to think that he has lived in poverty all this time! I shall take him away from all that! And I shall take him away from you!"

"Oh, crap," Ukyo growled, as Kodachi pulled out her ribbon. Kodachi just began to laugh again, and black rose petals began to swirl around her.

"Perhaps you and Akane Tendo should consider accepting my dear brother's love, Ukyo Kuonji! It will be your only chance to be near my Ranma darling once I have married him. We shall meet again! Adieu!" With that, she bounded off into the distance.

"She's not just a nut job," Ukyo muttered to herself. "She's totally out of it. She makes her brother seem sane."

* * *

Author's Notes:

It's sobering to note that I am coming up on the two year anniversary of this fanfiction, as of the 21st of this month. Although this is not the longest I have worked on a story (I have a current original fiction which has sat unfinished for about seven years) it IS the longest I have worked on one steadily, without losing interest in it.

Even more interesting is considering where we were at this time last year. The first Shampoo arc had been wrapped up, but I was still thinking about the filler with Akane's cookies that eventually became the picture, and Ranma and Ryoga's fight over Akane, in which she finally learned that Ryoga was in love with her, and Ranma was jealous. They had not yet kissed, and in fact had not even gone through the Golden Pair arc and the Couple Cleaver. And of course, Ryoga was still posing as P-chan, and both Akane and Ranma were in the dark about his true identity.

Two months later, I had completed all of that, and Ryoga's curse was revealed, setting the stage for the Neko-Ken, and Ranma and Akane's first kiss. The story has come a long way since then, and is getting very close to being wrapped up. I have about six more story arcs left to go, including the Japanese Nanniichuan, Romeo and Juliet, and the Moxibustion of Weakness. I hope it won't take me another year to get through that :D but I expect it will be at least several more months. I hope you will all continue to stick with me.


	60. Plans and Revelations

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 60

Shampoo arrived at the Cat Cafe to find Nabiki Tendo sitting at one of the tables, with Cologne seated across from her. "What she doing here?" Shampoo asked.

Nabiki looked up, noticing the unconscious duck that Shampoo held cradled in her arms. "Bringing home a late supper, Shampoo?"

"Is Mousse," Shampoo answered, huffing a bit to express her dissatisfaction.

"I'm pretty sure Chocolate Mousse isn't made with duck," Nabiki said dryly. "Or, for that matter, moose..."

"Is Mousse!" Shampoo repeated. "Stupid Mousse from Shampoo village! Is curse to turn into duck!"

Cologne cackled gleefully. "Does that mean you do or do not want me to cook him?"

Shampoo looked down at the duck, her eyes turning a little concerned again. "Just help Shampoo get stupid Mousse upstairs, Great-Grandmother. Is hurt, and Shampoo tired of carrying around." Her expression belied the uncaring tone of her voice.

"Very well," Cologne hopped onto her staff, and then looked down at Nabiki. "Do you mind waiting a moment while I take care of this?"

"Of course not, go ahead." Nabiki waved for the two women to carry on, while she sipped at a drink she had ordered.

A few minutes later, Shampoo set the duck down on a bed in the guest room of the apartments above the cafe. It was currently in use as a storeroom, but there was enough room for Cologne to spread a futon out on the floor. Shampoo gently laid him down on the futon, while Cologne stepped out of the room to fetch a kettle.

Shampoo turned her back, while Cologne poured enough hot water over Mousse to cause him to change back. Shampoo didn't know how to retrieve his robe, and didn't feel like dressing him. She kept her eyes turned away until the Elder had pulled a sheet up over him. As she turned back, Cologne regarded her evenly.

"Are his injuries your doing?"

Shampoo felt herself blush a little. "Was accident. Turn to duck while holding up heavy weight. Duck crushed underneath."

"And what about your injuries? Were they his doing?"

"How Great-Grandmother know!" Shampoo's eyes widened in shock.

"Come now, child. I would have to be as blind as Mousse not to see how you are favoring your shoulder. And there is a bruise forming on your cheek. Who did you fight?"

Shampoo put a hand to her face. "Was... was Angry Girl Akane," she admitted, reluctantly.

Cologne raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? The girl challenged you? Or did you challenge her?"

"Akane challenge Shampoo..." Shampoo looked at the floor. She wrapped an arm around her side, the soreness reminding her of how close the fight had been. She was sure Akane's kick had left a bruise there, and when she landed on her shoulder it had aggravated the Tendo girl's earlier blow. She wanted to deny how close to defeat she had come, but the pain forced her to face the cold truth. She had lost control.

"And was she injured as badly as you obviously are?" Cologne said, switching her speech to Mandarin. "Or have you disgraced yourself as an Amazon warrior yet again?"

Shampoo looked up, her eyes flashing with pride. "I won the fight," she said, in Mandarin as well. "And Akane Tendo will be feeling her injuries for a while to come. But... she was quite skilled. More skilled than I expected."

"That surprises me." Cologne frowned. "Did you underestimate your opponent?"

Shampoo bowed her head. She knew there was no point in lying to her Great-Grandmother. She had made a mistake, and was willing to accept the consequences. "I did. I expected her to still be at the same level as when we fought before. She was not. She was much faster, and was able to counter my fastest attack. She was also much tougher, and I had difficultly hurting her, even when I used my chui."

"And what is your estimation of the Tendo girl's skill now?"

The Amazon girl looked up, unsettled, as Cologne gazed steadily into her eyes. This was a test, she realized. Cologne had already assessed Akane's skills, and wanted to know if Shampoo had properly judged her abilities as well. Swallowing, she tried to calm her nervousness, and recollect what she could of the battle just completed. She was glad her great-grandmother had switched to their native tongue, it would be a lot easier to describe what she had learned without faltering.

"Akane Tendo is incredibly strong," she said. "As strong as an Amazon warrior. She also is capable of great leaps, although she seems uncomfortable with it. Perhaps it is a skill she has only learned recently. She is much faster than when I used the Xi Fa Xiang Gao on her before, and would probably be able to counter it now.

"Her weakness appears to be that she has trouble with her focus, and that she seems to prefer ground combat. She is also not used to dodging ranged attacks, although she clearly has some experience. While she is fast, she is not exceedingly fast, and cannot dodge every attack. Her greatest weakness is her anger, but it is also her greatest strength, because she has learned to channel it to make herself stronger."

"Good, good," Cologne smiled. Obviously she had passed the test. "I expect that you will not underestimate her again. I assume, since you won, and he is not here, she was not stupid enough to challenge you for Son-In-Law?"

Shampoo turned pink. "She challenged me for Mousse."

Cologne was startled for a moment, and then broke out into hysterical laughter. "Oh, yes. She is a clever one. I would have liked to have seen that." She regarded her granddaughter with amusement, as the young girl scowled, but did not meet her Elder's eyes. "Shall we go downstairs and find out what her equally conniving older sister is up to?"

"What are we going to do with stupid Mousse?" Shampoo asked, glancing back at him.

"I expect we could use some help around here. Shield Sister told me about how he helped with the booth yesterday. We might find him useful after all."

The two Amazons came down the stairs to the dining area, where Cologne addressed the waiting Tendo sister. "So, Nabiki Tendo, what can we do for you?"

"Well, as we were discussing, I think I have some information that your great-granddaughter might be interested in." Nabiki smiled, with her usual air of sly confidence. "In return, I'm very interested in getting the details of what went on during Ranma and Akane's training trip. Everyone involved has been... tight lipped about it."

Cologne cackled. "I'm sure. And you don't like being left out of the loop, do you Tendo?"

Nabiki smirked back at the Elder. "You understand me well. I'm willing to engage in a little exchange of information, if it helps me fill in some of the details."

"All right then. What exactly is this information that you are offering? Or are you expecting us to divulge what we know first?"

"I was thinking of a simple back and forth. I share something I've learned, and then you answer a question about the training trip. Then it's back to me again, and so on. You can ask a question, or I'll just provide my own facts as I know them."

She glanced at Shampoo. "To start with, the rumor around the school is that following Ranma's kiss in the Neko-Ken, Ranma and Akane have grown much closer. To the point where they are holding hands and doing... things together." She waggled her eyebrows, emphasizing the innuendo. "I know they've been seen a lot with you, Shampoo, particularly the last couple of days, but you may not be aware of how they act when they're alone..."

Shampoo snorted. "Nabiki not need to tell Shampoo of Airen and Angry Girl kiss. Shampoo see Husband Stealer kiss Airen on roof. Shampoo know all about how Akane feel about Shampoo's Airen."

Nabiki's jaw dropped for a moment, and then she quickly regained her composure. She had heard that they MIGHT have kissed, but to actually hear it confirmed caught her off guard. And her shy, boy hating little sister took the initiative? Quickly, she forced her initial shock and surprise aside, and concentrated on the task at hand. She had a reputation to uphold.

"Clearly you have me at a disadvantage," Nabiki said. "It seems I was going about this all wrong." She reached into her purse and produced a stack of ten 1000 yen notes. She then slapped them down on the table. "Ten thousand yen for the information, and another ten thousand if you can provide details."

Shampoo glanced at Cologne, and the older Amazon nodded. "Go ahead, Great-Granddaughter," Cologne advised her. "I would like to hear about that in more detail myself."

"Aiyah! Well..." Shampoo thought for a moment. "Shampoo come to Tendo home as cat. Airen, Akane not know Shampoo cat yet, so good disguise. Shampoo hear Shield Sister and Akane fight. At first just training, then Shield Sister get angry, yell at Akane. Like Shield Sister being real 'Angry Girl'." She grinned for a moment, although there was something in her eyes that showed it made her a bit uncomfortable, too.

"Then Airen come, Shield Sister leave. Airen go up on roof, ask Akane come too." She scowled. "Then Pervert Husband Stealer kiss Airen. Airen not want to, but Akane insist. Kiss Airen very hard."

"Really? It was Akane that kissed Ranma. You're sure?"

"Yes, but..." Shampoo glanced at Cologne, apparently unsure of what to say. "After, Akane surprised, get embarrassed. Act mad, but then quiet. Shampoo not hear very well what said, even with cat hearing. But Airen... Shampoo think Airen say... Airen like."

"So Akane lost her temper and kissed Ranma on impulse, then realized what she had done," Nabiki summed up. She shook her head. "Sounds like my sister."

"Indeed," Cologne grinned in agreement. "She can be a reckless and impulsive child."

Nabiki glanced at the old woman, her words reminding her of something. She looked back at Shampoo. "That WAS you in the furo that night wasn't it? You ambushed Ranma, figuring that since he had kissed Akane, you might get a little 'taste' yourself." She smirked knowingly.

Shampoo glanced at her Great-Grandmother again, and then blushed as she looked at the ground. Cologne just grinned, widely. Apparently, the Elder had already chastised her about this. "As I said, Shampoo's actions that night were a little forward as well," she said, to Nabiki. "But no harm done."

From Nabiki's smirk, though, she didn't seem to be buying Cologne's dismissal. She looked the voluptuous Amazon over, in a somewhat provocative manner. "I don't know, Ukyo was yelling at you pretty loudly. I couldn't make out what was said, but her screams could be heard all the way upstairs in my room."

The Amazon girl's blush grew a shade darker. "Shampoo really made Shield Sister mad. Yell at Airen, yell at Akane, and call Shampoo names, too. Back then, Shampoo happy, stop Airen with Angry Girl, but now Shampoo sad Shield Sister get angry too."

But then she snickered, her mood lightening. "But Angry Girl Akane get all NOT angry and talk to Shampoo very calm. Very polite, ask leave, not disgrace family." She giggled again. "Could see in eyes, Angry Girl want punch Shampoo. Want punch Shampoo bad. But Shampoo too, too strong. So ask Shampoo nicely leave instead. Angry Girl strong, hold temper." She smirked.

"Just like when she asked Daddy to break off the engagement..." Nabiki muttered.

Shampoo nodded, her expression turning more serious. "Yes. Like that. Angry, upset, sad. But hold back. Hold in." Her mouth twisted into a smile of grudging respect. "Almost like Amazon warrior..." Then she covered her mouth, embarrassed that she had let that slip out.

"Funny that Ukyo would go off on both Ranma and Akane like that," Nabiki commented. She glanced at Cologne, who was regarding her with a grin. "And so soon after he went into the Neko-Ken. Like she was upset that Akane was there for her 'Ranchan' when she wasn't."

"That's what I thought, too," Cologne agreed, still grinning.

"It's amazing what jealousy will push some women to do," Nabiki said teasingly, as she fixed Shampoo with that same appraising gaze. The impetuous young girl blushed, but fought down the urge to look away, instead holding her chin up with pride.

"Shampoo show Airen that Shampoo much better than Angry Girl. Is good Shield Sister show up, as Shampoo no is tease. But Shampoo still prefer to save for when Shampoo back home with Airen."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing. She added another stack of notes to the pile, then another ten thousand yen for the information about the furo. "That just leaves the training trip. Cologne, I believe that's something you could tell me more about, since Shampoo wasn't there."

Cologne braced herself against her staff. "Well, the simple story is that Ryoga wanted me to train him in a technique to beat Ranma, and Akane insisted on coming along. She staged a big fight with Ranma to make me think she had a reason for wanting to leave him, but I think what she really wanted was my training. She expressed an interest in the Bakusai Tenketsu, and when I refused to teach it to her, wandered off into the forest to train on her own. She fell and broke her arm."

"She wasn't training the... Bakusai Tenketsu when she broke it?" Nabiki stumbled over the name, if only for a moment. Ukyo had gone into some detail about the technique, both before, when she talked to Genma about it, and after they returned from the training trip.

"She had tried it on a couple of boulders, but had not yet succeeded when she... fell." Cologne answered.

Nabiki studied the Old Ghoul for a moment, considering for a moment if she was telling the whole truth. Her eyes were twinkling with amusement, and Nabiki knew better than to trust her, but decided to drop it for the moment.

"What was Ryoga wanting to fight Ranma over? I thought that was resolved when he was kicked out of the house."

Cologne seemed surprised by that. "You don't know? Akane never explained to you why she banished Ryoga from her home?"

"No, she just said that neither he nor P-chan were welcome in the house any more. I'm not sure what the connection is between them..."

There was a long moment of silence. Shampoo bit her lip and looked at her Great-Grandmother, while Cologne, oddly, looked pained. She finally took a breath. "Ryoga IS the pig you know as P-chan. He has a Jusenkyo curse."

Nabiki's eyes widened as the realization set in. For a moment, she admonished herself for having never seen it herself. Then, just as suddenly, she was overwhelmed by a feeling of cold fury. That only lasted as long as it took for her to reestablish her control. In moments, she was back to her normal expression of aloof superiority.

"And I assume this is the reason why Ukyo returned from the trip looking like she had beaten her hands against a brick wall for a couple of hours?"

"In essence, that's what she did," Cologne agreed.

"And what did Ryoga look like?"

"Considering the toughness the Bakusai Tenketsu imparted to his body, he came out of it looking much worse than Shield Sister Ukyo did."

"Good," Nabiki said. "I'll take that as meaning that Ryoga has received his punishment, and let it go at that." She laid another stack of bills on the table, and then stood. "I thank you for your business, ladies. This has been far more enlightening than I thought it would be."

"There is one more thing," Cologne said, as Nabiki started towards the door. She paused and turned to face the Elder as she hopped onto her staff to stand in front of the brown haired teen. "It's my understanding that the boy Tatewaki Kuno was involved in the fight in which Shampoo gave Son-In-Law the Kiss of Marriage."

Nabiki pursed her lips, and then smirked. "Are you thinking perhaps you should be calling Kuno your Son-In-Law?"

"Shampoo does not want Kuno, and he was defeated by Son-In-Law. But I was wondering, has the boy expressed any interest in my Great-Granddaughter? I believe he is known for becoming infatuated with certain women for no apparent reason."

"Hm. Good point," Nabiki looked thoughtful. "No, as far as I know he hasn't expressed an interest in Shampoo. The only time he asked me about her was when he believed she was going to attack Ukyo. As far as I know, he hasn't asked about her since then."

Cologne's eyes twinkled with mischief again, a note that Nabiki caught, despite the old woman's attempt to look serious. "Could you make sure that the boy never finds out he defeated my Shampoo? While he would not have a claim on her, it might get... complicated." She returned a portion of Nabiki's stack of yen. "I realize you can't cover all possibilities, but you can at least make sure you don't give out that information yourself."

Nabiki looked over the stack, and then put it back in her purse. "You have a deal, Elder."

Shampoo watched as she left the restaurant, and then turned back to Cologne. "Why you mention silly Stick Boy, Great-Grandmother! Shampoo no want to marry him!"

Cologne cackled. "Hush, child. As I said, the boy has no claim on you, and I don't expect Nabiki Tendo to go back on a deal. Ranma or Akane might try to use this information against us, but Ukyo has already made me aware that she knows it, and so likely all three of them are aware that it won't do them any good. I was just making sure that she knew that as well."

"We have a bigger issue to discuss." She walked back over to the booth and sat down, and Shampoo joined her, curious. "While you told me about Ranma and Akane's kiss before, after hearing more of the details, I have to conclude that our position is more tenuous than I at first thought. I now believe that you interrupted their first kiss, and so your encounter in the bath, rather than driving them apart, cemented what was until that moment a fragile and uncertain romance. You gave Akane something to fight for, and frightened Ranma, with more than just your cat form.

"Neither one of them was ready for intimacy," Cologne finished. "But you forced them to confront that. Your forwardness backfired, Shampoo. It was poor judgment."

The Amazon girl blushed, as she looked at the table's surface. "Shield Sister said as well. Airen, Akane, not comfortable with that. Have plenty of chance, have fun all alone in woods, but too, too shy to try."

"Akane's decision to stage a fight with Ranma and separate herself from him might have helped as well. It gave them a chance to make up afterwards, and to express concern for each other. We're going to have to handle this very carefully from here on out. You know that your claim is not very strong for Son-In-Law, and you have already been punished for misusing the Kiss of Death. You gave the kiss to a valid opponent during a tournament, which is outside the spirit, if not the letter of the law. You let your shame and pride determine your actions, and not your head."

"Shampoo know. Shampoo sorry."

"You have been punished for that with your curse. But if the Council should decide that the Kiss of Marriage was ALSO improperly given, you could be in for an even worse punishment. Are you sure that this is the path you wish to follow?"

"Shampoo love Airen!"

"Even though he shows all signs of being in love with someone else?"

Shampoo fell silent. She was quiet for a long, long moment. Finally, she spoke, her voice almost a whisper. "Shampoo not ready to give up."

"You are taking a huge risk, here. I just want you to understand that. If you truly love Son-In-Law, then that risk should be worth it, and I will support you all the way. But you will have to use better judgment from now on. The Tendo girl manipulated you into a fight that you were not ready for."

When Shampoo's head came up, her eyes flashing, Cologne put up a hand. "I mean that you were convinced that Akane Tendo was going to be a pushover, when she has become a powerful martial artist, with Ranma and Ukyo's help. You blinded yourself to the possibility that Tendo could be your equal because you didn't want to admit that you could be defeated."

"Angry Girl not admit she could be defeated!" Shampoo yelled, insulted. Her eyes still flashed with anger.

"Akane SAYS she won't be defeated. On the inside, though, it's a different matter." Cologne grimaced. "That girl is in fact almost convinced of her failure every time she attempts something. She is just too proud or too stubborn to give up. It is a lesson you could do well to learn. It is the reason you lost to Son-In-Law in the first place."

"Yes, Great-Grandmother." Shampoo hung her head.

"We are going to need to restart your training, at least an hour a day after work. If the Tendo girl is going to be continuing to develop her skills, then you will need to as well."

"But, Great-Grandmother!" Shampoo protested. "Shampoo train all time! Ride bike on fence, on rooftops! Deliveries is training!"

"I know, child, but it is mostly balance and speed training that can be performed at work - which I will be intensifying, by the way." Shampoo swallowed and turned a bit pale. Cologne grinned at her reaction. "However, the Tendo girl still engages in a lot of strength training, and you will need to match that. You have not done anything to maintain your strength in a long time, and it is starting to show. We are a long, long way from home, and this convenience-oriented environment is not conducive to training."

"Yes, Great-Grandmother. Shampoo start tonight?"

"Yes, we will. Go to your room and get prepared, and meet me in the alley after you are done. We will be somewhat limited in what we can do there, but it will have to do for now."

"Right away," Shampoo stood and headed up the stairs. Cologne sat at the booth for a long moment, until she heard a sound outside the window.

Without making it obvious, Cologne cast her eyes, to see the furtive figure that was darting away from the wall and into the shadows of the evening. The location under the window would have been a good one to eavesdrop on the conversation. Cologne cackled. "Well, Nabiki Tendo, let's see what you do with that information..."

* * *

"Akane..." Ryoga said, casting his eyes down at the ground. He began to press his fingertips together, nervously. "I... I have something to ask you."

"I... I..." He closed his eyes, forcing himself to concentrate, to say the words that he had to say. "I hope that this small token of my remorse will prove that I am truly willing to change." He ran his fingers over the folded scrap of paper in his hands, although he was very careful not to grip it. If he were to tear it... "Will... will... will you please forgive me?"

He looked up, at the decorative shrine that he had stopped in front of. The frog statue that he had confessed his deepest feelings to just grinned back at him. Ryoga ran a hand through his hair, growling in frustration.

"I can't say that! I can't ask her to forgive me so soon! I must PROVE that I'm sorry! That I truly have changed!"

Ryoga paid no attention to the crowd gathered around him. They were staring at him, muttering to each other, but it wasn't like he wasn't used to that. He turned his attention back to the statue. "I have something here, for Ranma and Ukyo," he said, still rehearsing his speech. "I think it will make them both happy, and repay some of the debt that I owe them, and you..." Yes, that sounded better.

Turning from the shrine to try and make his way to the Tendo dojo, he was caught by surprise as a tiny foot landed on his head. He was driven down into the concrete of the sidewalk. A wizened, cackling voice yelled out, "What a haul, what a haul!" He then continued on down the street, paying as much attention to Ryoga as he would to a cobblestone.

Ryoga looked back at him. It was a tiny man, wearing a dark outfit and carrying a large pack over his back. As the man disappeared down the street, Ryoga heard a rumble of running feet behind him, and turned to face the noise. It was a large group of women, led by Akane and Ukyo.

"Come back here!" Akane yelled, as she stepped on Ryoga's head as well. The lost boy bit back a grunt. With his Bakusai Tenketsu training, it was more humiliating than painful anyway.

"Geez, he's too far away, the jackass," Ukyo put in. She landed on Ryoga's bottom. "We'll never catch him now."

"He's so fast!" One of the other girls added. "How will we ever catch him?"

Akane clenched her fist, her expression turning from irritation to a cunning smile. "I've got an idea. We can't catch him, but maybe he'll come to us..."

"Oh, who is this?" Another girl had finally noticed the fanged boy they were standing on.

"Ryoga!" Akane stepped off of him, quickly, and Ukyo hopped off as well. Ryoga waved up at them, smiling, from the ground.

"H-hi..." he muttered.

Akane helped him to his feet. "Oh, Ryoga, I am so sorry! We were chasing Happosai, and didn't see you! Are you okay?"

Ryoga put a hand behind his head, embarrassed by her concern. "Oh, no harm done! I'm just fine!"

Ukyo's eyes seemed to darken as she studied him for a moment, but then she took a deep breath. "So, what's up, Charlotte? It's been a while. Have you been doing all right, since...? You know."

He blushed as he met Ukyo's gaze, and then looked down. "Oh, well, you know... I'm all right. I'm used to living on the road, it's okay..."

"If you say so," Ukyo said, sourly. She cut her eyes away as well.

"Well, um... that's kind of why I'm here." He swallowed, obviously gathering his courage again, and then turned to Akane. "I have... I have something here that Ranma and Ukyo might like to see." He held out the scrap of paper to Akane. "I thought it might... um... well... it might show I'm willing to... you know... um, put things behind us."

Akane took the paper and unfolded it. "A map?"

"That's right. It's a map to a Spring of Drowned Man, right here in Japan. I found it in my travels, and I've been looking for it. I thought Ranma might like to help me find it."

Akane looked up, her eyes shining. Ukyo looked startled as well. "A Spring of Drowned Man? A cure? A cure for Ranma's curse?"

"And my curse as well." Ryoga blushed deeply, again scratching at the back of his head. "I just figured... well... without a curse... you know... I wouldn't have anything to forgive Ranma for any more." He glanced at Ukyo, and then lowered his eyes. "Or anyone else, for that matter..."

"Oh, Ryoga, this is wonderful!" Akane bounced up and down, gleefully. "Of course we can cure you, and Ucchan as well!"

Ukyo chuckled, her own mood lightening at seeing Akane so happy. "I don't really think that'll cure me, Akane. Spring of Drowned Man, and all."

"Oh, yeah." Akane blushed a bit, and looked down at the map in her hands. "Well, Ranma will be happy to be cured, and Ryoga as well. When were you going to look for it, Ryoga?"

She looked back up at him, and Ryoga shrugged. "I was going to try and find you, Akane, and ask Ranma if he wanted to help me find it. I, um, I don't want to stay at your house, of course, but Ranma can come and find me."

"I'll tell ya what, Charlotte, why don't we take you to Furinkan, and put you up in the equipment shed." Ukyo smiled at him. "You're familiar with it, and can probably set up camp there. Then we'll join you there tomorrow morning, and you and Ranchan can look for the Spring."

"This is great, Ryoga! You're really doing a great thing!" Akane turned back to the other girls that were standing around watching. "And in the meantime, girls, we'll all set up a surprise for Happosai as well. Tomorrow we're going to get that old pervert for sure!"

* * *

Author's Notes:

The canon does not explicitly state whether Shampoo's curse was a punishment for not carrying out the Kiss of Death, or an accidental result of going to Jusenkyo for training. My statement here, that Shampoo was punished not only for not carrying out the Kiss of Death, but for giving it improperly in the first place, is my own interpretation. It does seem to me that threatening outsiders with a Kiss of Death should they win is not the way to attract participants to a tournament, even if it is a primarily Amazon tournament. Thus, I had Cologne's reaction, back in Chapter 10 when the kiss was first described, show that she was somewhat disappointed in Shampoo for choosing to give the Kiss, as if it was not intended to be used in that way.

This means Ukyo probably wouldn't have been subject to the Kiss, although she worried about what would have happened if she had competed when she did learn about it. She wouldn't have been arrogant enough to embarrass Shampoo in front of her whole tribe, though, and thus could have defeated her without receiving the Kiss. Even Ranma might have gotten away with it if Ukyo had managed to stop him and advised him to not make the fight look too easy.

Note also that since Cologne knows Nabiki was eavesdropping on her conversation with Shampoo, NONE of what she said can be trusted. :D

My main point here was in establishing that Shampoo's motives for continuing to pursue Ranma is her love for him, not her duty. In this, I'm distinguishing my story from the canon, as there I believe it's the other way around. Not that canon Shampoo doesn't love Ranma, it's just her main goal is to return to China and restore her honor. This Shampoo has come to like Ukyo, and even Akane, and is a lot more reluctant to harm them. This sets her in a more tenuous position, as Cologne said, and I'm making her a bit more of a sympathetic character.


	61. The Japanese Nanniichuan

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 61

"This map is fascinating!" Ukyo exclaimed, as they all met up at the equipment shed after homeroom. "According to this story on the back, there was a pack of foxes that was harassing a village in Japan. An old monk from China came by, saying that he had a solution to their problem, and struck his staff on the ground, causing a spring to well up. When the foxes ran through the spring, they all turned into men."

"So it really is a Nanniichuan?" Ranma asked her. "A Spring of Drowned Man, just like the one at Jusenkyo?"

"Yep." Ukyo chuckled as she smoothed out the frayed edges of the map, to better read the aged and faded writing. "But apparently it didn't really do all that much good. They just had a bunch of human bandits harassing them instead of a bunch of foxes."

"What's important is that it's right here in Japan," Ryoga put in. "It's right nearby, isn't it?"

"Actually, yes." Ukyo turned the map over, as she studied it more closely. "It looks like that ancient village was very near here. I can't be sure, but it looks like the start point is a stream that's a couple of miles that way." She pointed off into the distance.

"Well then, what're we waitin' for!" Ranma yelled, excitedly. "Let's get started!"

"Hold on," Akane said, putting a hand on his shoulder. She looked back at Ukyo. "Does it look authentic? You don't think it's a fake or something, do you?"

"I don't think so." Ukyo studied the parchment a bit more. "It sure looks old enough, and the writing style looks a lot like ancient scrolls that Ranchan and I saw on our travels. I can't be sure without double checking with someone like Cologne, but my gut says it's genuine."

Ranma snatched it away from her. "Then let's get goin'!"

Ryoga grabbed it from him. "Be careful with that! If you tear it, we'll never find it!"

"I wasn't gonna!" He looked back at Ukyo. "Why did we wait so long, anyway? We've had this map all morning, why ain't Pig Boy and I already lookin' for it?"

Ryoga growled at his insult, but said nothing. Ukyo smiled as she answered. "Ryoga has so little chance to spend time at school, I wanted him to at least spend some time in homeroom, before you two boys left. You'll have plenty of time to find it, it's not that far."

"I would have been happy to go looking for it too," Ryoga said, a little sourly. "I appreciate what you're tryin' to do, but I've fallen so behind in school I'll never catch up. I mean, I enjoyed going to school with you guys, but..."

"That's not the point, Ryoga," Ukyo said, turning to smile at him. Ryoga cut his eyes away, looking a bit embarrassed. "You need to take some time to spend with friends and just hang out, instead of being alone all the time. I just figured you'd appreciate that before you had to take off again."

"He won't be alone," Ranma cut in, "He'll be with ME!" He cocked his thumb at himself, proudly.

Ukyo smirked at him. "Yeah, Ranchan, you and he are such good friends that six months ago he was shouting out about how you made his life Hell, and he was going to kill you."

Ryoga looked at the ground, his discomfort growing. "Can we not talk about that? Like I said, I really didn't mean that. Sometimes when I get too angry, I just get carried away..."

Ryoga's words made Ukyo's mood darken as well. She looked away from the group, and for a moment, a pained expression crossed her face. But then she shook it off. "Yeah... yeah, Ryoga, I guess I can understand that." She shot him a glance, and then looked away again.

Ryoga looked back at her, and his blush deepened. But then he looked down at the map in his hands. "Anyway, can we just go? You said the stream was that way?"

He pointed, and Ranma laughed and grabbed the map away from him. "You're lost already, P-chan, the stream's that way!" He jumped back as Ryoga leaped at him, trying to take the map back. "You better let me hold it, you'll never be able to find it otherwise."

"Hey, I can usually follow a map okay, as long as I don't get distracted!" Ryoga yelled. It was true, just as he was better at following a trail than making one himself, he could usually follow a map, at least until he looked up and started to feel like he had lost his way.

Ranma was already leaping ahead of him, though, dodging his attempts to grab the map while setting off in the direction Ukyo had pointed out. "Sorry, P-chan," he teased. "I'd like to find the spring sometime this week!"

"Ranma!" Akane called after the two boys, as they leaped over the wall around the school. "Don't you go picking on Ryoga! Remember he wants to find this spring as much as you do!"

"Jackasses, both of them," Ukyo said with a smile. "Let's leave them to find the spring. We've got to make plans to catch an old pervert."

"I hope Ranma doesn't make Ryoga too mad at him," Akane said, worriedly. "I know he can't help it, but they really will take all week to find the spring if they keep fighting all the time."

"They'll be fine," Ukyo said. "Now I was thinking... why don't we split up keeping an eye out for Happosai into shifts? I'll take the first class, you can take the second, and so on. And we'll both take our own gym class. That way we don't have to both miss the whole day."

Akane's smile grew cunning. "Sounds good. And I have some ideas, too." She put her arm around her taller friend. "Let me tell you about it while we get back to the locker rooms..."

* * *

"Nabiki Tendo?" Kodachi gazed coolly down at the brown haired girl as she sat at her desk. Nabiki looked up to meet her gaze just as calmly.

"Well, Kodachi Kuno. What brings you to Furinkan on this fine day? If you're looking for my sister, I believe she's in class right now, although I had heard she had planned something at the school gymnasium..."

"Oh, I assure you, I have no interest in what that common girl would call 'gymnastics'. I'm sure it would bear no comparison to my natural grace and beauty. No, I have come here over the discussion that we had at your home some days ago."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow as she regarded the long haired gymnast. "Ah. That rumor you heard from Kuno baby about Ranma and Akane kissing. No doubt you want more information? But I have already told you that Ranma and Akane are closer."

"Indeed. But I have heard from my dear brother that you told him your fathers were insistent on a marriage between my darling Ranma and that... trollop... and if they learned that Ranma and Akane had kissed, they would surely press for a ceremony immediately."

"Yes, that's true."

"And according to my brother, he paid you a substantial sum to keep that information away from your fathers, so that he would still have time to win over Akane Tendo."

Nabiki's lips curled into a sly grin. "So you concluded that the information I gave you, in front of my father and Ranma's, was not entirely complete, given that I had received payment to withhold certain information from them."

"Even so."

"Well, you concluded correctly." Nabiki held out her hand, palm up. "Five thousand yen."

Kodachi looked startled. "That much?"

"I assure you, my prices are reasonable. That information, in fact, cost me a great deal more than five thousand yen. I am merely trying to recoup some of my losses."

"Very well. But this had better be worth it." Kodachi handed over a stack of bills.

"My information always is," Nabiki said confidently. "Ranma and Akane..." she paused a moment to glance around, in case she was overheard, but no one nearby was listening in. "... have kissed, following the incident with the Neko-Ken. Akane was upset that Ranma kissed her while in the Neko-Ken, and apparently confronted him about it.

"In that confrontation, Akane decided to kiss Ranma again, and this time, Ranma was not under the influence of a mind-altering martial arts technique, and returned her kiss. Based to their behavior since then, it appears they decided to continue their relationship while keeping it secret from most of the people around them."

"I knew it! That Akane Tendo IS out to steal my Ranma darling! I knew that she could not deny it for long!"

Nabiki held up a hand. "There is more. After their kiss, Shampoo - I believe you know her, she is the Chinese Amazon who kissed Ranma in front of the whole school - Shampoo also decided that she was more serious about pursuing Ranma as well. Recently, I heard that both Shampoo and Akane accompanied Ranma to see a troupe of Chinese Acrobats. During the show, the two women got into a fight, right in front of the audience."

"Fighting, over my Ranma darling! That hussy and that barbarian! And they did not include me! I shall not let this insult stand!" She began to twirl her ribbon around her, stirring up a whirlwind of black rose petals, as she laughed insanely. "Akane Tendo, the Black Rose is coming for you! I shall show you who is right for my Ranma darling, once and for all!"

With that, still screeching like a madwoman, Kodachi leaped out the window, leaving behind a swirl of rose petals. Nabiki shook her head. "I'm glad she paid me before she did that," she commented. "At least I don't have to chase her down - or get it out of her brother."

* * *

Over the hour that it took the two of them to follow the path laid out on the map, Ryoga grew more and more frustrated with Ranma. "Quit hogging the map!" he said, for the tenth or twentieth time, Ranma wasn't sure. "You said you'd let me see it!"

"Every time I do, you tell me I'm goin' the wrong way, Pig Boy!" She evaded Ryoga easily, as the other boy tried to grab the map from her hands. She was in girl form thanks to their last argument, which had almost lost them the map. It had flown out of Ranma's hands and over the canal. Ranma had only barely managed to pull the lost boy back before he jumped in himself, and then leaped to grab the map before it landed in the water. She got soaked, but didn't have the time or patience to find any hot water.

At least in female form, Ranma was agile enough that Ryoga couldn't catch her off guard again. "Just shut up and let me find the Spring," she said. "According to the map, we're getting close."

"Well, this just doesn't look like the right way!" The further they got the more Ryoga felt like he didn't know where he was going. Not that that was an unusual feeling. But more recently, he had been surprised to see familiar landmarks. He came to a complete halt, his mouth falling open, as he recognized a certain concrete gateway, with a metal plaque placed next to the gate.

"We're back at Furinkan!" Ryoga shouted. "You've been leading us around in circles!"

"No I'm not!" Ranma looked up from the map, and was stunned to see Ryoga was right. The school was right in front of them. "I followed the map, I swear it!"

"You've been trying to get us lost! Admit it! You're trying to lose me so you can find the Nanniichuan for yourself!"

Ranma ducked as the fanged boy swung at her. When Ryoga pressed his attack, she kicked him away. "Cut it out, Ryoga! I swear this is where the map led! I even double checked the landmarks we found, they were all right where the map said they would be!"

"A likely story!" Ryoga leaped at her again. "I should have known I couldn't trust you! I should have gotten your sister to help, she could probably follow the map better than you could."

Ranma ducked under the lost boy's punch, and then spotted something in the bushes. "Hold on! Hold on, I have been following the map, and there's the proof! There's supposed to be a statue right over there!"

Ryoga looked over at it. It was a stone pedestal, but there was no sign of a statue. "What are you talking about?"

"The map says it's a statue of a fox." Ranma walked over and began to study the base. "See, there's an indentation here, where the statue is supposed to fit. But it's gone..." She looked around, hoping to spot it nearby.

Somewhat reassured, Ryoga began to look around as well. The area was overgrown, but it was obvious that at one time it had been maintained, as part of the school grounds. A chain link fence cut the wooded area off from the school proper, where it met the stone wall that marked the front entrance to Furinkan. The statue, or its pedestal anyway, was outside of the fence, but in sight of the school if someone knew it was there.

"I don't remember any statues bein' around the school," Ranma said, as she studied the base again. "Maybe it broke and was thrown away or somethin'."

"Then how do we know it's the right one?" Ryoga asked her. "If it's not a fox, it could have been anything."

"Shut up, Ryoga!" Ranma shouted, her uncertainty starting to show in her voice. "If it hadn't been for me havin' to chase after you half the time, I'd be cured by now! You're just slowin' me down!"

"I knew it!" Ryoga snapped back. "You ARE trying to get to the Spring before me!" As he searched over by the fence, though, he came across several large objects, wrapped in black plastic. He unwrapped one of them, to find a stone carving of a fox.

Looking up at Ranma, the lost boy got a sly grin on his face. He easily picked up the statue, unmindful of its size or weight. "Sorry, Ranma," he said, his tone anything but apologetic. "You've been a big help so far, but I'm not going to let you stop me from finding the Nanniichuan." With that, he clobbered Ranma over the head with the statue.

"Now to get the direction..." Ryoga set the fox statue into the indentation, and found to his excitement that it fit. They had been going the right way after all! Aligning the broken pieces of the stone carefully, he checked the direction the fox's nose pointed. Right towards the fence. Ryoga charged in that direction, tearing through the chain links like paper.

"Oh, no you don't!" Ranma had recovered amazingly quickly, and looked up to see the lost boy charging towards the school. She raced after him. Ryoga threw a punch at her as she came near. "Forget it, P-chan, I ain't gonna let you get to the Spring first!"

"You dirty sneak! You got what you deserved, trying to trick me!"

"You're the sneak! Now get outta my way so I can find the Spring!"

The fanged boy and his ponytailed rival threw punches and kicks at each other, as they raced towards their presumed finish line. Ranma could hear Ryoga counting off the paces as they ran. "88! 89! You've made my life Hell, Ranma, and I'm not gonna let you stop me from getting my cure! 92! 93! 94...!

All of a sudden, the very ground seemed to spring up around them. A net trap, covered in dirt and leaves to conceal it, wrapped around the two, and lifted them into the air. Although Ranma was too distracted to spot the trap in time, she still reacted instinctively to take advantage of Ukyo's natural balance and get back to solid ground. Grabbing the edge of the volleyball net, Ranma let her momentum flip her end over end, even before the net trap could stop moving. She and Ryoga both spilled out of the net onto the ground.

Ryoga landed right on a spring loaded table, which sprung up like a bear trap to slam into him. Ranma stepped backwards, to avoid getting caught in the same trap, only to hit a tripwire. A swinging log slammed into her back, sending her sailing head over feet again. She triggered another trap as she landed, and was covered in an avalanche of soccer balls. Ranma got to her feet, rubbing a bump on her head, as she stared at the wall of the building in front of her. It was a familiar looking building, with bushes down at its base, and windows set high near the eaves of the roof.

"The girls' locker room? The Japanese Nanniichuan is under the girls' locker room?"

"Aw, man," Ryoga commented. "This is bad." He realized just how bad, at shouting from inside. Female voices, calling out triumphantly that they had "caught the pervert".

Ranma looked around at the traps. "So that's what Akane was up to. And Sis musta helped, too, from the look a some o' these traps. We better get outta here."

The would-be invaders quickly charged away from the school building, avoiding the few traps they triggered on the way past, and dived over the fence. At the same moment, the girls came charging around the corner of the locker room, Akane and Ukyo in the lead. Ukyo was wielding a pair of baseball bats, and waving them threateningly.

Ukyo lowered her weapons as she realized their quarry had escaped. "Aw, man. The old freak got away." She looked around, but Ranma and Ryoga were hidden in the brush outside of the fence. Ranma held her breath, knowing even the slightest movement would be enough to alert her sister. Ryoga seemed to have gone still as well.

"Yes, but he was here all right." Akane studied the mess of triggered traps, school equipment and gardening implements, scattered around the lawn. "I knew that if we couldn't catch him, we could make him come to us."

"And he'll be back, too. Once he recovers from the surprise, he won't be able to resist the challenge. He'll start trying to figure out how to get around the traps and get inside."

Akane clenched her fist. "And we'll be waiting for him." She turned to the watching girls. "Are you girls all with us? Are we going to defend this locker room, and put a stop to that old man for good?"

"Yeah!" The girls all cheered.

"Then let's go get ready!" Akane yelled back. "And if Happosai thinks the traps out here were bad, wait until he finds out what's waiting for him inside!"

The girls continued their cheers, as Akane and Ukyo marched them back inside the locker room. Ranma and Ryoga looked at each other and gulped. Neither of them noticed the tiny figure lurking in a tree near the gymnasium. Hidden by the shadows of the tree, the figure chuckled to himself, and took a puff on his pipe, before settling down on his branch to watch the fun.

* * *

Not five minutes passed before a clatter of noise from the direction of the gymnasium told the girls that the assault on the locker room had begun anew. Akane quickly rebuttoned her blouse, which she had been in the process of taking off. "He's back! We're going to get that old letch for sure this time!"

"You bet, Akane-chan," Ukyo agreed. She armed herself with her pair of baseball bats. "Let's go get him!"

The girls exited the locker room and headed for the door to the gymnasium. As they ran to confront Happosai, however, they were startled by a maniacal, high pitched laugh from the other side. "Oh ho ho ho ho ho! I know not how you foresaw my arrival, Akane Tendo, but such defenses are trivial to Kodachi, the Black Rose!"

Kodachi threw open the door from the gym, her ribbon held at the ready as she confronted the crowd of girls waiting for her. "Prepare yourself, Akane Tendo, for I..."

She was cut off as a bucket of water placed above the door fell over her head. She gave a screech of dismay, as her black hair and green leotard were thoroughly soaked. "What is the meaning of this?" she said, glaring at Akane. "You little witch, you have ruined my coiffure! And why did the water have to be so hot?"

"Actually, that was my fault," Ukyo said, raising a hand. "These traps were set for Happosai, you see, and I thought scalding hot water might be more of an irritation to him than cold." Actually, since she had set up the water traps herself, Ukyo had been concerned about accidently triggering one of them and revealing her curse to the other girls. But increasing Happosai's suffering was also a good reason.

"Well, I am certainly irritated," Kodachi told her, shaking the water off of her arms. "I have no interest in this Happosai. I am here to challenge Akane Tendo."

"I don't have time for this." Akane put a hand to her forehead. "Happosai should be showing up here any minute now. Can you come back later?"

"How dare you!" Kodachi huffed, obviously insulted. "Do you really think that Kodachi, the Black Rose, can be so easily dismissed? I have come to win my Ranma darling, and I will not let you toy with him any longer!"

With that, Kodachi struck out with her ribbon. Akane dodged, and the other girls scattered, Ukyo shielding Yuka and Sayuri from the crazed gymnasts' attacks. Akane was backed into a corner, but Kodachi's strike triggered another trap, and a spring loaded arm tossed a bucket full of baseballs at her. Akane took advantage of the distraction to slip past Kodachi's guard, and kick her out the door into the gymnasium.

"Look, Kodachi," Akane said, as she followed her opponent into the floor of the gym. Kodachi merely flipped through the air and landed on her feet. "I know you think Ranma likes you or something. But both you and your brother are fooling yourselves. I'm not in love with Kuno, and neither is Ukyo. And Ranma's not in love with you. You barely even know each other."

Kodachi laughed at Akane's attempt at reason. "But of course you would say that. I know how much you long for my Ranma darling, how you have had the audacity to steal a kiss that should have been mine. But you shall not have him, not as long as you continue to play this waiting game. If you are not brave enough to declare your love openly for my darling Ranma, I assure you, Kodachi the Black Rose is!"

Akane turned beet red as she glanced back at the girls watching the fight, and they started to mutter amongst themselves. But then she caught the eye of Ukyo, and standing next to her, Sayuri and Yuka. Sayuri mouthed, "Go get her, girl!" and Akane felt an odd calm pass over her. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Kodachi.

"It's none of your business what Ranma and I do. Whatever feelings we have for each other, that's between Ranma and I. And we'll never let you or anyone else push us into anything. If we get married, it'll because it's what we want, not because our fathers want to 'join the schools'." Her eyes narrowed, as she fell into a stance. "Now get out of here, before I really hurt you."

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho!" Kodachi cut loose with her trademark laugh again, putting her hand in front of her mouth. "So you have decided to take me seriously, then? We fight for my Ranma darling!" She began to twirl her ribbon, stirring up a cloud of rose petals, and then lashed out at Akane.

Despite the distraction of the petals, Akane simply reached out and snatched the ribbon out of the air as it came near. She pulled, throwing Kodachi to the ground. "He was never 'your' Ranma darling, Kodachi, and he never will be." Akane snarled. She didn't move, however, merely stood her ground, waiting for her opponent to get back up.

Kodachi quickly came up to her feet, gaping at the short haired girl in astonishment. "How could you... how did you... ?"

"Ukyo," Akane called back to her friend. "I won't fight her unarmed."

The noble girl almost spat in outrage, before she realized that Ukyo was throwing a baseball bat at her, and not at Akane. She grabbed the weapon that was tossed at her, and frowned. "You mean you're giving ME a weapon?"

"Otherwise it wouldn't be fair." Akane dropped into her stance, and then charged, throwing several kicks at Kodachi. She was forced to block with the baseball bat, almost instinctively, as the other girl's speed caught her off guard. After a few moments, Kodachi was able to recover, and began to strike with the bat. Akane seemed to anticipate her movements, though, and easily blocked all her blows with her slender forearms. Akane began to push her into the corner, and Kodachi quickly twirled away from her, and leaped back to the center of the gym.

Akane pressed her attack, though, and Kodachi began breathing hard, as she had to push herself to keep up. She found herself gritting her teeth in frustration. Surely her brother had not mentioned having this much trouble with Akane in his duels. Then again, from what she had heard none of those "fights" had lasted very long. Either Ranma, Akane or Ukyo would take him out within a few seconds each morning. She had never bothered to ask her brother if Akane Tendo had gotten any stronger, or even if he KNEW that she was stronger.

Reaching into a secret pocket in her leotard, she withdrew one of her trick clubs. She wielded it in her left hand, activating its spikes as she swung. But again, Akane proved too fast, and sidestepped the blow. She turned inside Kodachi's reach, and brought her hand down on her wrist, knocking the club away. A moment later, she planted an elbow in her gut that sent the gymnast sprawling to the floor.

Kodachi lay on the wood floor for a moment, stunned. The bat rolled out of her open hand. Finally, she blinked, and looked up at Akane. "You... you are truly formidable. I have not faced an opponent like you since... since..."

Akane smiled slightly. "Since Ucchan, I know. She trained me."

With a melodramatic sigh, Kodachi put her palm to her forehead, feigning a swoon. "Oh, but it appears that I have lost my darling Ranma after all. I must give up my love for him, boundless through it is, for it surely belongs to another. I am overcome..." She held out a hand. "I believe I am too weak to stand."

Her eye twitching slightly, Akane stared down at her. She just stood there, for a moment, with her arms crossed. Finally, Akane reached out to grab Kodachi's hand, but instead grabbed her wrist and turned her palm up. Tacks were concealed between her fingers.

"How did those get there?" Kodachi said innocently.

Akane flung her arm aside. "Oh, get up, and stop making a scene. I swear, I don't have time for..."

Even as the words left her mouth, Kodachi swung her arm, and a small packet of powder flew at Akane. She twisted aside, flinging herself to the ground, and then coming back up to her feet even as the packet hit the floor next to her. It exploded into a cloud of gas, but Akane held her breath until she was well away from it.

"Ho ho ho ho ho!" Kodachi had again gotten back to her feet, and had produced another ribbon as well. She kept it in constant motion around her, obviously to provide a shield against Akane getting in close.

"You may have defeated me, Akane Tendo, but I will never give up my love for my darling Ranma. More importantly, you have given me an idea! If you do not want your fathers to know about your love for Ranma, then perhaps it is up to me to present myself to them as his fiancee instead! In fact, maybe I can even get my brother to agree to arrange to be married to you as well!"

She cackled madly. "What a wonderful idea! Your mercenary sister mentioned that your fathers are in a rush to join your two families. And they can be joined - through the Kuno family! I'm sure my brother will agree to this! I must go to discuss it with him at once!"

"Hey, hold on!" Ukyo yelled out, but Kodachi was already bounding across the gymnasium, and towards one of the high windows. She perched there long enough to let out another screeching laugh, and then leaped out the window, disappearing from sight. Ukyo joined Sayuri and Yuka as they were helping Akane to her feet.

"We've got to go after her," Akane said, coughing a bit. "There's no telling what she'll say to our fathers, and if she gets Kuno involved in this, it's just going to get even crazier."

"But your father isn't going to listen to her, right?" Yuka asked. "She's crazy. She's not going to get to get the engagement transferred to the Kunos, right?"

Ukyo shook her head. "Akane's dad might not listen to her, but if I know the panda, and I do, the moment they start waving money around, Genma'll be more than happy to get Ranma into another forced engagement. That's how it happened to me."

Akane blanched. "And the Kunos have more than enough money. Do you really think Genma will go for it?"

"In a heartbeat." Ukyo took a deep breath. "Do you think your father will go along with him?"

"In a heartbeat." Akane sighed, dejectedly. "At any rate, we can't afford to take that chance. Even if they don't agree to it, they might use this as an excuse to start pressuring Ranma and I to accept the engagement."

"So why don't you?" Yuka said, her voice gentle, but serious.

Akane paused a moment. In the silence, Sayuri spoke for her. "Because they want to know it's because they love each other, not for some family obligation. They want to be sure it's for the right reasons."

"Yeah," Akane said, giving Sayuri a grateful smile. "Ranma's got so many obligations to so many people that we can't just choose one. It CAN'T be because of our family, or Ucchan's family, or because he defeated Shampoo. It has to be because that's what we want... what HE wants... and none of the rest of it comes into it."

"Do you love him?" Yuka asked. She then clapped her hands over her mouth, looking back at the girls behind them. They had suddenly become very intent on the conversation.

Akane merely smiled. "I'll tell you later. Right now I'm going to stop Kodachi. And after that..." she slammed her fist into her other hand. "I've got to have some words with Nabiki."

"Heh, me too," Ukyo said. "But Happosai could still show up here any time now. We've got to be ready for him."

"That's right!" put in Sayuri. "There's no way any of us could face him if he manages to make it into the locker room! It's got to be one of you two."

"Tell you what, Akane," Ukyo said. "You stay here and keep watch for Happosai. I'll go after Kodachi, and see if I can reason with her or her brother. After all, Kuno's in love with me too, and I've dealt with his delusions before. Maybe I can convince him Ranchan has 'bewitched' Kodachi or something, and he shouldn't go along with the plan."

"Sounds good. Good luck, Ukyo." Ukyo and Akane clasped hands for a moment, and then the ponytailed girl ran out of the gym.

Outside in the bushes, another ponytailed girl took note of her sister leaving. "There goes Sis. She must be after Kodachi."

"I hope so," Ryoga said. "What do you think that nutcase was after, anyway?"

Ranma shook her head. "Dunno, but I bet it means trouble. This might help us, though." She turned to regard Ryoga intently. "Go to the boys' locker room, and get my girls' gym clothes. I'll meet ya in the equipment shed."

"Girls' gym clothes!" Ryoga sounded shocked. "What are you doing with girls' gym clothes you pervert?"

He started to throw a punch at Ranma, and she dodged it. "Hey! I gotta have somethin' to wear in case I change in the boys' locker room! I can't exactly just charge outta there stark naked, in Sis's body!"

"Well, no, but that's sick! I shoulda known that you'd..."

Ranma bonked him on the head. "Shut up, Pork Butt! You don't know anything! I had to wear girls' gym clothes for weeks when I was stuck as a girl! It was the worst experience of my life! Don't go sayin' I'm a pervert just because I didn't wanna make things bad for Sis!"

"You were stuck as... you wore gym clothes... YOU WENT IN THE GIRLS' LOCKER ROOM?" Ryoga shouted, the idea finally sinking in.

Ranma ducked another punch, and clobbered Ryoga again. "Yes! Yes, I went inta the girls' locker room, as Ucchan! I didn't have no choice! It was either that, or let the guys see her, and no way I was gonna do that!"

"But you went in the girls' locker room!"

"Ucchan stood right next ta me the whole time, and made sure I didn't look at nobody else!" Ranma shouted, right in Ryoga's face. "I told Kuno the same thing! I ain't no pervert, and I ain't gonna let no guys see me naked when I'm in Sis's body. That means she had ta help me change in her locker room. It was her idea!"

That seemed to calm Ryoga down, but only a little bit. "What about Akane? You were in the locker room when Akane was changing clothes!"

"Oh, and you never were in the room when Akane changed clothes!" Ranma snapped back. Ryoga blushed. "At least she knew who I really was. And Sayuri and Yuka, too! I never lied to any of 'em!"

"I never looked at Akane!" Ryoga protested. "I always looked away!"

"And you'll understand why I don't believe that." Ranma glared at the lost boy. But then she looked away. "Just go, okay? I ain't got time ta argue."

"Why don't you go get them?"

"I ain't got time to get hot water, either," Ranma yelled back, upset again. "And I ain't goin' in there in Sis's body! Now go! I'll be at the equipment shed!"

She grumbled, as she stomped off for the shed. Ryoga looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head and headed around to the boys' side of the gym. Meanwhile, up in the tree, the shadowy figure took another puff on his pipe.

"This looks like it could get interesting," Happosai said to himself. "However, if what I heard is right, my student is going to be heading for a confrontation with that Kodachi girl. As her Master, I should take it upon myself to watch the fight, and offer her advice on how to further improve."

"Ranma sneaking into the girls' locker room as a girl, or the Kunos making plans with Genma and Soun?" He tapped his pipe against his hand, thoughtfully. "Which looks to be the most fun... ?"

He paused a few moments more, and then shrugged. "Little Ukyo it is. Sometimes it is such a struggle, the duties and responsibilities of having a student." Chuckling wickedly, he bounded off into the distance.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Although the English translation never explicitly calls the Spring of Drowned Man the "Nanniichuan" in the first episode, the word is in use by the Instant Nanniichuan arc, and is used again in this story arc to refer to the Japanese Nanniichuan. As it becomes tedious to write "Spring of Drowned Man" every time, or "Japanese Spring of Drowned Man" even once, I've stuck with that convention here. I never referred to it as such in my own first chapter, but decided that since it's consistent with the canon I'd go with it.


	62. Secrets in the Locker Room

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 62

"All right, here are your clothes, Ranma!" Ryoga called out. "I can't believe you made me go to your locker for GIRLS' gym clothes!"

"Nobody saw ya, did they?" Ranma asked, suddenly worried. She peeked out from the equipment shed, opening the door just wide enough to stick her head out.

"No, although I had ta ask your friends Hiroshi and Daisuke where your locker was." Ryoga looked embarrassed, and was handling the gym clothes as if they were some sort of dangerous explosive. He kept looking around as if afraid someone would see him with them.

"Ah, good, that probably means they figured I got turned into a girl or something." Ranma grabbed the clothes away from Ryoga, sticking a bare arm and part of her shoulder out through the door. Ryoga's attention was caught by the flash of bare skin, and without thinking, he put his hand on the door, to stop it from closing.

"DON'T YOU DARE COME IN!" Ranma screeched, her voice shrill. "I ain't got no clothes on!"

"What? What are you doin' naked in Ukyo's body?" Ryoga yelled back. In his panic, he pulled back on the clothes, forgetting to let go of them.

"Well, I gotta take my clothes off to change! Do you think I never take my clothes off in this body?"

"No! But... I mean... you can see... Ukyo's..." A tug of war had begun over the gym clothes, and Ryoga stared down at Ranma's exposed shoulder, as if mesmerized. A trickle of blood ran out of his nose.

"Of course I can! Let go!" Ranma finally pulled the shirt out of Ryoga's hand, and then grabbed the shorts. She slammed the door.

Ryoga tried to regain his senses, although he could feel the heat of his blush. "Still, why would you be standing around in there naked anyway? Why'd ya take off your clothes before I got here?"

"I didn't have anything else ta do, and I was in a hurry," Ranma replied. Then she stuck her head out the door again. "Didja get my wrap?"

"Your what?"

"A length of cloth, a couple o' yards long. It's for... wrapping my chest."

Ryoga felt his face grow hotter. "Um... No, I didn't. I didn't notice anything like that."

Ranma shut the door again. "I ain't got time anyway. I guess it'll be okay, won't be nothin' but girls seein' me anyway."

The mental picture Ranma's words conjured set Ryoga's nose bleeding again. He could just imagine what Ukyo would look like in that t-shirt with no bra... He put a hand up to stop the bleeding. "Stop talking about things like that, you pervert!"

"Hey, you were the pervert, starin' at me like that!"

"I was not! It's not like I want to... look at... um..."

"Yeah, I know." Ranma's voice was a low growl, and of course since she had Ukyo's voice, it was easy to believe she sounded insulted. "I heard what ya said to Ucchan back there, when you thought I was her. 'Bout how she ain't got nothin' you want to see."

Despite himself, Ryoga found himself feeling guilty. "Yeah, that's right," he muttered. "I don't want to see her anyway..."

There was a long, painful silence, and then Ranma's voice came from inside the shed, still feminine and somewhat soft. "I bet ya don't really mean that. Like when I said it about Akane. I was just... ya know... I didn't want nobody to think I liked her."

"Well, I don't like Ukyo!" Ryoga protested, and then blushed again. "Well, I mean, she's okay and all, but I don't... l-love her or anything." He looked away, grumbling under his breath. "I know what Akane said, but... it's not like that."

"Sure it ain't." Ranma snorted, amused.

"Well, you just admitted you wanna stare at Akane then, you pervert!" Ryoga snapped back. "I knew it!"

Ranma stepped out of the shed, adjusting her red shorts. They were so short that she was never sure if they were on right. "I ain't gonna ogle Akane like some pervert or nuthin'!" She protested. "But Akane wants to know that I think she's... well, pretty." She blushed a bit herself. "An' she is."

Ryoga's mouth fell open. He stared at the ponytailed girl for a few moments, not sure he had heard correctly. Ranma frowned at him. "What?" she asked.

"You think Akane's pretty?"

Ranma smirked. "When she ain't bein' an uncute tomboy an' pushin' me around. And even then, she can be kinda cute."

Ryoga shook his head, to try to dispel the feeling that he had awakened in some other dimension. "And you're just going to walk in there where she's changing?" He pointed an arm at the locker room.

"I told ya, I ain't gonna stare at her or nothin'. This is for the Spring of Drowned Man, remember?"

"But what if she's... she's..." Ryoga's nose threatened to start bleeding again, as he thought about it. Then he scowled. "Ukyo's not there to keep an eye on you this time. You're PRETENDING to be Ukyo. I won't let you trick Akane like that!"

"Oh, hush up, Pig Boy! You got no room to talk about pretending to be somebody else. I'm just gonna go in there and look for the Spring. If Akane figures out it's me, that's what I'll tell her!"

"You can't! It's not right!" Ryoga grabbed Ranma's slender arm, and she scowled back at him. "I won't let you!"

Ranma pulled her arm away, and took off running for the gym. Ryoga followed. "Come back here!" He called out.

"Don't you dare follow me!" Ranma yelled back. "What is Akane going to think if she sees you trying to sneak into the locker room?" She smirked as Ryoga paused. "That's what I thought. Wait back in the equipment shed, while *I* find the Spring of Drowned Man!"

Ranma left Ryoga snarling and clenching his fists, as she ran into the gym.

* * *

"I tell you," one of the girls said in the locker room. "It's not even safe to change clothes anymore!"

"Don't worry," Akane reassured her. "It's been a while, and Happosai hasn't returned yet. Maybe we scared him off after all."

"But that just means he'll be back tomorrow," another girl said. "I don't know how you can put up with those people, Akane."

Akane looked startled. "What do you mean?"

"Ranma, and his sister, and all those crazy martial arts types. Isn't Happosai like his Master or something? I'll bet Ranma's just as perverted as he is."

"He is not!" Akane protested, and Sayuri and Yuka echoed their agreement. "Ranma may be a jerk, but he wouldn't sneak into the girls' locker room. And don't forget, I'm a martial artist, too."

"No kidding!" Yuka giggled. "That was really awesome, the way you handled Kodachi."

"Oh, hey!" Sayuri suddenly interrupted. "Didn't Ukyo forget that baseball bat she threw to Kodachi? I wonder if it's still out there."

"Why don't you go see?" Akane asked her. Sayuri nodded, and headed towards the door.

"Don't forget the trap!" Yuka warned her, pointing at the top of the door. Sayuri carefully opened it, and then slipped out into the hall.

"What about Ukyo?" The other girl said. "She trains with Happosai, doesn't she? What if she's in cahoots with him?"

"What are you saying? Ukyo was helping us." Akane had finished putting on her gym shorts, and started to unbutton her blouse again.

"I know, but she's..." The girl paused, obviously aware that Akane and Yuka were Ukyo's friends, and wouldn't take lightly to anyone insulting her. "You know, she wears boy's clothes and stuff. Sometimes she even talks like a boy."

Akane pulled off her shirt. "That's just the way she was raised. She can't help that. Just because she dresses in boy's clothes, that doesn't mean she isn't a girl."

"But I heard she let the whole school see her without a bra on," the girl continued. "And she had something to do with you getting your hair cut, too!"

"That was an accident," Akane said, setting her shirt down on the bench. But she began to blush deeply. "She just forgot to wear a bra that day. It was Ryoga that cut open her shirt, and cut my hair."

She looked up at the girl. "You've seen her get undressed in here. She's usually pretty good about either wearing a bra or wrapping her breasts." Of course, it was usually Ranma that was wrapping her breasts, and thinking about that made Akane a little more embarrassed. She cut her eyes away so the girl wouldn't see her discomfort.

At that moment, the door swung open, and Ukyo stepped back into the locker room. "'Scuse me, guys," she said, her usual drawl slightly exaggerated. "But I think I forgot..."

A bucket of water, set above the door, immediately turned over and drenched her. Hot water. And it was Ranma, Akane immediately realized. She was wearing gym clothes, and Ukyo had still been wearing her street clothes when she left the gym. Ranma's blue green eyes flitted across to her, and then widened, her gaze darting down to lock onto Akane's chest. Akane's heart leaped into her throat, beginning to pound frantically, in response to Ranma's look of shocked amazement.

Akane wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly all too aware that she was wearing nothing but tiny shorts and a white, lacy bra. Why was he staring at her like that? The transformation was already starting, his lanky, feminine body starting to expand and grow larger. She wanted to scream for him to run, she wanted to leap forward and punch him out of the doorway, but she felt frozen in place. What was he doing? Why wouldn't he look away?

Even as his brown hair began to turn black, however, and the curves under his t-shirt began to harden into muscle, another splash of water came from Ranma's side. Sayuri suddenly appeared, stepping between him and the girls in the locker room. His view was cut off, and Akane released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Even so, her heart continued to flutter wildly, her blush growing so hot that it felt like she might burst into flame.

"What's the matter, Ukyo?" Sayuri said, her voice a bit strained. "Did you forget your baseball bat back there in the gym?"

She pressed the bat into Ranma's hand, who took it, without consciously thinking about it. Sayuri had also retrieved the bucket that had fallen on Kodachi, and had apparently spotted Ranma in time to fill it with cold water. Akane could not clearly see Ranma anymore, but she could see that his body was shrinking back down as he returned to cursed form. She almost fainted from the sense of relief.

As soon as Ranma's transformation back into Ukyo's form ended, Sayuri stepped out of the way. All the other girls could now see that the person she had her arm around was Ukyo. "Why don't you and I go over to your locker... you know, the one OVER HERE BEHIND ALL THE OTHER LOCKERS?"

She almost snarled at the last part. Sayuri turned Ranma away from her view of the girls, leading her past the main row of lockers to a row that was conveniently empty. She finally stopped near the back of the room and shoved Ranma down onto a bench.

"What in the HELL are you doing in here?" She hissed, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. She tossed the bucket she had used to splash Ranma to the floor, and its clatter made a stern counterpoint to her anger.

"It's not what you think!" Ranma protested. She was unable to do more than just sputter, her mind still stuck on the sight of soft skin and white lace. Despite her earlier protests to Ryoga, she had been unable to tear her eyes away. "I'm just lookin' fer the Nanniichuan!"

"What's a 'Nanniichuan'?"

On the other side of the lockers, Akane quickly threw back on her blouse, and started buttoning it up. Her blush hadn't disappeared. She looked up as one of the other girls asked her, "Isn't Ukyo's locker next to yours?"

The girl that had spoken up before leaned a little closer to them. "Um... was it just me, or did Ukyo REALLY look like a guy there for a second?"

"Don't let her hear you say that," Yuka warned her, gesturing for her to keep it down. "You know how sensitive she is about that."

"True. Sorry." She and the first girl turned back to their own lockers, continuing to get dressed. The rest of the girls just ignored the unexpected entrance. Most of them had not looked up in time to see the change anyway.

Akane gave Yuka a smile of gratitude as she stood up from the bench. "I better go see what the baka is up to now."

She came around the lockers to see Ranma cringing away from Sayuri. "Ranma?" she asked, keeping her voice low. "What are you doing here?"

Ranma's cheeks reddened dramatically as she looked up at the short haired tomboy in her blouse and gym shorts. Then she looked away again. "I wasn't peekin', I swear! It's the Spring, I'm just lookin' for the Spring of Drowned Man!"

Akane's eyes widened. "You mean it's in HERE?"

"What's this Spring of Drowned Man?" Sayuri asked, not getting the connection to Ranma's curse.

"Ranma and Ukyo were cursed, in China, by the Spring of Drowned Girl. Ryoga found a map to a Spring of Drowned Man, here in Japan. It should cancel out Ranma's curse."

"Wait a minute!" Sayuri said, a look of recognition coming over her face. "I remember now! That water Shampoo brought in here, she called it 'Nanniichuan' too!" She looked down at Ranma. "So that's what it is, a cure for your curse?"

"Yeah!" Ranma seemed relieved that they believed her. "According to the map, it's right here, right under the girls' locker room."

"You've got to be kidding," Akane said.

"I mean it! I'm tellin' the truth!"

Akane smiled. "I'm sure you are, Ranma, it's just..." she sighed. "I guess it's not all that surprising. It's just the sort of crazy thing that happens around here. Where's Ryoga?"

Ranma grinned sheepishly, putting a hand behind her head. "Aheheheh... I made him wait in the equipment shed."

"Ranma!"

"Well, he was goin' on about how I was trying to stop him from findin' the Spring! And then he got all crazy about me comin' in here and peepin' at you! Even though I wasn't gonna, I told him that! But he wouldn't listen, and he..."

"Ranma, how could you!" Akane shook her head, smiling at Ranma's frustration with a combination of amusement and exasperation. "You know how much it means to him to get a cure. And yet you still had to turn it into a fight."

"He was fightin' with ME!"

"Still, you should have known better." She sighed again, and then smiled to let Ranma know she wasn't really mad. She looked up at Sayuri. "Go out to the equipment shed." She handed her the bucket Sayuri had dropped on the floor. "Fill this up with cold water, and splash it on Ryoga. He'll turn into P-chan, and you can bring him in here past the other girls."

Sayuri's mouth fell open. "Ryoga is P-chan?"

Akane put a hand to her face. "I don't have time to explain it right now. Just bring him back here, and don't let him stare at any of the girls. And don't forget his clothes; we'll need to change him back once everyone's gone."

As Sayuri left the locker room, Akane turned back to her dejected fiancee. "Now, Ranma, did you really have to be in such a hurry to find the Spring? You could have just waited for us to leave, you know. But no, you had to find the Spring RIGHT NOW, so Ryoga wouldn't find it first."

"Well... he was just... y'know... saying I was gonna keep him from it. He was just bein' paranoid, as usual." Ranma didn't say that she was afraid Ryoga would try to keep her from it, although from Akane's knowing smile, she didn't have to.

"And when you DID find this Spring, Ranma, what were you going to do?"

"Well, jump in it, of course!"

"And when you jumped into it, and the water splashed everywhere, with me in here with you, maybe right next to you, what would happen to me?"

Ranma's eyes widened dramatically, as it suddenly hit her what could happen. "Um... uh..." She couldn't help thinking of how it had felt when she thought Akane had been cursed before.

"And if the Spring were to well up and flood the locker room, or the floor were to collapse and dump all those girls on the other side of those lockers in," she gestured in that direction. "What would happen to them?"

"Oh." Ranma swallowed. "I... I never thought of that."

"No, baka." Akane smiled gently at her. "You didn't think this through, as usual."

"You think I shouldn't look for the Spring." Ranma shuddered, the idea of giving up on a cure almost too much to bear. But the risk, of cursing Akane...

Akane shook her head, though. Her voice turned serious as she spoke. "No, if there really is a Spring of Drowned Man under the girls' locker room, it's a disaster waiting to happen. We HAVE to find it, before someone really does fall in."

She smiled again. "But we can do it carefully, so Sayuri and I don't get splashed by accident. And we can wait until all the other girls are out of the locker room."

At that moment, Yuka came around from the other side of her lockers, now fully dressed in her gym outfit. "What's going on?" She said, looking at Ranma. It was obvious she was trying to give the cursed girl the benefit of the doubt, but her eyes showed her uncertainty.

"He's just looking for a cure," Akane told her. "It turns out it's hidden under this locker room. I'll help him look for it.

"Would you go ahead and let the other girls know it's okay to go on to gym? It doesn't look like Happosai's going to show, although if he does, let us know. And make sure none of them come back in here until class is over."

Yuka smiled, obviously relieved. "Sure. Will do, Akane." She headed back around to the other side of the lockers.

There was then commotion from the entrance to the gym, as Sayuri came back in with Ryoga. "P-chan!" one of the girls yelled out. There was then a chorus of squeals. "Oo, it's P-chan! Let me hold him!"

"Sorry, girls," Sayuri said back. "Akane's waiting for him." With that, she turned and headed around to the back row of lockers.

"Was she holding her hand over that pig's eyes?" A girl was heard to ask. Akane and Ranma looked at each other and giggled.

As Sayuri came into view, it was obvious she was irritated. She was holding P-chan so tightly he was squirming, and she was scowling darkly. "I can't believe I let this PIG snuggle against my chest!" She growled.

Akane scratched P-chan between the ears, petting his head. "Don't think of it that way. It's not like you held a full grown man against your chest. This size, he's more like a baby. There's nothing wrong with cradling a baby in your arms."

She then leaned over, and smirked mischievously at Ryoga, even as she pitched her voice higher. "Did Mommy's widdle P-chan enjoy being babied by all the girls in the school?" She ruffled his fur again. "Does um wike being Mommy's widdle baby?"

Ranma snorted, loudly. Ryoga turned to glare at the brown haired girl for a second, but then he cut his round eyes back to Akane, and her expression of smug retaliation. The pig looked down, blushing deeply, knowing he was getting his just desserts.

Akane's smile turned gentler, however. "Don't worry, Ryoga. We'll get you your cure, and then you'll never have to worry about turning into P-chan again."

She looked up at Sayuri. "And Ukyo knew about his secret, so she watched out for me, and made sure he didn't peep at me or anything. Although I probably came pretty close to embarrassing myself a couple of times." She scratched P-chan's head again, and his blush deepened. "He's just such a cute little pig."

Sayuri looked as if she wanted to ask more, but instead just put the pig down on the bench, followed by his clothes. "So what do we do now?"

Akane paused a moment, as she looked back towards the other girls on the other side of the lockers. They were already heading out of the room to go on to gym. "Well, once everyone else is out of here, we'll change Ryoga back, and then look for the Spring." She looked at Ranma. "You still have the map, right?"

She nodded. "Ryoga an' I woulda been about there when we got to 94 paces," she pointed out the window. "So 100 paces would be... around there." She looked back in the same direction as Akane, past the lockers that blocked their view of the other girls.

"Wouldn't you know," Akane said. "So we wait."

Fortunately, it did not take long for the girls to leave, and so Ranma accompanied Ryoga to the shower so he could change back to male form. Akane and Sayuri waited on the other side of the lockers for him to get dressed. When Ranma called out to them that the coast was clear, they joined the ponytailed girl and her bandanna-wearing rival in the center of the room.

They all looked down at the tiled floor under their feet. "Well, how do we do this?" Sayuri asked.

Ryoga grinned a fanged grin. "Leave this to me." He lifted a finger, and then stabbed it at the ground. "Bakusai Tenketsu!"

"No!" Ranma leaped at Ryoga, wrapping her arms around him. The two fell to the floor, as it shattered under their feet. "Not that way!"

"Quit trying to stop me from finding the Spring!" Ryoga yelled, naturally jumping right back to his usual conclusion that Ranma was trying to make his life Hell. He punched the lanky girl off of him, and she flew back, knocking the bench aside as she landed sprawled on the floor.

The tiled floor collapsed, and Sayuri lost her balance too, sliding into the hole with Ryoga. Akane darted forward to help them both out.

"I ain't tryin' ta stop you, Ryoga, just you gotta be more careful!" Ranma cried out. "You wanna get these girls cursed?"

Ryoga's eyes widened as he looked over at Sayuri, then up at Akane who stood over them with her arm out. He swallowed. "I... I didn't think of that. You... you girls gotta get OUT of here!"

"It's okay, Ryoga," Akane said, leaning over a little further, as Sayuri crawled over on her hands and knees to get to her. "We'll get you out, and then we'll search for the Spring... CAREFULLY. You don't have to just punch through the floor until you find it."

The ground shook, though, and then the floor collapsed again, dumping Ryoga and Sayuri onto the dirt under the locker room. Ryoga looked around, his eyes widening, as a rumbling began in the rock beneath him.

"It's too late!" Ryoga yelled, beginning to panic. "I wasn't thinking! I just aimed at the Breaking Point I felt deeper in the rock! It's gonna..."

The rumble suddenly grew louder, and then the ground surged upward. Ranma leaped to her feet, throwing herself at Akane, the cursed girl's only thought to get her fiancee away from the explosion. But Akane was already moving, and Ranma missed her by only inches. Akane was jumping INTO the water, unmindful of the threat it represented, too concerned about saving her own friend.

Akane leaped into the hole, grabbing Sayuri, and flinging her back up into the room. Sayuri's short ponytail fluttered into her face as she sailed backwards through the air, the breath knocked out of her by the force of Akane's throw. Finally, the girl slammed into the wall of the locker room, so hard that she smashed through the sheet rock and was partly buried in the wall.

A column of water then erupted into the room, a geyser several feet across, reaching all the way to the ceiling. Cursing, Ranma leaped into the water, grabbing Akane and pulling her out. By the time they reached the solid floor of the locker room, Akane was soaked from head to toe.

Ranma grabbed Akane's blouse and ripped it open. He then heaved a sign of relief, his head sagging as he muttered a small prayer of thanks. Contrary to all of the teasing and insults he had made on the subject before, the cups of Akane's bra were still filled, quite nicely, by the gentle swell of her breasts.

Then Akane slapped him, hard, across the face. "What are you doing, you baka!" She screamed, turning red with both embarrassment and anger.

"Well... um... I..." Ranma jerked his head away, staring at the ground. "I just wanted ta make sure... you know... you weren't..."

"Honestly!" Akane turned around, closing her shirt, and buttoning it again. She idly wondered if it was possible to blush too many times in a single day. "I'm glad you're worried about me but... really." She fumbled with the buttons for a moment, and then realized it wasn't possible to button it all the way. "You popped off one of my buttons! Idiot."

"I'm sorry. What were you thinkin', jumpin' in there like that anyway!"

"I didn't want Sayuri to get cursed!" Akane snapped, turning back around. Then her expression fell, as she looked into Ranma's eyes. "Anyway, I'm fine. Everything's where it should be... and nothing's where it shouldn't be."

She put a hand to Ranma's cheek. "I'm still a girl... and so are you."

Ranma looked down at herself. She was still in Ukyo's form. She cursed for a moment, and then glanced back at Ryoga. She saw him crawl out, as P-chan, and shake the water from his fur. The water was still spraying up from the floor, but it was obviously cold water, and not cursed.

"Some map to the Spring of Drowned Man, Pig Boy!" Ranma snapped, and the pig lowered his head. But then Ranma turned to look back at Akane.

"But at least Akane wasn't cursed."

Akane shook her head. "I guess Ryoga hit a water main or something. I'm so sorry Ranma." She glanced over Ranma's shoulder at the pig. "And you too, Ryoga. I really wanted to see you two get cured."

"I dunno, Akane," Ranma said, her cheeks turning a bit pink. "I'd hate to be cured, only to know that you got stuck with a curse instead." Behind her, Ryoga grunted a soft agreement, his own head hanging.

Akane smiled at Ranma sadly, and gave her a hug, but then Sayuri spoke up from where she was pulling herself out of the wall.

"Hey, you guys. What is this?" She reached into the wall, and pulled out a small blue vase.

Ranma and Akane hurried over to see what she had found, and P-chan trotted over as well, looking up at them with his round eyes. Ranma took the top off of the vase, and pulled a note from inside it.

"Thank you for patronage of Jusenkyo Cursed Springs franchise," Ranma read. "Valued customer advised to find other two urns lead to Japanese Nanniichuan. Please to find map on back."

"Another map?" Sayuri asked, glancing over the taller girl's shoulder as she read. "So you can still find this Spring of Drowned Man after all?"

"It looks like it," Akane said, grinning happily. Ranma was smiling as well, although she also looked somewhat wary. The disappointment of thinking the Spring was a dud was still fresh on her mind. Akane hooked her arm in the other girl's, though, and pulled her close.

"Why don't you change Ryoga back again," she said, "and then we'll go look for the next urn. Come on, Sayuri, let's wait outside."

She and her friend stepped out into the hallway in front of the locker room, while Ranma and Ryoga headed back into the shower. A spray of hot water later, and Ryoga was again human. As Ranma was waiting for him to get dressed, Akane knocked on the door. When Ranma opened the door, she handed her her male clothes.

"I went back to the equipment shed and got them," she said. "I thought you might want to change back into a man."

"Thanks, Akane." She hurried to the shower, while Ryoga got up and went to the door, now dressed in his usual outfit of yellow and brown. Akane grabbed Ryoga's arm.

"Go find a maintenance man and tell him we broke the water main in here. We'll want to get it fixed before gym class is over."

Ryoga nodded, and he and Sayuri headed out into the gym. Ranma appeared at the door a few minutes later, and joined Akane in the hall.

The short haired tomboy narrowed her eyes a bit, as she stared up at Ranma. "This is for ogling me when you were standing in the door like that," she said, and slapped him across the cheek. It wasn't like the slap a few minutes ago, though, compared to that one this slap was soft and gentle.

"And this is also for ogling me when you were standing in the door like that." With that, she leaned up on her toes, and kissed Ranma on the same cheek.

Ranma put his hand to his face. "Is that it?"

Akane grinned impishly at him. "What, you want me to slap you harder?"

"If you do, will you kiss me harder?"

"I just might at that, baka." With that, she turned back to the locker room door and opened it. "I'm going to go change into my gi. I wasn't sure I'd get the chance to change into it, for Happosai, but I brought it anyway. If we're going to be looking for the Spring, I might as well wear it, just in case there's more trouble."

She looked down at her bare legs, just barely covered by her shorts and the hem of her school uniform. "I sure can't wear this," she said, blushing a bit. Then she gave Ranma a mock glare. "Especially since you broke my button."

Ranma stared at her for a moment, and Akane felt her body heat up a bit. When the silence started to get too much for her, she spoke up. "Were you going to say something?"

He looked up into her deep brown eyes. "If I say you look cute in that, will you call me a pervert?"

"Yeah." She held his gaze, daring him.

He smirked. "You look cute in that."

She grinned back, making his heart skip a beat. "Thank you. MY pervert." The implication in her words only made his heart pound more erratically. She turned and closed the door behind her, her heartbeat none too steady either.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Yep, as in the Anime, there are three urns, not just one. I will definately be diverging from the events of the Anime, just as I usually do when the Anime and Manga don't agree. But I'm sure you can still guess where the second urn is going to be found. :)


	63. Assault on the Kuno Mansion

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 63

Kodachi Kuno leaped over the wall around her family's estate, landing near the pond. Her pet, Midorigame, came drifting up to greet her, and she smiled as she regarded the beast. "I cannot feed you now," she called out. "Mommy has to have words with Tatewaki." Midorigame gave out a deep groan of dissatisfaction, but submerged back under the water's surface.

With that, she hurried around to the front of the mansion. There she found her brother on the lawn, mercilessly beating a training dummy with his bokken. A training dummy dressed in a red shirt, and sporting a pigtail. Sasuke stood to one side, with a spare bokken.

"Still training to defeat my Ranma darling, are you dear brother?" she asked him.

"I know not what you see in that foul sorcerer," Kuno answered. "Surely he has bewitched you, just he has my fierce tigress Akane, and the earthy beauty Ukyo."

Kodachi turned up her nose. "Well, I cannot see why you are so smitten with that Tendo peasant," she countered. "She is a plain girl, with hardly any figure and an atrocious hairstyle. I would laugh at your obsession with that commoner, if it would not be to my advantage for you to free her of that engagement so I can be with my darling Ranma."

"Well, your 'darling Ranma' certainly seems to feel my goddess of battle Akane is attractive enough." He eyed Kodachi for a moment, obviously somewhat peeved by her insults. "If you could lure that womanizing Lothario into your arms and break the spell under which he holds my two loves, I would most certainly be grateful. But so far your efforts have proved to be for naught..."

"I could say the same of you, brother," Kodachi countered, obviously miffed as well. "You have spent all this time trying to woo Tendo and Kuonji, but they have shown you no interest at all."

"Only because Saotome holds them under his foul power!" Kuno protested. He clenched his fist. "To think, the heart of Akane Tendo, as wild and untamed as the Goddess of the Hunt, would be given willingly to that fiend! That she would welcome and even return his advances!" He slashed with his bokken, and took the head off of his practice dummy.

Sasuke hurried away and returned with another dummy. He set it up as Kuno continued to speak. "Would that I had already acted to prevent this travesty! But what I am to do? Now that Saotome and the innocent Akane have let lips do what hands may do, to quote the Bard, the demon draws my love even further into his web of deceit!"

"Ah, but that is what I came to talk to you about," Kodachi said, her smile growing cunning. "I have heard from the mercenary Nabiki Tendo that the Saotome and Tendo fathers plan to join the families to continue their schools of martial arts."

"Yes, so I have told you," Kuno said, sounding dismissive. He set his stance to begin practicing with the dummy again.

"But what if we were to offer to join the Kuno family with the Saotome and Tendo families?" Kodachi smirked. "We could present to their fathers your wish to be engaged to Akane Tendo, and mine to be engaged to Ranma Saotome, and through us, join their two schools. And they would gain the great legacy of the Kuno family as well! The fathers would jump at the chance to add our noble line of samurai to their bloodline!"

Kuno turned to stare at her, his expression now disdainful. "Join our noble Kuno family line with that of the foul SAOTOME? Are you INSANE?"

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho!" Kuno flinched at her laughter, which suggested he was all too right. "Do you think I am any happier about joining our family to those bourgeois Tendos? Or that my darling Ranma starves in such squalid conditions?"

There was a long moment of silence while Kuno appeared to consider her arguments, although he made a snort of disgust. In the silence, Kodachi looked at Sasuke. "Has that special ribbon that I ordered arrived yet?"

"It has!" He produced a ribbon with a silvery coating on it, and presented it to Kodachi. She tossed aside the ribbon she had used in the fight with Akane and tucked the new one into her leotard. Then she turned back to Sasuke.

"Go and prepare an appropriate procession to take me to the Tendo home. I shall make my appeal to Father Saotome there. Make sure all of the appropriate paperwork is prepared..." she glanced at Kuno. "For both myself and my brother."

"Right away, mistress!" Sasuke chirped, and hurried away.

"It grates on my last nerve to even consider this." Kodachi said. "Both Akane and that destitute nomad Ranko Tendo. But I am willing to make any sacrifice for my Ranma darling, even bring that impoverished family into our noble home"

Kuno rolled his eyes. "Ranko Tendo again. How many times to I have to explain that you are being deluded? Ranma and that redheaded girl you hate so much are one and the same."

"It is not I who is deluded, brother!" Kodachi shot back. "That distasteful vagabond wants my darling Ranma, no matter how much she may protest otherwise! And your beloved Kuonji as well! They are so similar as to be the same."

"That's because they are the same!" Kuno said. "You have fallen for that sorcerer's tricks, but there is no Ranko Tendo."

"Is she Ukyo Kuonji, brother, or is she Ranma Saotome? Make up your mind!"

"She is BOTH! And neither. She is but a foul illusion, created to confound me. Although when you encountered her, Saotome was using her form to protect his sister from that Amazonian savage."

"I am glad I do not live in a world of fantasy as you do," Kodachi began, but she was interrupted as Ukyo sailed over the wall around the Kuno compound.

"Yo, Kodachi," she called out. "Let's talk about this. Ranma and Akane aren't going to listen to their fathers; they're trying to get them to STOP pushing them together..."

"Ah, my ponytailed goddess!" Kuno called back, as he spotted her. "To think that you have come to me in my very home! Surely the foul Saotome's spell on you must be ended, and you are ready to admit your love at last!"

With that, he drew Ukyo into his embrace. She put up her hands to press against his chest, but did not push him away. "Look, Kuno, I'm not here for you... not exactly. I'm here to stop you and your sister from making a bigger mess of things."

Kodachi frowned as she regarded the lanky martial artist, held so tightly in her brother's arms. "Brother dear, have you forgotten that you wish to marry Akane Tendo? I realize that this serving girl is..." she eyed her disdainfully for a moment. "... attractive to you, but marrying her will not help me win my Ranma darling."

"But I cannot choose!" Kuno answered, his voice dramatic. "Indeed as my love for the both of them is as boundless as the ocean, so I cannot sail in solitude with just one of them. I must have BOTH as my First Mate!"

Ukyo rolled her eyes. "Oh, come off it, jackass. I'm not going to marry you, and neither is Akane." With that, she did push him away.

There was a long silence as Kodachi eyed her thoughtfully, the noble girl putting a hand to her chin. "Well, as she truly is not related to either Ranma or Akane, she would play no part in joining their families. If you truly wish for her to remain, though, I'm sure we could put her to work in our kitchens. If you then wished to 'dally' with her, it would be your business..."

"I ain't workin' in your kitchen like some sorta servant!" Ukyo protested, her speech growing sloppy as she got angrier. "I'm way too good a chef to work for the likes of you!"

"Ho ho ho ho ho!" Kodachi put her hand to her mouth as she laughed. "A common okonomiyaki vendor, a 'good chef'? Don't make me laugh. I am used to dining on only the best and most expensive cuisine."

"Why you..." Ukyo snarled for a moment, and then took a breath to calm herself. This wasn't working. She glanced over at Kuno, and tried to reject the idea that was forming in her mind. It made her sick to even think about it, but...

"Kuno," Ukyo said, letting her voice turn soft and seductive, although she still couldn't bring herself to utter any sort of honorific. "Are you really going to choose Akane over me?" Steeling herself, she sauntered over to him, and wrapped her arm around his. "If you go along with this plan of Kodachi's, there's no way we can be together."

Kuno looked down at her, seriously. "But if I choose you, my love, there is no way my tigress Akane and I can be together." He raised his eyes heavenward, while Ukyo did the same, for totally different reasons. "Alas, to be stricken so with indecision! But such is the path of true love!"

Ukyo ran a finger down his chest, while making a mental note to sterilize it in alcohol later. "Then wouldn't you rather things stay as they are? That way your love for us both can remain pure..."

Kodachi grabbed her and pulled her away. "I know what you are doing, you seductress! Do not think I am fooled for a moment! It is my Ranma darling that you really lust after!" She looked up at Kuno. "You said yourself that Ranma has these girls under a spell, the spell of his manly charm! Can you not see that she's trying to mislead you?"

Ukyo's eyes narrowed. "Look, I don't know where you get off thinking I've got the hots for my brother, whether it's because we aren't really of the same family or what. But I assure you, I got no more interest in Ranchan 'that way' than you do for YOUR brother." Kodachi frowned for a moment, and looked a little ill. "Ranchan and I grew up together, and that's the way I feel about him.

"I admit, there was a time it was more than that, and I know my Pop intended for me to marry Ranma. But I love my Bro, and that's more than I can say for YOU. You don't even know who Ranchan is; you love some image in your mind that isn't even real!"

Kodachi laughed in response. "I see through your lies! Ranma will be mine, just you wait and see!" She pulled out the ribbon Sasuke had given her before and began to twirl it. Ukyo fell into a stance, readying herself for her strike.

"I am sorry, my dearest Ukyo, but it would be unseemly for me to interfere with my sister," Kuno said, stepping back. "Fight well, my love, that we may be together!"

"Gee, thanks," Ukyo thought to herself, as Kodachi snapped her ribbon at her. "Nice to know you care so much about me, jackass..."

* * *

Out on the streets of Nerima, heading away from Furinkan High, Ranma, Akane and Ryoga turned at the sound of a bicycle bell. Sure enough, Shampoo plowed into Ryoga, knocking him down, while she leaped from her bike to grab onto Ranma. Akane dislodged one of the enthusiastic Amazon's arms so at least Ranma could breathe.

"Um... whaddya doin' here, Shampoo?" Ranma managed to gasp.

"What Airen doing?" Shampoo countered. "Take Shampoo on date?"

"I don't have time for that!" Ranma said. "I gotta find something."

Shampoo noticed the map in his hands. "What Airen look for?"

"It's a map to a Spring of Drowned Man, right here in Japan," Akane told her. "We followed the first part of it and found this." She held up the blue urn. "We think there are two more, and maybe once we find them, they'll tell us where the Spring is."

"Airen find cure? Cure for Airen curse?"

"Yep!" Ranma grinned widely. "And fer Pig Boy, too." He pointed at Ryoga, who was getting back to his feet, dusting off his leggings.

"It's too bad we can't cure you," Akane said, favoring Shampoo with a tentative smile. "Or Ukyo either. But who knows. Maybe you could trade in your curse. I bet you'd rather be a man than a cat."

Shampoo glared at her, obviously insulted. "Shampoo rather be cat than weak man!" Then her scowl slid into a vicious grin. "But maybe Pervert Girl get cursed. Pervert Girl perfect as man, half man already." She cupped her own breasts as she said this, obviously comparing her body to Akane's.

Naturally, Akane's battle aura flared around her, as she clenched a fist. "Hey! I'm trying to be nice! So what if I don't have a body like yours, at least I'm not a floozy like you!"

"Akane just like man," Shampoo countered, still smiling. "Stupid, pushy, weak fighter, just like all outsider women. Akane never stand up to Amazon woman."

"Any time you want to take me on again," Akane growled, "You just let me know."

She was almost trembling with the effort it took not to just punch Shampoo right there. Ranma put a hand on her shoulder. She almost turned and snapped at him, too, but he had already stepped between her and Shampoo, pushing her aside. Tears sprang to her eyes, but just as Akane was about to lose it, he gave her shoulder a little squeeze. Then he let her go. The quiet gesture, probably unnoticed by anyone else, calmed her anger.

"Leave her alone, Shampoo," Ranma said, his voice serious. "There is no way I'm ever gonna let her get cursed. In fact, unless you wanna risk gettin' cursed again, you better not come along either. I didn't want her ta come along, but she wouldn't let me leave her behind." He glanced back at her, while Akane took several deep breaths, to try and get her anger back under control.

"Shampoo come too. Shampoo want to help Airen get cure." She cut her eyes at Akane for a moment, and then bit her lip. Then she sighed. "Airen right. Shampoo sorry, Akane. Just teasing."

That helped, although Akane wasn't sure whether she was really serious. "It's all right. I need to work on taking insults better anyway." She met Shampoo's gaze, and her eyes flashed a little. "Wouldn't want some opponent to take advantage of my weakness."

The Amazon smiled back, her own eyes narrowed in the hint of a challenge. "Too, too true."

Ranma and Ryoga just gulped, glancing at each other worriedly, but the girls seem to have calmed down. "So... uh... where's the next landmark?" Ryoga asked, looking over Ranma's shoulder at the map.

"300 paces this way." Ranma said. They set off following the pigtailed boy, as he counted off the paces, until they finally came to a high stone wall, surrounding a richly decorated estate.

"Wow," Akane commented, looking up at the wall. "I wonder who lives here?"

"Dunno, but there should be another fox statue around here somewhere." He started looking around for it. "Supposedly it's 100 paces from this spot."

Ranma, Akane and Shampoo headed north, looking in the bushes along the wall on that side of the street, but Ryoga wandered off to the east. After a few minutes, he waved them over. "Hey, over here! It's over here, guys!"

The other three joined him, and Ryoga pointed through a gate in the wall at a fox statue sitting on a pedestal inside the estate. It was surrounded by an ornate garden, and a pathway led to it. The landscaping was all immaculately groomed and cared for, although there were signs that certain portions, as with Furinkan High, had been allowed to become overgrown.

Ranma tried the gate, but it was locked. "I guess we go over the wall," he said. He turned to lend Akane a hand, but she had already leaped up to the top of the wall, landing lightly on the flat edge. He quickly followed, while Ryoga and Shampoo simply leaped over the wall completely. Akane paused long enough to let Ranma jump down and make sure she landed safely on the other side.

They then approached the fox statue. "Okay, it's 200 paces in the direction the fox is facing, just like before." They counted off 150 paces to the wall of the mansion. Then they started looking around for a way in. "I guess it's buried under the building," Ranma said. "We'll have to get inside."

As they came around the side of the huge house, they could hear a commotion from the front yard. The four martial artists looked at each other. "I dunno what's going on," Ranma said, "but maybe in all the confusion we can sneak inside. They can't be paying attention with all that noise going on."

"We split up," Shampoo said hopefully. "Shampoo go with Airen." She hooked her arm around Ranma's.

Akane pulled her arm away from Ranma and took it herself. "I'LL go with you, Ranma can go with Ryoga." Shampoo shot her a sour look, but Akane was firm. "I'm not going to let you be alone with him, just give up on that now. Let's find this Nanniichuan and get out of here."

Grumbling to herself, Shampoo let Akane drag her away, while Ryoga went around the other side of the house with Ranma.

In front of the house, Ukyo leaped aside as Kodachi lashed out at her with her ribbon. As Kodachi tried again, Ukyo reached out and caught it, as she and Akane had before.

"Oh, no. I am prepared for that this time," Kodachi said. She pressed a button on the ribbon's handle, and a charge of electricity travelled down the metalized plastic, sending a shock through Ukyo's body. She quickly let go.

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho! You will not disarm me again!" She declared. Ukyo just snarled. She back flipped into Kuno, kicked him hard in the face, and then grabbed his bokken. She held it at the ready as she turned to face Kodachi.

Before they could come to blows, Sasuke came running up. "Master! Mistress! There are intruders in the compound!"

"Brigands!" Kuno grabbed his bokken back from Ukyo, seemingly more comfortable with repelling an invasion in his home than dealing with two feuding females. "They seek to scale our walls in order to steal from the mighty house of Kuno? Show me where they are, Sasuke!"

"We shall continue this later, Ukyo Kuonji!" Kodachi said, still twirling her ribbon. "For now, I must act to defend my home from these ruffians! Beware, the Black Rose is coming for you!" Cackling madly, she bounded off across the open field and disappeared into the trees around the mansion.

"Geez, I hope they don't succeed in gettin' Ranma and Akane married to 'em," Ukyo muttered to herself, as she set off looking for the intruders as well. "I'd sure hate to be living in the same house with these nutcases."

* * *

"Okay, NOW where are we?" Ryoga asked. It looked like they had stepped into a tropical forest, with a pond sitting in the middle of it.

Ranma gave a low whistle. "Man... whoever lives here, he must be filthy rich."

"What are you talking about?" Ryoga shouted, certain that they were hopelessly lost. "We're not even in the mansion anymore!"

"Sure we are." Ranma pointed at the vaulted ceiling, which was made of glass like some sort of elaborate greenhouse. "See, this is some sort of bathhouse."

"So we're still inside?"

"Yeah." Ranma began looking around. "How far would you say we are from that wall we came up to outside?"

"I don't know! I can barely make heads or tails of this place! It's like a maze or something."

"Normally, P-chan, I'd tease you about getting lost in a closet with one door, but I have admit you're right. It musta been some kind wacko who designed this place."

Ranma's musing was interrupted as a figure in a hakama charged into the bathhouse, brandishing a bokken. "Brigands! Show yourselves so that Tatewaki Kuno the Blue Thunder may smite you."

"Called it," Ranma said. "And here's the wacko himself."

"Ranma Saotome?" Kuno called back to him, as he recognized the pigtailed boy. "What are you doing in my abode, you fiend?"

"You mean this place belongs to Kuno?" asked Ryoga, somewhat startled. Then he shrugged. "I guess we shoulda seen that coming."

"Yeah, seriously," Ranma spoke up, calling out to Kuno. "Hey, did you design this place, or was it yer sister?"

"To be honest, my father was the architect of this mansion," Kuno admitted. "Although I have made some adaptations of my own to this bathhouse." He paused a moment. "You're lucky to have never met my father, he's been out of the country for the last year."

He then glared at Ranma again, still holding his bokken at the ready. "What are you doing invading my bathhouse, foul sorcerer, and with that homeless drifter at your side as well? Have you been following this wanderer and ended up lost along with him?"

Ranma put up his hands. "Look, Kuno, Ryoga an' I are looking for something. It's a funny lookin' pot, about this big," he held up his hands to show its approximate height, "maybe red or yellow. It woulda been buried under the mansion, maybe ya dug it up..."

"Even if I knew of such a thing," Kuno said huffily, "I certainly would not help you, my rival, to find it. Begone, demon, before I bring the Vengeance of Heaven down upon you."

"Look, I'm looking for this urn too," Ryoga said. "Maybe you hate Ranma, but I never did anything to you. Would you help ME find it?"

"Hey, you traitor, I'm not gonna let you stab me in the back!" Ranma yelled. Ryoga waved a hand at him, as if trying to get him to shut up.

Kuno regarded the two of them evenly. "It is enough that Saotome wants it. That is all the reason I need to refuse your request."

"Well, if you won't help, I'll just have to find it anyway!" Ryoga shouted. He charged at the would-be samurai, who blocked with his bokken. Ryoga quickly overpowered him, but as Kuno was knocked back into a tree, he instinctively slashed with his wooden sword. A pressure wave slammed into Ryoga, as he drew near to Kuno, knocking him back and into the ornate bath.

Ryoga came to his feet, flailing in the water, obviously expecting to be transformed into a pig. However, he looked down at his arms as he realized he was still human. "A hot spring?" He looked down at the pool, which was indeed filled with hot water. "This isn't a natural spring, is it?" It occurred to him that even though the spring was hot, it might still have been the Spring of Drowned Man.

"It is merely an artificial bathing pool," Kuno told him. "The water is constantly maintained at the ideal temperature," He then swung at Ryoga again. "Which you have soiled with your dirty clothing. You will pay for that!"

Ranma leaped at Kuno from the side, catching him in the head with his foot. As a brawl broke out between the three boys, Ukyo appeared at the door to the bathing room. She quickly charged in, as she recognized her brother.

"Hey, hold on, you three," she said, stepping between Ranma and Kuno and putting out her hands to stop them. "What's going on here?"

Ranma held up the map. "The Spring of Drowned Man, the second of these pots is hidden under here somewhere. We're lookin' for it."

"What? It's under here?"

"Well, it was actually under the girl's locker room at Furinkan," Ryoga said, "but when we looked for it, we just found this urn with a second map in it. We think there are three urns, and if we find all three of 'em, it'll show us where the Spring is."

"Furinkan?" Ukyo's eyes went wide. "You mean we were right there on top of the Spring the whole time?"

"Yep, although it's a good thing there weren't no Spring there," Ranma looked a little uncomfortable, putting a hand behind his head. "Imagine if some girl found it and fell into it..."

Ukyo looked over at Ryoga, and the artificial pool he was standing in. "I suppose if that was a real cursed Nanniichuan, Kodachi would have been cursed by now. The same would be true for the Spring of Drowned Man no matter where it is. Someone would have found it by now. So I guess it's hidden deep underground, and the urns are to find it, or bring it to the surface or something."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Ryoga cautiously made his way out of the heated pool. "Still, the urn could be buried under this room."

"I know not what this 'Spring of Drowned Man' is you are looking for," Kuno said, crossing his arms, "but I am still not going to help you find it. No doubt this is some plan to commit further sorcery against my loves Akane and Ukyo."

"Why you!" Ranma clenched his fist. "I'm tryin' ta get a CURE, not hurt Akane or my sister! I don't want 'em ta have to put up with my curse anymore!"

"Ranchan, let me." Ukyo put a hand on her brother's shoulder, then let go as she walked up to Kuno. "Kuno, look. Ranma isn't trying to curse either me or Akane. He is trying to... well, he's trying to set things right with his own spells. You remember the spell he cast on himself to turn into a girl? Well, he wasn't able to quite reverse it."

Kuno nodded, still glowering, with his arms crossed, as he shot a vicious glare at Ranma. "It is a fitting punishment, sorcerer, for toying with such dark and perverted magic." Ranma growled in response, something about "You oughtta know about perversion..." but Kuno ignored him.

"It's not what you think," Ukyo said, certain that she did NOT want to know what Kuno was thinking, "but it's gotten where sometimes Ranchan can't control the change. So he's looking for this Spring of Drowned Man so he'll never be able to turn into a girl again. Do you get it Kuno? He'll never be able to turn himself into that girl Ranko again. I know he doesn't fool you, but now he won't even be able to try."

Kuno's expression lightened for a moment, but then he scowled again. "I still am not going to help him. He has stolen the heart of my lovely Akane Tendo, and keeps you from admitting your love for me as well! There is nothing you can say that will change my mind." He then cut his eyes at her, as if expecting a counterargument.

Ukyo took a deep breath. This is for Ranchan, she told herself, this is for Ranchan. She ran her hand down his chest. "Is there... nothing I can offer you? Kuuuuno?" Again, she drew out his name, breathlessly.

As she expected, he took both her hands in his, looking into her eyes with anticipation and excitement. "Will you go on a date with me, my love!"

Ukyo frowned. "Okay, okay, you've got a date. IF you help us find the urn. And IF we find the Spring of Drowned Man."

Kuno took her in his arms. "Oh, you are so kind and so selfless! But I cannot use our love like this! I will not extort you into going on a date with me like some common blackmailer!"

"No, please, extort me!" Ukyo said, pressing her hands against his chest, to try and get a bit of room. "Use our love! Just help me find the Spring!"

He shook his head. "It is no use anyway. I am sure there is no such item around here. I was present when my father excavated this entire area to build the basement of the Kuno mansion, and there was no urn. If there was such a thing, I surely would remember it."

"But all the signs say it's here," Ryoga said. "We even found the fox statue out in the yard, just like the one at Furinkan. It must be here."

"Ah, that statue." Kuno held Ukyo tightly, while she tried not to lose her lunch. "That I remember well. My sister and I used to play around it many a sunny afternoon. And the one at Furinkan as well. I was quite upset when my father decided to take it down. Although I understand it was to protect it from the elements."

"Your father had something to do with the grounds at Furinkan?"

"Well, he is the principal."

Ranma's mouth fell open. "Your father is the principal of Furinkan High?"

"Yes, although as I said he has been out of the country for the last year."

"Why am I not surprised?" said Ukyo. She pressed at Kuno's chest again, as she was starting to turn a little green.

"Anyway, I was quite glad my sister built that wonderful garden and moved the statue into it. It is quite pretty."

"Wait." Ukyo looked up at him. "Are you saying you moved the statue?"

"Well, my sister did. It was originally just outside of where we built the wall, on the north wing of the estate. My sister brought it inside soon after my father left and she took over tending the grounds."

"So we're looking in the wrong place?" Ranma smacked Ryoga across the back of the head. "Way to go, Lost Boy, you got all turned around again and messed up our directions!"

"Well why didn't you say anything?" Ryoga protested, rubbing his head. "You and the others were way on over on the other side of the building! I thought YOU were lost!"

"Well, I just figured it was close enough, and the statue was there, like the map said..." Ranma turned back to Ukyo. "We gotta backtrack and start all over again."

"Just back to the last landmark," Ryoga protested. "That was over where the two streets intersected, over to the east of the wall, right?"

"It was to the WEST of the wall!" Ranma corrected him, slapping him across the head again. "The southwest corner!" He handed Ukyo the map. "You think you can take it from there, Sis?"

"What about our duel?" Kuno asked, stepping away from Ukyo to heft his bokken again. "Do you think I can just let you go without your just punishment?"

Ukyo patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, Kuno, you do that. You and Ranchan play your little macho game, while I go find the urn. I'll be back, Bro."

With that, she turned and ran out of the room. Kuno looked back at her, conflicted. Finally, he decided to run after her. "Come back, my ponytailed goddess! I will agree to date with you after all!"

Ranma threw a flying kick at him. "Sis ain't agreed to your date, so you leave her alone! You wanna fight, then let's fight!"

"Do not obstruct the path of true love, you fiend!" Kuno snapped back at him, as he blocked the blow with his bokken. "Whether you get this cure you seek or not, this is the day that I will free my loves from your evil grasp!"

"You sure you can't free your loves from Ranma's evil grasp AFTER we find the cure?" Ryoga put in, as he leaped into the fray as well.

"Hey, quit tryin' ta get to the Spring before me!" Ranma yelled. He was even more irritated to notice that Ryoga had attacked him as well as Kuno. The three continued to engage in wild battle, even as they set off in pursuit of Ukyo.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I have no intention of continuing the story to when Principal Kuno would be joining the cast, so this is likely to be the first and only mention of him in this fanfic. But it seemed like the perfect opportunity to mention him. :D

I'm playing up the rationality of the Spring of Drowned Man being hidden and fairly well protected from someone accidently falling in, but leaving out that whole bit with Cologne translating the "writing" on the urns, which never seemed believable to me anyway. Also, adding additional fox statues ties it all together, and even shows up an interesting coincidence, in that the Kunos are in charge of two of the three properties on which the urns are located. Although at the time, the Kuno connection to the school hadn't been revealed.

There may be some minor changes to this chapter, it has taken me a while to get it finished, and I want to go ahead and post it and move on. It's been fun trying to come up with a storyline here, but I basically combined Kodachi's idea to get Genma to agree to the engagement from "Beeline to True Love" with the bathing room scene from Kuno's portion of the Japanese Nanniichuan arc. Next chapter will bring up Midorigame, stealing from the original cookies/picture arc. (Three guesses where Ukyo's corrected directions lead her :D)


	64. The More Things Change

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 64

Akane and Shampoo wandered through the labyrinth that was the basement under the Kuno compound. If the upper floors of the mansion were large and sprawling, covering acres of the estate, the basement seemed to go on for miles. It almost seemed like they had wandered into some alternate world, like all of this couldn't fit under the building.

As they came up on another turn in the twisting passageways, Shampoo let out a sigh. "This nineteen, twenty turns now? Shampoo lost count."

She was just making small talk, but as she looked up at Akane, the other girl didn't answer. Shampoo frowned. Akane had been silent for some time, lost in thought. It was quite annoying.

"Who design crazy place?" she wondered aloud. "What with big cavern back there, filled with trees? Was that pineapple tree? Shampoo never see one before..."

Akane still said nothing, and Shampoo's scowl grew deeper. "Angry Girl ignoring me now?" she thought to herself. Just as she was about to snap out with some comment to get her attention, Akane cleared her throat. She glanced at Shampoo for a second, but then looked away again as she spoke.

"Shampoo? Um... do you really love Ranma?"

Shampoo blinked, shocked at the question. "Of course! Airen is Shampoo Airen. Shampoo love Airen!"

"No, no." Akane looked down, obviously embarrassed to be asking the question, but just as firm about asking. "I'm not talking about Ranma defeating you or your obligation to your tribe. Of course, he does have an obligation to you, for what he did. But do you LOVE him?"

She turned to look at Shampoo, and stared into her lavender eyes. "If he had never defeated you, Shampoo, if he wasn't your husband according to Amazon Law, would you still love him?"

"What Akane mean?" Shampoo looked confused, although she had asked herself the same question plenty of times. "Akane think Shampoo no love Airen?"

"Do you LOVE him, Shampoo?" Akane's expression turned pained. "Does your heart beat faster when you see him enter the room? Do you stare at him for hours hoping he will glance up and meet your eyes? And when he does, do you look away, even though you don't know why? Do you find yourself doing things just for him, just for him and no one else? Does it crush you a little inside, when he doesn't notice?"

She stared off into the distance, her cheeks starting to turn pink. "Do... do you find yourself thinking of things you never thought you would think about? Does it fill you with joy, just to see him smile? Would you do anything, just to make him happy? Do you LOVE him?"

"Sure. Shampoo feel all those things." She looked away, huffing, her nose in the air. But somehow, Akane's words made her feel guilty and uncomfortable.

There was a long, long silence, while Akane looked at the ground, her face cloaked in shadow. Then, she spoke again. "You realize that he doesn't like it when you... hug him like that. I know you think you're trying to win him over, to show him how affectionate you are, but... he really doesn't like that. You make him uncomfortable."

Shampoo turned on her, her eyes flashing. "What Pervert Girl saying! Of course Airen like when Shampoo hug him! Is Pervert Girl make Airen afraid!" She poked Akane in the chest. "Pervert Girl scared, not let Airen touch! But Shampoo not scared! Shampoo show Airen how good wife supposed to treat husband!"

"That's not it at all!" Shampoo's words had obviously made Akane angry, but her expression was calm, pleading. "Shampoo, when I first met Ranma - it was about the time you first showed up actually - you know what he said to me? He said that he thought the reason I beat up the boys every morning and refused to go on a date with them was because I didn't like to be touched. He thought that I didn't WANT to be held or comforted, and that's the reason he never tried that with me."

She was silent for a moment as she studied Shampoo's face, watching her words sink in. "I think the reason he said that is because that's the way HE feels. You've got to understand, Shampoo, he's been raised since he was a little boy to believe that he can't ever let down his guard. The only time his father ever holds him or gets close to him is as a prelude to an attack.

"Ukyo's the only one that he lets get close to him. And even then, she's almost as bad off as he is. The only security and comfort Ranma got as a child was when he was being mauled by cats, and his sister, who was just as terrified, tried her best to shield him from the worst of the pain.

"As close as I've gotten to Ranma, as far as we've come, I still feel him flinch, every time I take him in my arms. I know better than to just throw myself at him and hug him, Shampoo. I give him time, to recognize that it's me, and relax, and THEN I hold him tighter. You have to give him space, give him room to breathe, so he can let down his guard and he can be comfortable with you hugging him."

Shampoo didn't answer for a moment, but then she huffed again. "Pervert Girl just trying to make Shampoo give up Airen. Shampoo no fooled. Akane trying to make Shampoo back off so Akane can seduce Airen."

"No, I'm not!" Her voice was angry for a moment, but then she choked. Shampoo was surprised to see tears glittering on her cheeks, in the near darkness. "I just don't want you to hurt him, Shampoo. I don't want you to scare him. I don't want you to take him away from me, but I'd rather you be his friend and make him happy, even if... even if that means you win him in the end."

Shampoo stared at her, and then twisted her lips into a teasing smirk. "Do Akane love Airen?" She asked, not expecting an answer.

Akane looked down, though. After a long moment, she took a deep breath. "Yes, I do." Her voice was hushed. "I... I love him, Shampoo. I love him more than anything. I just..." She choked, and wiped at her tears. "I don't want you to continue to push him away, until he finally gets tired of you, and can't take it anymore. That's not fair to you, and it's not fair to him."

She looked up, meeting Shampoo's eyes. "You can be his FRIEND, Shampoo, if you'll just try to be. But instead you just try to OWN him!"

"So Shampoo should let Pervert Girl own Airen instead?" Shampoo smirked. "Shampoo is best for Airen. Shampoo take Airen back to China, stupid panda man not around. Shampoo show Airen it nice be held by wife... loved by wife. Airen forget all about panda man and stupid Pervert Girl, have many babies, be very happy."

That should make Angry Girl angry, Shampoo thought gleefully. To her complete surprise, though, Akane barked out a laugh. "Do you really think that's what's going to happen if you take Ranma back to China? That he'll become a loving, obedient husband, and father a bunch of children for your tribe, and you'll all live happily ever after?"

"Of course! Shampoo love Airen, and Airen love Shampoo. Airen just have to realize it, that's all..."

Akane wiped her eyes again. "That's not what loving Ranma is like at all. Loving Ranma... hurts. It hurts a lot. When he puts me down, or insults me, because that's all his father ever taught him about relating to people, that hurts. And I hurt him, too. I know I do. Neither one of us learned how to be... gentle. Not really.

"We're all... calluses and sharp edges." Her lip began to tremble. "And when we hold each other, we... we cut into each other. The tighter we hold each other, the deeper it cuts. But I can't let go, because... because then the cuts open up again, and it just hurts even worse..."

Akane fell silent again, sobbing. Shampoo couldn't bring herself to taunt her, but she couldn't keep the smugness out of her voice. "Maybe that sign Akane not meant to be with Airen."

She looked up at her. "No, don't you see? He's the only one that makes me feel like I can heal. That it can all get better. Every time I kiss him, every time we hold each other, it gets a little better. I feel a little bit more like everything's going to be all right. We've got a long way to go, I know we do, we can't rush, or push each other into it. But at least I know what I'm getting into."

Shampoo scoffed. "This all nonsense. Akane like all outsider women, weak and foolish. No can get better by hurting. Airen is man, stupid panda not know how to raise, make all arrogant and rude like outsider male. Shampoo fix, then Airen be happy. Airen be good Amazon male, do what wife say. Stupid Pervert Girl waste time trying do what arrogant male say."

Akane shook her head, a sad smile slipping across her face. "This is exactly what I mean, Shampoo. You have to treat Ranma as an equal, and convince him that you're his equal, too, not weak like his father says. If you try to force him down, make him 'weak' like an Amazon male, he will just fight you. You can't lead him or follow him, you've got to be at his side."

"Stupid Male never equal of woman!" Shampoo protested, now angry. "This why you weak! You could be strong warrior, but want too much to be weak outsider female. Too concerned about hearts and cuts and healing. Healing is for after battle, when you have won!"

"I know." Akane sniffled, wiping her cheeks again. "For the longest time, that's what I believed. That I couldn't be strong, that I couldn't be a martial artist, and be a woman at the same time. Oh, I tried, but I kept messing it up. Somewhere along the line, I forgot the most important lesson of Anything Goes: It's not that you keep trying every time you lose, it's that you ADAPT to failure until you finally succeed."

She paused a moment, staring at Shampoo. "But you have forgotten something important, too."

"What that?"

"Ranma isn't ONLY a male."

Before Shampoo could respond to that, they were interrupted by a loud, shrill laugh. "Ranma darling may not be a man to you, Akane Tendo, but I assure you, he is a prince among men to me!" She landed in front of the two girls, twirling her ribbon. "Only a real man could win the heart of Kodachi, the Black Rose."

"Kodachi!" Akane drew back, startled. "How... how long have you been there?"

"Long enough to hear you confess your love for my Ranma," Kodachi said, putting her hand in front of her mouth as she laughed. For her, it was a quiet laugh, but still loud enough to echo in the darkness. "And you, too, you purple-haired Jezebel. What was your name again? Conditioner?"

Shampoo looked confused for a moment, then scowled. "Shampoo name not Conditioner! That not even Amazon name, too, too many syllables!"

"It doesn't even sound like Chinese," Akane added. "You'd think she'd at least suggest something like... I dunno, Par Fum."

Kodachi burst into insane laughter again, and both Shampoo and Akane winced. "It's no matter, I shall still show the both of you who my Ranma darling's true love is!" She raised her ribbon, menacingly.

"Hold on, Kodachi," Akane said, stepping in with one hand raised. "We're just here to look for something." She glanced around at the twisting hallways around them. "Is this your home?"

"Yes, yes," Kodachi looked impatient. "Have you come here to challenge me again, after so disgracing me in the Furinkan gymnasium? I assure you, I will not be disarmed so easily this time." She pressed the button on her ribbon's handle, as she twirled it, and it lit up along its length with blue sparks, tinting the darkened walls with a blue glow.

"Aiyah!" Shampoo cried out, drawing her own chui in response to the threat, but Akane kept her arms up. She was still holding the urn against her side, but managed to show that both her hands were empty.

"We're looking for something, Kodachi, something that will help Ranma. He wants it, and I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you helped us find it." She held the blue urn out, so Kodachi could look at it. "It's another urn, something like this, and it may be buried underneath this house."

Kodachi's ribbon flashed out, and Akane yelped in surprise as it wrapped around the urn. Kodachi drew it back to herself, catching it in her hand. "What a gaudy little trinket." she said disdainfully. "It looks quite old, but it is certainly no Ming vase."

"Hey, be careful with that!" Akane protested.

"And what would my Ranma darling want with such a common piece of pottery," Kodachi asked her. "Surely if he is interested in antiquities then I can buy him whatever he may desire." Her eyes glowed as she thought of plying her beloved with riches and treasures beyond imagining.

"It for Airen curse!" Shampoo told her. "Show way to Japanese Nanniichuan, so Airen can get cure! Airen be man again, all time!"

"What are you on about? I told you, my Ranma darling is all man. I will not let you harridans insult him so." She brandished her ribbon.

"Is curse! Airen cursed!" At Kodachi's blank look, Shampoo glanced at Akane. "Screechy Girl not know about curse?"

Akane started to shake her head, but Kodachi interrupted. "Of course I know of my Ranma darling's curse!" As the two girls looked shocked, she laughed again, and pointed at Akane. "He is cursed to live in abject poverty with this Tendo peasant, when he could live in wealth and luxury with me! And he is pursued by you, as well," she said to Shampoo, "a barbaric gaijin from the wilderness of China. What kind of home do you live in, a mud hut surrounded by beasts and vermin?"

Shampoo glanced to her side as a blast of heat came from Akane, but her own temper was riled up as well. "Joketsuzoku is modern village, many amenities! Amazons not live in mud huts!"

Kodachi let loose another insane laugh, and Shampoo raised her chui, but the crazed gymnast's ribbon slipped past her guard, wrapping around Shampoo's neck. Shampoo grabbed at the ribbon, but Kodachi then triggered the electrical charge, and Shampoo screamed as her body began to jerk in pain. "Shampoo!" Akane cried out, and then she leaped at Kodachi herself. She slammed into the taller woman, knocking the ribbon out of her hand.

Unfortunately, the collision knocked the urn out of Kodachi's hand as well. Akane reached up to grab it, but she was only able to hit it with a finger, sending it spinning upwards out of her grasp. For a moment, she was forced to juggle it from hand to hand, only able to touch it with a fingertip before it bounced away.

"Clumsy Girl be careful!" Shampoo cried, "No break Airen cure!" Ordinarily, Shampoo's words would enrage her, but her only thought was of having to tell Ranma that she had destroyed his only chance at a cure. When she finally caught the urn, she held it tightly to her chest, wrapping both arms around it. She could feel herself trembling.

Then Kodachi slammed into her. The urn slipped from Akane's grasp, and went flying across the hall, heading in an arc at the stone wall. Akane screamed, knowing she could never reach it in time.

A tiny, blurred figure whizzed past her. It grabbed the urn out of the air as it shot past, and then stopped, in the middle of the dark passage. It was a small, elderly figure in a dark gi, Happosai. "What do we have here?" he asked, with an impish grin. "You ladies should be more careful with this thing."

Akane collapsed to her knees in relief, not caring, for the moment, about Kodachi's attack. The noble girl, for her part, was staring at the wrinkled old man, her eyes wide. "What manner of creature are you?" she asked.

"Happosai's the name," he said, "I am Ranma and Ukyo's Master in the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts." He glanced down at the blue urn in his hands. "Oo, this is nice. I bet it would be perfect to keep my collection of pretties in."

Akane blushed as she realized what he meant. "No! We need that! Ranma needs it to get his cure!"

"Sorry girls! I saved it, so it's mine!" He bounded off down the passage, cackling, and Akane and Shampoo took off after him.

"Come back here!" Kodachi said, getting back to her feet as well. "All of you! You will not escape from the Black Rose!" With that, she took off running after the others.

* * *

Ukyo counted off the paces as she walked carefully across the Kuno lawn. "165... 166... 167... 168..." She looked up in the direction she was facing. She had come to the edge of a pond, ringed with small, round stones.

"So about 32 paces into this pond," Ukyo said. "Or, about in the middle of it. Well, that's not too bad, I suppose. Time for a little swim."

Ukyo rolled up her pant legs, knowing the water would change her into her cursed form. Then she stripped off her jacket, leaving her in just her undershirt. At that moment, she was accosted by a small, elderly pervert holding a blue urn, who dropped the urn to latch onto her chest. "Ah, my lovely student Ukyo! What a wonderful way to greet your Master!"

Because her arms were still caught in the sleeves of her jacket, she was forced to endure Happosai's groping until she could pull free, and smash him into the ground. "I wasn't taking my top off for you, you old freak! I was taking it off so I could go swimming!"

A hidden trapdoor had appeared in the nearby landscaping, and Kodachi leaped out of it. She had apparently taken over the lead, but Akane and Shampoo were right behind her, and all three girls landed nimbly in the yard. "Don't you dare foul my pond with your presence, Ukyo Kuonji," Kodachi snapped. "You will disturb my pet Midorigame."

"Midorigame?" Akane looked at her, then at the pond. "A 'Green Turtle'? You keep a green turtle in this pond?" It seemed a bit large for such a small pet.

"Not exactly..." Kodachi said cryptically.

Before she could explain further, Ukyo threw Happosai off of her, and jumped into the lake to escape him. For a moment, nothing could be seen of her but ripples as she swam out to the middle of the lake. Then there was a flash of red hair as she dived to look for the urn, and her shapely legs as she submerged.

Suddenly, there was a commotion and a splash from the lake, and the petite redheaded girl surfaced again. "That is NOT a turtle!" She screamed. She was then lifted up as the jaws of an alligator tried to close around her.

"Ho ho ho ho ho!" Yet again, Kodachi put up a hand to cover her laughter, not that it quieted it in any way. "Ranko Tendo as well? How amusing. Get them both, my pet!"

"Midorigame is an ALLIGATOR?" Akane shook her head, while she stared in disbelief. "Ukyo, get out of there!"

Ranma came running up, with Ryoga and Kuno right behind him. Akane ran up to him. "Ranma! What's Ukyo doing! Why is she in the lake?"

Ranma cinched up his belt. "The urn is down there. I gotta get her out." With that, Ranma jumped into the lake as well. A few moments later, two girls, one with fiery red hair and the other with a brown ponytail, were struggling with the alligator.

"My Ranma darling!" Kodachi called out, now concerned. "Ranma darling! Where are you?" She drew her ribbon. "You harpies, both of you, leave my Midorigame alone! You have frightened him, and he may have hurt Ranma!"

"Kodachi, no!" Akane bit her lip. She knew that Ranma was fine, for the moment, but Kodachi had every reason to be worried. She rushed to stop the gymnast, though, as she snapped her ribbon at the two girls and the alligator.

The ribbon snagged on Ukyo's arm, pinning her against Midorigame. Then, before Akane could stop her, Kodachi triggered the ribbon's charge. The electricity conducted through the water, catching all three of them in a violent shock. Midorigame gave a loud hiss of anger, and submerged under the water. Ukyo was dragged down with him, still bound to him by the ribbon. Kodachi pulled on it, trying to keep from being dragged into the water herself, but then it snapped.

"UKYO!" Akane yelled. She ran up to the water's edge, but then hesitated, as Shampoo came up beside her. Ranma floated to the surface, in Ukyo's body, but unconscious. Midorigame's tail splashed to the surface once, but then was gone.

Unconcerned about her own safety, Akane plunged into the water. Shampoo was right behind her, calling out "Shield Sister!" The Amazon's voice cut short as she turned into a cat, while Akane floundered around in the water. Part of her recognized that she was crazy, trying to save Ukyo when she couldn't even swim, but Shampoo and Ryoga wouldn't be able to save her either. So she pressed on, pushing forward against the mud and stones at the bottom of the lake, almost crawling.

The water stung her eyes so badly Akane could barely see, and her lungs filled with choking agony. But then, there was a flash of green scales, and Akane grabbed blindly, letting herself be pulled along. Groping around, she finally found Ukyo, who was struggling to pull her arm free. Midorigame let out a howl, and began to roll, trying to throw them off. Akane could feel her vision starting to go black, but grabbed Ukyo's arm and pulled for all she was worth.

Just at the last moment she saw a flash of white and pinkish-purple, a small cat, who was scratching madly at the beast's hide. She would bite from time to time as well, and Akane guessed that was the reason for Midorigame's roar. Akane pulled at the ribbon, and Shampoo saw the light reflect off of it. She shredded the ribbon with her claws, and Ukyo broke free. Akane grabbed the cat, even as Ukyo wrapped her arm around Akane's waist.

A moment later, Akane was on the surface, choking as she gazed up at the sky. She wasn't sure how she had gotten back so quickly, maybe she had passed out. Ukyo was squeezing her tightly around the waist, and holding her head above the surface. Akane vomited up more water, and finally found that she could breathe again. With tears running down her face, she choked up the last of the water, gasping in the fresh air.

"That was crazy, Akane-chan! What were you thinking?" Ukyo turned Akane over, to look her in the eye. The lavender cat was sitting on her head, and Akane almost giggled at the sight.

Back at the shore, Akane saw Ranma being dragged to safety by Kuno. Of course, he was declaring his undying love for the ponytailed girl, not aware that his unconscious love was her transformed brother. Nearby, Ryoga stood at the water's edge, in pig form, but clearly relieved to see Akane back at the surface.

Still coughing a bit, she looked back at Ukyo. "I couldn't look Ranma in the face and tell him that I watched you die."

"What, so you were going to drown with me?" Her stern expression turned to a bit of a smile. "What's with swallowing all the water? Didn't you hold your breath?"

Akane's eyes widened. "You mean you're not supposed to breathe water?"

"Breathe... water?" Amazingly, Ukyo's eyes were wider than Akane's. "Akane, do you... did you... you actually think that's how you're supposed to SWIM?"

"Well... yeah." She blushed. "It's not?"

"No!" Ukyo burst into laughter. "Okay, Akane. Just take a deep breath and hold it, okay? Don't worry about swimming, just sinking will work just fine for now. We're gonna go get the urn."

"Are you sure?"

The redhead smiled. "Trust me. You hold on too, Shampoo." She took Akane's hand, and the two girls dived under the water.

Akane and Ukyo dropped quickly, the pond was not extremely deep, but it did take a short time to get to the bottom. It was harder to hold her breath than she thought, especially when she knew how much it would hurt if she involuntarily took a breath. Before, when she was struggling just to stay alive, she didn't have time to think about how frightened she was. But now, the sensation of water covering her face was terrifying.

She looked up at the glittering light shining on the surface above her, knowing that as close as it seemed, she would sink like a stone if she ever tried to reach it. Her very life depended on Ukyo. Reassured by that thought, she clung tighter to her friend's hand. Ukyo gave her hand a gentle squeeze in return, and Akane tried to calm her thoughts. Just concentrate on looking for the urn, she told herself.

As they drew close to Midorigame, the irritated reptile darted away from them, snapping its tail warningly as it disappeared. But the alligator didn't bother them any further. Ukyo finally spotted a small red object among the stones and swam towards it. She quickly dug it up, and then grabbed Akane's hand again. A few moments later, they were back at the surface, and Akane gave a gasp of relief.

"There, that's not so bad, is it?"

"Geez," Akane's cheeks turned pink again. "If I'd known that was all there is to swimming..."

"Well, you've got to control your tendency to panic. I noticed a couple of times you looked like you were about to lose it, and I thought I'd have to get you back up real quick. It'll probably be harder when you're swimming on your own." Ukyo smiled. "But you'll get it."

Akane gave her a hug. "Thanks, Ucchan."

"No problem. Let's get back to shore."

Once they had made it back to dry land, Akane collapsed. While she was in the water, she was too frightened to relax, but now that she was safe, she felt like she had never been so exhausted. It didn't even bother her that her gi was wet, and sticking to her skin. She just lay on the grass, breathing heavily. Ukyo knelt beside her, stroking her back reassuringly.

They both looked up, as Kuno scowled in their direction. "Ranma Saotome," he said to Ukyo, "you foul fiend! Look what your machinations have done to my sweet Ukyo!" He held Ranma in his arms, although she was beginning to stir. At his words, the ponytailed girl suddenly punched him in the face.

"I didn't do nothin'," Ranma protested, "It was your crazy sister that hurt Ucchan!" She looked over, and spotted Akane and Ukyo kneeling nearby. "Sis! Are you okay?"

Ukyo grinned at him. "He means you, Bro. I'm the foul sorcerer Saotome right now, remember?"

"Huh?" Ranma looked up at Kuno, and realized she was still in his arms. "Put me down! Put me down, ya jerk!"

"It is all right, my love," Kuno said gently, which only made Ranma struggle harder. "You are a little disoriented is all. My sister's twisted gadgets do pack quite a jolt, but I shall take you back to my room where you may rest. I shall nurse you back to health, as my love is all you shall need to heal."

Ranma kicked him in the face, finally hitting Kuno with enough force to knock herself out of his grasp. She flipped in midair, landing on her feet. "You ain't takin' me to your room, you pervert!"

Akane giggled, despite her exhaustion. "That's telling him, my pervert."

Ranma's head jerked around to glare at her, but then she realized Akane wasn't exactly insulting her, and her cheeks turned red. Then she noticed Akane's state, and that her gi was soaked. "What happened? Akane! Ya crazy tomboy, you know you can't swim!"

"She saved me, Ranchan," Ukyo said, "Even though she can't swim, she saved me. And she'll be fine, it just wore her out. Anyway, we got this." She held up the red urn, and Ranma's expression brightened.

But then Happosai leaped past, and the urn disappeared from her hand. Ukyo glanced around, finally noticing Happosai had it. "This one's even prettier than the other one. I like red much better than blue."

"Hey, give it back! We need that!"

Happosai picked up the other urn, and tucked both under his arms. They were not particularly large, maybe a foot tall, but in comparison to Happosai they were huge, and he had to hold them a bit awkwardly. He still handled them easily as he took off bounding across the field. "Catch me if you can! Now I have two containers for my lovely panty collection!"

"Come back here, you old goat!" Ranma yelled. "I need that!" With that, the ponytailed girl took off after Happosai, with her redheaded sister right behind her. Kuno followed, shouting that if his love wanted those urns, the mighty Blue Thunder would win them for her, along with her heart. Kodachi then cackled madly, pulled out a new ribbon, and trailed along after.

Akane forced herself to her feet. "No rest for the weary," she muttered to herself, and followed the procession heading back for the Kuno home.

The chase ended in the Kuno bathhouse, where Happosai leaped from rock to rock across the hot spring. Ranma followed after, but slipped on one of the stones and flailed her arms, to keep her balance. She righted herself, but Ukyo was hit by an arm and fell, even as Ranma leaped onward. Ukyo fell in the water with a splash.

Sitting up in the artificial pool, shaking the water out of her once again brown hair, Ukyo growled at Happosai. "You old letch! What is wrong with you? Do you have to cause trouble everywhere you go?"

"What a way to talk to your master!" Happosai said with a grin. "I'm just trying to have a little fun. You should give me these urns to keep my pretties in! It's a suitable gift for your master."

He then bumped into Akane, who caught the urns as he dropped them. She knelt down in front of him. "Grandfather, if you want them, we'll be happy to give them to you. But right now, Ranma needs them. All we need to do is use them once, and then you can have them back. In fact, there's a third urn, and you can have that one, too, once we find it. Is that all right?"

"Oh, I suppose that's okay." Happosai looked disappointed, but then looked up at Akane with big, innocent eyes. "You promise you'll let me have them?"

When Akane nodded, he leaped at her chest. "That's the way to treat an old man, my little Akane!" Akane drew back, a little unsure of what to do with her hands occupied holding the urns, but then Ranma stomped him into the ground.

Kuno then wrapped his arms around Ranma. "That's showing that old reprobate, my loves!" he said, apparently unaware that Ukyo had returned to her normal form just behind him. "Come; let us away to my room where you may both confess your love for me!"

"Come off it, Kuno! Let me go!" Ranma slammed her fist into Kuno's face again, then grabbed Akane's arm and took off running with her. Kuno followed, crying out for his loves to wait for him.

Ukyo shook her head. She smoothed out the now soaked cloth of her undershirt, and then turned to see if Shampoo and Ryoga had managed to follow them as well. As she did, she looked into the wide, shocked eyes of Kodachi. The noble girl was just staring at her, her face pale.

"Oh." From the look on Kodachi's face, she had clearly seen the transformation. "I suppose I should explain..."

"Ukyo... Kuonji?" Kodachi said slowly. "But... but you were... Ranko Tendo... and then..."

Ukyo gave a heavy sigh. "That's right. It's a curse. There is no Ranko Tendo. It's been me, all along."

Kodachi stepped closer to her, staring into her aquamarine eyes, searching. "So my brother has been right all along? My Ranma darling has placed you under some sort of... spell?"

Ukyo's eyes narrowed. "It's not Ranchan's fault! This isn't a spell, it's a curse. I picked it up in China, while I was travelling with Ranma and his father. I fell into a magical spring, and it turned me into... well, that red haired girl.

"I don't have any control over the curse. It happens whenever I am hit with cold water, like in your pond outside. Hot water, like here," she pointed at the disguised furo, "turns me back. It happens whether I want it to or not."

Kodachi walked over to a shower head, concealed in an artificial tree, and filled a bucket that had been sitting nearby. Understanding, Ukyo took the bucket, and poured it over herself. She shrank down, into her redheaded form. Kodachi's eyes widened again, as she saw the transformation for the second time.

She looked up, as a commotion from outside drew their attention to Ranma's voice, screaming for Kuno to leave her alone. She looked back into Ukyo's eyes.

Kodachi swallowed. "And my Ranma darling... is he... cursed... as well?"

Ukyo nodded, hanging her head. "He fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl with me. He turns into me."

There as a long moment, while Kodachi stood, as still as a statue. Then she blinked. "So... if I were to continue to court my Ranma... darling..." Ukyo noticed the hesitation in her usual name for him. "I would... have to be involved... half of the time..." She looked up and met Ukyo's eyes. "With you."

Although she was sorely tempted to let a smile slip across her face, Ukyo kept her expression neutral. "In short... yeah."

She blinked again. "And Akane Tendo is aware of this curse? Of course she must be. She was discussing it with that Amazon." She looked thoughtful. "They are seeking Ranma's cure."

"That's right. There's no guarantee it'll work, though." She certainly didn't want to encourage Kodachi, and it still wasn't certain that they would find the third urn.

"And the Tendo girl is... okay with this?" Kodachi was looking into her eyes again.

Ukyo blushed. "Akane is uncomfortable with it... and so am I." She looked down. "But we both want Ranma to be happy."

Kodachi drew herself up. "Well," she said, as if coming to a realization. "It may be enough for a common girl like that to be... involved in such... an affair... but it would be far too much of a scandal for a lady of the noble house of Kuno to be in a relationship with another woman. It simply cannot be done."

She looked back at Kodachi, raising an arm to her brow in an exaggerated gesture of grief. "You may tell your brother that I am afraid it cannot work out between us. I am SURE his heart will be broken, as mine is, but with time, the ache will pass. He will have to endure that... we cannot be together."

"I'm sure he'll find a way to carry on," Ukyo said dryly.

Kodachi lowered her arm, her expression a bit more serious. "And you can tell Akane Tendo that I will no longer pursue Ranma, or oppose her claim to him. I wish her... luck." She bit her lip, looking somehow hurt, despite her discomfort.

In the silence, both girls realized they could still hear Ranma arguing with Kuno, as the kendoist continued to declare his undying love. A sly grin spread across Kodachi's face. "My brother... he is not aware of the curse, is he?"

Ukyo shrugged, spreading her arms wide. "We've TRIED to explain it to him, but he doesn't get it. He has his own idea about what's going on, and refuses to see anything else. I just decided to go along with it."

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Strangely, Kodachi's laugh was throaty, and held a bit less of her usual hint of madness. "This is rich! No wonder my brother does not see the truth! There is no way he would admit to himself that half the time, the woman he is in pursuit of is actually a man!"

Despite herself, Ukyo smiled as well. "He does seem to be in a bit of denial, doesn't he?"

"I'll say." She laughed again. "And even more amusing, we were BOTH pursuing him. At least in my case, I was pursing the real man, and not the illusion!"

"Well," Ukyo commented, "at least I am real, half the time. Not that I'm interested in your brother." She paused a moment, then bit her lip. "Um... Kodachi, Ranma's curse is a secret from the school. Mine too. I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone..."

She waved a hand. "Not to worry. I have no intention of telling anyone, much less my brother. I will have too much fun teasing him about it. Your secret is safe with me."

Kodachi turned to leave the room, and Ukyo followed. As she reached the door, however, Kodachi paused.

"Kuonji... Akane Tendo says that you trained her. You are... quite skilled."

"Thank you," Ukyo said, a bit surprised.

Kodachi turned to look at her, looking uncomfortable. "Would you be willing to train me?" She asked, her voice quiet.

"Are you serious?"

"I am."

Ukyo studied her for a moment. "Anything Goes is a very strenuous Art. It's not like gymnastics. You might find it more difficult than you are used to."

"If you are willing to train me," Kodachi said, "I am willing to put in the effort."

"Okay, then I'll train you. But no more cheating."

"Oh ho ho ho ho! I do not cheat, I merely..."

"Yes, yes, I know, you fight in all fairness before the match." Ukyo still smiled, in spite of her criticism.

"Look, I know that sometimes you gotta break the rules to win. Anything Goes is based on finding whatever advantage you can to defeat your opponent, whether it's a weapon or a technique. And finding your opponent's weakness, and taking advantage of that. I can understand that, when you look at it that way, it can seem like cheating.

"But when you give your word to meet someone at a certain time and a certain place, you're there, at that time, not before, and not after. If you break your word, people come to believe that you can't be trusted, that your word is no good. The panda and the old pervert may let you get away with that, but I won't. If you're going to train with me, you're going to RESPECT your opponent."

"Respect my opponent." Kodachi looked thoughtful. "I've never had an opponent I could respect... before you... and Tendo."

She stared at Ukyo for a moment, and the girl raised an eyebrow. "I've never had a partner that I could respect before. All of the girls in my gymnastics club obey me, but they obey me because they fear me. They've never been my equal."

Kodachi fell silent, and her eyes grew wide, as if in revelation. Then she looked at Ukyo. "I've never had a friend... that I could consider my... equal... before."

Ukyo smiled at her, and then her lips slid into a confident smirk. "I'll let ya know when you're my equal, rich girl."

Kodachi laughed, brightly. It didn't sound crazy at all. "I look forward to it."

* * *

Author's Notes:

It is canon (in the manga) that Akane believes she has to breathe water while swimming, so I definitely wanted to throw that in. :) Of course, she also doesn't float very well, likely because of the extremely low fat content of her body. Then again, Ukyo would probably be in the same boat, so she would be able to teach Akane to swim, eventually. At any rate, she swims so "well" here because, as Ukyo said, all she had to do was sink. Ukyo did the actual swimming.

Of course, the big surprise of this chapter is the resolution of Kodachi's pursuit of Ranma. I've wanted to bring Kodachi back for a while, and perhaps it's funny that I brought her back only to wrap up her storyline. :D I'm like others, though, in believing that Kodachi has simply never seen the curse activate, and might accept it if faced with the truth. Just in case, though, I made sure to have her see Ukyo transform, so she would have to figure out the rest herself.


	65. Chaos in the Bathhouse

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 65

"So, where to now, Sis?" Ranma asked. They had left the Kunos behind, with Kodachi distracting her brother long enough for Akane and Ukyo to escape his amorous grasp. Shampoo and Ryoga had managed to return to human form as well, a sight that had left Kodachi somewhat stunned, even though it went right over Tatewaki's head. She recovered quickly enough, though, and when last they saw the Kuno siblings, she was teasing her brother as he hurled aspersions at Ranma's retreating back.

Happosai had disappeared as well, but no one missed him. "A thousand paces this way," Ukyo said as she studied the map. "It shouldn't be too far from here." The group had all agreed that the lanky martial artist should take over the task of leading them.

As they followed along behind Ukyo, Ryoga edged over closer to Ranma. "So, what's the first thing you're gonna do when you get cured? Me, I'm going to go out in the rain, without my umbrella. And then I'm going to walk to the nearest restaurant that serves pork. Not to eat anything, I'm just going to walk around, back and forth, in front of the door. In the rain. Without an umbrella."

Ranma chuckled. "That sounds cool. Hey, I wonder if we oughtta stop by the Cat Cafe and pick up Duck Boy. I bet he'd like to get cured, too."

Shampoo's ears perked up, but she immediately hid her reaction with a scowl. "Stupid Mousse can stay duck for all Shampoo care," she said. "Serve Mousse right for going to Jusenkyo, just because Shampoo punished there."

Akane smiled at her. "Come on, Shampoo. I'm sure he'd be happy to be cured, even if it doesn't change your feelings about him." Both Akane and Shampoo were carrying the foot tall urns, and Akane held hers hugged close to her chest.

Shampoo huffed, still turning up her nose. "Pervert Girl want to go get Mousse, Shampoo no care."

Rather than get mad, Akane's smile widened. "Is that so? Well, maybe we'll stop on the way."

"What about you, man?" Ryoga asked again. "Come on, you can't tell me you're not in as much of a hurry to get cured as I am. Not after the way you kept trying to get to the Spring before me."

"I was not trying to get to the Spring before you!" Ranma yelled back. Then he suddenly fell silent, looking at the ground. There was a long pause, while they all walked along. Then he shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe I ain't in so much of a hurry anymore."

"What are you talking about, man?" Ryoga gave him a disbelieving look, but behind him, Akane was studying Ranma's face closely. "You know you wanna get cured!"

"I don't know," Ranma's voice was quiet, almost muttered, as he looked down at the ground again. There was another pause. "I dunno if I wanna get cured when Ucchan can't get cured with me."

Ryoga looked over at Ukyo, as she glanced back at them. "Oh. Well... I guess you're right that the Spring of Drowned Man isn't going to cure her. But what about the Spring of Drowned Girl?"

"What about it?" asked Ukyo. She gave a nonchalant shrug. "The Spring of Drowned Girl cursed me. It can't cure me, if it was going to do that, it wouldn't have cursed me in the first place."

"Oh." Ryoga thought for a moment. "Well... maybe if you jump in the Spring of Drowned Man, then you'll have a curse that can be cured with the Spring of Drowned Girl."

"What, you wanna turn Ucchan inta a guy?" Ranma protested.

"Well, no!" Ryoga blushed, and then glanced over at Ukyo, his eyes travelling up and down her lithe body. Then he looked away, as he realized what he was doing. "I just thought... you know, maybe she'd prefer to have a curse that could be cured."

"My curse isn't so bad," Ukyo said. "I think I like it just fine like it is. It isn't as bad as it could be, and it could be a heck of a lot worse. I'd honestly rather not mess with it."

"Yeah, but don't you want to be cured?" Ryoga put in, obviously not believing how she could be so accepting. "Maybe you'd have to deal with being a man for a while, but..." He shrugged. "Surely you're going to want to get rid of your curse SOME day. Maybe you could just wait until you get to Jusenkyo, and change your curse then."

There was another moment of silence as Ukyo thought. Then she shook her head. "I don't want to risk it. What if jumping in some other Spring doesn't replace my curse?" She gestured at her brother. "What if I jump in the Spring of Drowned Man, and it turns me into Ranchan? I already turn into him in everything but gender. What if the Spring of Drowned Man just completes the curse?"

"Oh, wow." Akane looked concerned. "I never thought of that. What if..." She glanced at Ranma, now really worried. "What if the Spring of Drowned Man turns Ranma into a male Ukyo?"

Ranma's eyes widened as well, but Ukyo chuckled. "Nah, Ranchan used the Instant Nanniichuan, remember? It cured him. So it'll work the same for the real Spring, right Shampoo?"

Shampoo nodded. "Instant Nanniichuan made from Nanniichuan. Is one time only because so small amount, but magic cure man. Cancel all other curse."

"So I'm sure you'll be cured, Ranchan," Ukyo said. "But it might not work the same for me."

She stopped for a moment, checking her directions against the map, and then started off again. "I've been thinking about this. When you turn into a cat, you're a female cat, right Shampoo?"

"Yeah, Shampoo girl cat. Shampoo can tell that."

"That's what I thought. And Ryoga, as a pig, you're still male, aren't you?"

"I can vouch for that," Ranma put in, snickering. "As can Akane."

Akane blushed deeply, as she remembered their discovery of P-chan in Ranma's room, and how they determined that he was a boy pig. "Geez, pervert, you didn't have to remind me of that!" She hid her face behind her urn, remembering how Ranma had teased her about the way the pig was ogling Ukyo. Not to mention his snuggling up against her chest. And it suddenly occurred to her where he had gotten that mysterious bump on his head...

Ryoga was blushing just as deeply. "Yeah, you didn't have to remind her of that! Or me, for that matter!"

"Well, anyway," Ukyo continued, somewhat eager to change the subject herself. "I'm guessing the Old Man would be heard complaining a mile away if he turned into a girl panda. And Mousse seems to be a male duck. So what do you think the odds are that all four of you would just happen to fall into a Spring that matches your gender?"

"What Shield Sister mean?" Shampoo thought about the idea of turning into a male cat, and decided she didn't like that anymore than turning into a male human. The idea was disturbing either way.

"Just that you fell into the Spring of Drowned Cat. Just cat. Not the Spring of Drowned FEMALE Cat. Likewise, Ryoga did not fall in the Spring of Drowned Male Pig. The animal curses only turn you into an animal, they don't change your gender."

"Oh, I see," Akane said, lowering the urn as her embarrassment passed. "So the Spring of Drowned Girl is different. It doesn't change you into a human, it changes you into a GIRL human."

"Okay," Ranma asked "but what's your point? The Spring of Drowned Girl turned me into a human and a girl. So what?"

"Only the Spring didn't change you into just any girl. In your case, and my case, because we fell in the Spring together, it behaved differently. I turned into the girl you would have turned into if you had been alone when you fell into the Spring. And you turned into me, as if it was the Spring of Drowned... Ukyo."

"But you weren't drowned in that spring!" Ranma shuddered at the thought.

"No, but I was in it. As were you, and maybe the Spring even turned you into a girl before it switched our bodies. The thing is, it did more than just change your gender." Ukyo looked back at her brother, studying him. "It turned your hair brown, made it longer, it gave you my cute face and 'gangly' body." She laughed.

"In order to reverse that, a whole lot of things are going to have to be changed back. Ranma's hair will have to go back to its original color, his body will have to get bigger and more muscular - more than just changing him back to a man. Just about everything about him is going to have to be changed.

"The Spring of Drowned Man will apparently do that. Or, just remove all the individual curses that change everything. But will the same Spring do the same for me? Will it correct EVERYTHING about me to make me go from a short little redhead back to my cute little self, or will it just change my gender, just as it would for any girl?" She shrugged. "I just don't know."

"It's too bad we don't have any of the Instant Nanniichuan left," Akane said. "We could test it on you, see if it does change you into Ranma, or yourself as a man."

Both girls looked at Shampoo, and she blinked, and then looked apologetic. "Shampoo buy many, but Great Grandmother say send back when trick no work. Need money for Cat Cafe. Can order more, but take long time. Lucky to get first time."

"It's just a risk I'm not willing to take. I LIKE my curse the way it is." She studied her hands for a moment. "I'm taller and faster like this, but in my other form, I've got more strength. I can use the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. I've even got Ranchan's... focus and control, a little. Apparently the curse can affect personality, or at least just skills and instincts."

"I can adapt my abilities to fit the fight." She grinned. "Anything Goes. It's a perfect curse for me, and there are really no drawbacks to it. Certainly I wouldn't want to have an animal curse, and while a male form might be even stronger..." she blushed a bit. "I'm not sure I'd want to deal with some of the other changes."

Akane was studying her, now. "Are you sure? There's still the problem it causes for you at school. Having to be two different people. And I'm sure it's a hassle to be changing unexpectedly all the time."

"Yeah, but even that can be kind of fun, you know?" Ukyo grinned. "The people I really care about all know who Ranko really is, and I get to pretend to be somebody else, sometimes."

"Plus, Shield Sister cursed form very popular with boys. Guys all fight for Shield Sister, good way to find nice, strong man." Shampoo giggled.

Ukyo blushed a bit. "Well, I don't want to use my cursed body like that, really." Then she smirked. "Although it is kind of nice being a hot redhead..."

She laughed for a moment, and then glanced at Ranma, with a gentle smile. "Besides, my curse lets me feel close to Ranchan. I know it bothers you, turning into me, but I like turning into a girl-you. It's not 'you'... I don't feel like I know some things I shouldn't but... I can feel some of the things you feel about me." She cut her eyes away, her blush growing deeper.

Akane swallowed at the burst of jealousy Ukyo's words brought up in her. She could see Ranma blushing as well, but tried to force down the hurt and anxiety. I know how Ranma feels about her, she told herself, and I know how he feels about me. Nothing's going to change that. Then she took a deep breath, and wrapped her arms around her friend.

"That's something that you've got in common with Ranma," Akane said, gently, "that I could never understand. Even I could never be as close to him as that. No matter what, you'll always be his sister."

"Yeah," Ranma said, his voice just as silent. "I guess... I guess that's what I meant. Even though I hate havin' ta be you, Sis... as long as you haveta be my twin sister..." His blush grew very deep, as he looked away. "... well, I guess I can be yours."

"Thanks, guys," Ukyo said, her eyes starting to glisten with tears. Then she blinked them away. "But enough of this... we're here."

She gestured at a building in front of them. Ranma looked it over, and groaned. "Not again!"

"A public bathhouse?" Ryoga looked around. "Where is the fox statue?"

"It should be here, but it would be in the middle of the street." Ukyo looked back at the intersection. "I'm guessing it was destroyed. This is the right place, though, I'm just not 100% sure about where it's supposed to be."

Shampoo looked up at the bathhouse. "That mean we not sure of where look for urn. Could be anywhere inside."

Ukyo nodded. "Yeah. With no marker to start from, we'll have to search the whole building. Boys' and girls' side."

"Then let's get started!" Ranma said, his excitement returning despite his earlier comments. "Ryoga an' I can take the guys' side, and you three take the girls' side."

Akane put a hand on his shoulder. "Hold on. Just like last time, maybe we'd better wait. It's still early; there will be fewer people in the baths if we wait until it's closer to closing time. Plus, Shampoo can go get Mousse and bring him to help search."

Shampoo scoffed again. "Blind Mousse help search? Is too, too funny joke, Pervert Girl."

Akane did scowl a bit at the insult, this time, but quickly schooled her features. "Another guy to search the guys' side can't hurt. In the meantime, we can also drop off the urns and put them in a safe place at home. I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of carrying this one, and I'm worried about it getting broken."

Shampoo looked down at hers. "Shampoo not tired... but wouldn't want to break Airen's cure. Maybe can show to Great-Grandmother, maybe she know something? Worth try."

"Why don't we split up, and meet back here at... say, seven o'clock? School's out for the day, but that's still a couple of hours from now."

"Sounds good," Ukyo said. "And I could use a bath after swimming in the Kunos' alligator pond."

Ryoga looked uncomfortable, touching his fingertips together. "What about me? I um... can't go back to... unless you want me to go back...? Akane...?"

Akane's expression brightened as she realized what he meant, but then she turned thoughtful. Before she could decide, Shampoo spoke up.

"Angry Girl kick Pig Boy out of house, yes? Shampoo remember." She hooked her arm around Ryoga's, which caused him to jump and start blushing. "Pig Boy come with Shampoo. Shampoo make sure Pig Boy no get lost before can get him back tonight."

"That's decided, then," Ukyo said with a grin. "Meet you all back here at seven."

* * *

"Sayuri! Yuka! Over here!" Akane called out to her two friends, as she saw them approaching the bathhouse.

"What's up, Akane?" Sayuri asked, as the two girls joined the already large group. "Did you find Ranma's cure yet?"

"Almost!" Akane smiled widely. "We just have one more urn to find."

"It should be a lot easier to find it with you two helping," Ukyo put in.

"Yeah," Akane said, as she turned to her brown haired middle sister. "I'm glad you suggested it. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you helping us, Nabiki."

Ukyo eyed the slightly taller woman suspiciously, but Nabiki waved off both her concern and Akane's gratitude. "I just thought it would be fun to tag along," she said, with a note of mischief in her voice. "Especially with 'Grandfather' inviting himself."

The whole group, almost as one, turned to glare at the diminutive old man. He pouted at their expressions. "Can't an old man have some fun at the baths with his family?" he asked. He had brought along a plastic pail, which he had filled to the brim with bath toys. This only seemed all the more suspicious.

Ranma bopped him on the head. "You just wanna peek at the girls, you pervert," he said. "You weren't interested at all in helping us until we mentioned going to the baths."

"I knew you kids would find my lovely urns and bring them back to me, I'm not worried about that. But it's been so long since I've had the chance to visit the public baths..."

"You mean it's been so long since you were kicked out of the last one. Soun and the Old Man told us about how you used to get them to help you sneak into the baths, and leave them behind to deal with it after you caused trouble." Ukyo smirked at him, knowingly. "We're not going to fall for that. Ranchan's here to keep an eye on you, and Ryoga as well."

"And Mousse, once he gets here," Ranma added. He looked up at the sound of voices approaching them. "Maybe that's him now."

It was a pair of girls, however. As they drew close, Nabiki waved. "Over here, girls!"

"Nabiki?" Akane studied her, a bit like Ukyo had earlier. "You invited your friends, as well?"

"Of course." Nabiki grinned, smugly, although her face still held that cunning look that said she was planning something. "The more the merrier, right? The more eyes looking for this urn, the better."

"What are you up to?" Ukyo asked her.

Nabiki just chuckled. "You'll find out." She turned to her two friends. "Did you get what I asked for?"

They held up a couple of shopping bags. "We stopped by the department store, just like you said," one of the girls answered. "But what in the world do we need all these for?"

"Like I said, you'll find out." She took one of the bags and closed it, before Ukyo could look inside. "It'll be a lot more fun if it's a surprise."

"Yeah, right, I'm sure it will, sugar." Ukyo shook her head, and then grinned a little. "I guess we better get inside."

"Wait! Wait!" Another voice called out, as a purple haired figure ran up to them. "Shampoo here, too!"

Mousse was right behind her. The two Amazons stopped in front of the group, expanding their number to twelve. "Shampoo have important gift from Great-Grandmother", she said, reaching into her silk blouse. She pulled out a handful of small crystals. "These help us find urn."

She began passing out the crystals, six of them, three to Ranma, Ryoga and Mousse, and two to Akane and Ukyo. She kept the last for herself. "Great-Grandmother say, could be anywhere in bathhouse, even buried underground. So this help find. When near urn, will move towards it."

"Think of it like a metal detector," Mousse said. "Only, the Old Ghoul made them react to the exact composition of the ceramic of the urns. If you pass it over a wall or the ground and the urn is there, you should feel a subtle tug as the crystal is drawn to it. It only has a range of a few feet, though, so we're still going to have to search the whole bathhouse by hand."

"Yes, but this should really make things easier for us!" Akane beamed at him. "Cologne is really trying to help us, huh?"

"Great-Grandmother happy to help Shampoo Airen to get cure!" Shampoo said, just as cheerfully. Then she looked a little confused as she glanced at Nabiki and her friends. "Shampoo not know Airen get so many others to help, though. Great-Grandmother only have time to make six crystals."

"That's all right, Shampoo," Nabiki said. "We're here mainly to relax and have some fun. We'll try to help if we can, but I'm sure you don't need us."

"True," Sayuri said. Then she gave Ryoga a mischievous look of her own. "At least these two human wrecking machines won't have to tear up the floor this time to find it."

Ranma protested, but Ryoga just looked embarrassed and stared at the floor. Akane good-naturedly elbowed him in the side. Ukyo then spoke up, tossing up her crystal to catch it in her fist. "Well, with these things I'm sure we'll find the urn in no time, and then we can all just enjoy the baths."

The group headed inside, where the boys separated from the girls to go to their side of the baths. Ranma, Ryoga and Mousse began to undress in the changing room, while looking around for some sign of the urn.

"Do you think we should just split up and look for it?" Ryoga asked.

"Okay," Ranma agreed, "but Mousse, stay close to Ryoga and make sure he doesn't wander off. I'll keep an eye on the old pervert."

Ryoga scowled. "I'm not going to get lost while still in the same room with you!"

"I wouldn't put it past you, Pig Boy. Anyway, I need to keep an eye on Happosai and make sure he doesn't sneak off."

"I'm hurt, my boy," Happosai said. "Is that any way to talk to your Master?"

"You ain't my Master! And I ain't lettin' you outta my sight!"

Ryoga and Mousse circled around the room on one side, while Ranma stayed close to Happosai, checking the walls on the other side. There was no sign of the urn, so he followed the old man into the bathing room. There, Happosai sat down and started taking out his toys. He was immediately surrounded by children, and he smiled happily as he passed the toys out to them.

"Huh," Ranma commented, watching the old man. He genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself. "The old freak seems to really like kids. Who woulda known?"

After a while, he got bored with watching Happosai entertain the children, and finished his inspection of the room. Once again, there was no sign of movement from the crystal. Mousse and Ryoga had started to wash themselves off, to get ready for a soak in the hot pool, so Ranma sat down and did the same.

Happosai quickly ran off to the bathing pool, so Ranma was forced to cut his scrub short and run after him. He had retained one item from his collection of toys, a snorkel. Sure enough, as he dived into the water, he submerged under the surface. Ranma guessed he was going to duck under the divider that separated the men's side of the pool from the girls', on the opposite side of the bathhouse. Thankful that the water was hot, he jumped in and grappled Happosai, sticking his thumb in the snorkel so the old man would have to come up for air.

"What are you doing, Ranma?" Happosai exclaimed, his expression innocent. "Can't an old man have some fun?"

"Yeah, right. You have your fun right here on this side of the wall, old man."

At that moment, there were a few catcalls from the men around him, and Ranma looked around to see what was going on. He glanced up, and saw Nabiki above them, leaning over the divider between the men and women's side. Although she was clearly nude, the way she perched there with her arms folded over the divider blocked any view of her chest.

She could see the men quite clearly, though, and quite a few of them shrieked and jumped to cover themselves. Although a few didn't seem to mind. "Are you keeping an eye on that old man for us, Ranma?" Nabiki asked.

"Nabiki, come down from there!" Akane's voice could be heard from the other side of the divider, although she couldn't be seen. Ranma shook his head to clear away that thought, as well as the image of her chest clad in a white, lacy bra.

Happosai noticed his expression. "Come on, my boy. If Nabiki's over there, that means Akane is as well. Don't you want you want to see Akane?"

"That uncute tomboy?" Ranma shot back. He couldn't fight a grin, though, as he projected his voice a little louder to make sure she heard. "I wouldn't stare at that tomboy's flat chest - even if she was standin' right in front of me. She ain't got nothin' I want to see. Ain't that right, Akane?"

Akane's angry voice came back from the other side of the divider. "Yeah, well if I ever caught you ogling me, I'd punch your lights out, baka! I certainly wouldn't want some pervert staring at my body... or telling me how cute I am, in a pair of gym shorts, and a shirt with a broken button."

"As if anyone would ever say that to you! Someone would have to be a pervert to call a girl like you pretty."

"Well, it's a good thing you're a pervert, then."

"Yeah... wait! No! I ain't no pervert!"

Akane broke out into giggles. Nabiki looked down at her, grinning herself. She dropped down next to her sister. "This little act of yours is getting more and more obvious by the minute, Akane," she said.

"What act?" Akane said, but then she noticed Ukyo, Sayuri and Yuka giving her that same, knowing look. She blushed, deeply. "Honestly, Nabiki," she said, to change the subject. "You're shameless. Peeking at all the boys like that. You'll never catch me doing that."

"Are you sure?" Nabiki's cunning smirk widened considerably. "You don't even want to take a little peek at Ranma?"

"WHAT?" Akane looked up, her eyes going wide. The blush even spread down her chest. "No! There's no way I'd... I'd... want to peek at an arrogant baka like him!"

"That's what I said!" Ranma's voice came back, over the divider. "But I bet you do wanna peek at me. I'm so handsome, after all..."

"I DO NOT!"

"Shampoo want to peek at Airen!" Shampoo cried out, excitedly. With that, she leaped up at the divider, but Akane tackled her and the two of them fell back into the water with a splash.

"Happosai wants Shampoo to peek at her Airen, too!" Happosai yelled back.

Ranma bopped him on the head again. "Shut up, you old freak, you're not helping!"

"Don't you want to see lovely Shampoo up there?"

"Raaan-ma!" Akane called out, her voice dangerous.

Ranma swallowed. "All these other men will see her!" he countered. "She shouldn't do that!"

"Oh, but it's all right if they all see me, huh?" Akane growled.

"We don't mind," said one of the men who had whistled at Nabiki. Ranma shot him a dirty look.

Shampoo leaped up on the divider. "Airen! Airen! Hello!" She waved, and in so doing, exposed a lot more than Nabiki had. A hush fell over the men's side of the bathing pool, as she continued her exuberant greeting to her Airen.

"Don't you dare look, you baka!" Akane said, jumping up next to the Amazon. She hurled a rinse bucket at Ranma, and it bounced off of his head. Then she shoved Shampoo down off the divider.

Happosai waved back at her. "Little Akane! I certainly think you're pretty!"

Akane turned to glare at him, but then it sank in that she was looking down at a room full of naked men. She turned significantly redder than before, her mouth falling open in shock. She fell backwards off of the divider, splashing down into the pool on the girls' side. There was a moment where everyone just stared at the bubbles rising to the surface where she had fallen, wondering if she had hit her head. Then Sayuri and Yuka frantically leaped to pull her out of the water. When they finally sat her up, Akane had both hands over her eyes.

"Well, that answers that question," Nabiki said.

Ukyo then called out from back in the wash portion of the gigantic room. She was facing one of the tiled walls, where it was lined with faucets, for the bathers to use to fill their wash buckets. "I think I found it!" she said, pointing at the wall. "The crystal's reacting!"

Akane hurried over to join her. When she held her own crystal up to the wall, she felt it dip, and try to rotate in her hands. She moved the crystal down somewhat, and it seemed to react more strongly. "It seems like it's in the wall here. Or maybe under the floor behind this wall."

"Yeah, but there's too many people here for us to bust up the wall looking for it. Let's wait a little longer."

The two girls headed back for the hot tubs, but a commotion started up from the other side of the divider. There was the sound of thumping and banging, and then Ranma's voice. "Cut it out, old man! I never got the chance to wash up good last time, so quit trying to go over to the girl's side!"

Ranma was sitting in a stool in the wash area, with a foot on the old man's back. He struggled to escape. "How dare you do this to your Master!"

Ryoga walked by, and Ranma grabbed his arm. The Lost Boy had a towel wrapped around his waist, and was holding out his crystal as if expecting it to guide him. "Hey, help me keep an eye on this pervert so I can finish washing up."

"I'm still looking for the urn!" Ryoga complained. "I've lost Mousse, and I can't even find my way out of the changing room!"

"You are outta the changing room!" Ranma snapped back, "And the girls just found the urn, didn't ya hear 'em?"

Happosai suddenly leaped free of Ranma's foot, and landed on top of the faucet next to the stall Ranma was sitting in. Sticking his hand under the faucet to block it, he turned on the faucet, spraying water everywhere. Both Ranma and Ryoga leaped aside, the water missing them by mere inches.

"Hey! You're tryin' to turn me inta a girl, ain't ya?" Ranma cried out.

"It serves you right, for treating your Master so," Happosai said. "If you won't let me go see the pretty ladies, I'll bring one here."

"You can't do that!" Ryoga protested. "Ukyo'll... I mean... in Ukyo's body, Ranma will..." He began to blush, and would have developed a nosebleed, if he hadn't been distracted by Happosai directing a spray of water at him. He ducked, not wanting to turn into his own pig form.

"Cut it out!" Ranma evaded the water as he darted in to grab Happosai. He leaped to another faucet and turned it on, then another, forcing Ranma to twist and turn around the bursts of water. Finally, he seemed to miss, the stream shooting right past Ranma's shoulder. "Gotcha, old man!" Ranma said with a grin, as he grabbed at him.

"That's what you think!" He flung a bar of soap at Ranma's face, blinding him long enough to hop over his head. Then he grabbed a wash bucket, which had been filled by his diverted jet of water. He tossed it over Ranma, catching the pigtailed boy off guard as he turned to continue the chase.

"Damn you, old man!" Ranma wrapped his arms around his chest, knowing it was too late to try and run. The change was already starting. Then Ryoga slammed into him from behind, wrapping his own arms around Ranma's torso. The two boys fell to the tiled floor.

There was a moment where Ryoga lay still, feeling Ranma's body shrink underneath him. Then, realizing the compromising position the two of them were in, Ryoga lifted Ranma up, and shoved them both against the wall. Ranma grunted a little, her voice in the higher register of her female form, as her chest hit the cold tiles.

Ranma then turned, her blue-green eyes seething, to look Ryoga in the face. "You can get your hand off my breast now," she said, through clenched teeth.

"Oh! Sorry!" Ryoga lifted his hand from Ranma's chest. He otherwise remained where he was, pinning Ranma against the wall. He knew that even though her hair had gotten longer, Ranma still looked about the same height. So as long as he was blocking the view of her upper body, hopefully none of the other men in the room would realize that she was now a girl.

Unfortunately, Ryoga wasn't thinking of the other implications. "Can two men really do that in a public bath?" One of the men asked. "That's disgusting!"

Ryoga's blush grew deeper than Ranma's, while the boy turned girl started to turn green. Ranma shifted uncomfortably, obviously bothered by the feeling of Ryoga's body pressed against hers. Ryoga stepped back a bit, still blocking everyone's view, but no longer touching Ranma. He tried not to think about that it was Ukyo's body he had been pressing against. Or that, astonishingly enough, he HAD been thinking about that.

"Um... Uh... I'll make you pay for getting soap in my eyes, Ranma, you jerk!" Ryoga yelled, hoping this was enough explanation to cover his dubious actions. "Ranma, prepare to die!" It was a familiar enough phrase, and he was able to deliver it with feeling.

He yanked Ranma away from the wall, pulling the towel from around his waist to drape it in front of her. He then dragged her back to the bathing pool. He kept his own body between Ranma and the men in the bath, while holding the towel against her chest and crotch, to block the view of those still in the washroom. Finally, he fell backwards into the water, pulling Ranma back with him. They fell into the hot water, and Ryoga felt Ranma's body begin to expand again.

After a few seconds Ranma was once again male. He socked Ryoga as hard as he could across the head. "What's the big idea, Pork Butt?"

Ryoga decided to keep up his act, and so punched Ranma back. "You've made my life Hell, Ranma! Squirting me in the face with soap is only the latest in your crimes! I must have justice!" Ryoga couldn't help the grin that spread over his face. It sounded good in his head, but man that sounded silly.

Reluctantly, Ranma began to smile as well. "Moron." He slugged Ryoga again, and then lowered his voice. "But thanks."

They both looked up, at the sound of screams from the women's side of the divider. "Oh, Geez," Ranma growled. "The old man's gotten away."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I'm sorry for the long delay on this chapter, but as some of you may have already noticed, I have been working on a cover for this story. Those who have not noticed, check out my profile page, for a full size image of the little picture on this page. It took me about two weeks to draw the picture, then another week until I was happy with the black and white version. Although at first I didn't think I was going to attempt a color version, after I did just the flat colors, I decided I liked it enough to post it.

I will probably keep this color version as the image I use here on FFnet, as it works well shrunk down to such a small size. Details like shading would probably be lost. I've got a friend who's done a commission for me in the past to work on cleaning it up and coloring it, though, and that will probably be the "official" cover, with a title and such.

If the cover looks good enough, I may take a shot at actually doing a manga-style webcomic, or at least, the first chapter. I don't plan to try THAT though, until I'm close enough to being finished that it can't interfere any more with my writing schedule. :D

Reviews of the image, along with this chapter, will be appreciated. I'm still trying to decide between the pose I use here and the "alternate" version, so if you want to let me know which you prefer there, I'd like input on that as well. I think I'm currently going with Akane standing for the "official" cover, but I could go either way.


	66. Happosai Foiled Again

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 66

"Hotcha!" Happosai shouted happily, as he bounded over the divider, towards the bevy of naked beauties on the women's' side of the bath. The air filled with shrieks, as well as a veritable rain of bars of soap, washbasins, towels, bath brushes, and anything else the girls could throw at him. Happosai dodged the missiles easily, laughing gleefully as he headed for the closest and most attractive of the bare chests that were lined up before him.

Before he could reach the hapless girl, he felt himself draw up short. A hand grabbed him out of midair, and stopped him dead. "Oh, no you don't," a female voice said, her tone irritated. "You didn't actually think you could come over here without a fight, did ya?"

Happosai brightened as he recognized the voice. He turned in her grip, reaching out to grasp at the bounty that he expected to be presented for his groping pleasure. "Ah, my lovely student Ukyo!" he cried. "What a wonderful way to greet your master! I'm sure that your beauty is..."

He fell silent, as he realized there was a pale yellow shirt between his hands and the bare flesh he had thought he would see. He still reached out anyway, but Ukyo was holding him far enough away from her chest that he couldn't reach.

"Sorry, 'sensei'," Ukyo said with a wry grin. "But we expected you'd get away from Ranchan."

"That's why Nabiki suggested we bring swimsuits," said Akane, coming up beside her friend. She was wearing a demure one piece bathing suit, pink with stripes on it. Ukyo was wearing a pair of cutoff shorts, as apparently she didn't have a bathing suit. The yellow shirt was one of her gym shirts, hanging loosely over her wiry frame. She had obviously thrown it on quickly, as it was wet from her skin, but was not soaked, so she hadn't been wearing it in the bath.

Happosai pouted, kicking his feet as Ukyo continued to hold him up in the air. "That's not fair, taking away an old man's fun. Why do you girls have to be so mean?"

"If you hate that," Nabiki said, "You're going to be really upset when you hear the rest of my idea."

Unlike her modest younger sister, Nabiki was wearing a more daring black outfit. She turned to gesture at Yuka and Sayuri, who were wearing bikinis as well. They were holding one of the shopping bags that Nabiki's friends had brought, and a line of naked women had formed in front of them, all blushing and covering up their chests as they glared back at Happosai.

"Step right up, girls! Bikini rentals, only 500 yen for an hour! Just the thing when perverted old men are on the prowl. We've got all sizes so don't be shy! And don't worry about paying us now, just drop them off with our friends in the changing room, and they'll pick up the fee."

Happosai's eyes had brightened at the sight of Nabiki in her bikini, but now he just hung his head. "Fine," he muttered. "I know when I'm not wanted..."

"Good," Ukyo said, with a bright smile, which quickly turned to a scowl. "SO STAY ON THE GUYS' SIDE!" With that, she kicked him over the divider.

There was a moment of silence, and then she spoke again. "Ranchan, you okay over there?" She had heard his male voice, so knew he'd somehow managed to change back, but she could tell that he had transformed into her body, at least for a moment.

"Yeah, now. Ryoga... um... took care of it."

"That's good. Hey, Ranchan, why don't you come over here?"

"WHAT?" Ranma almost screamed, he was so startled.

"We've all got bathing suits on over here, so why don't you watch out for Happosai on this side. That way you can be ready for him if he comes over here, and there won't be any more accidents."

Ukyo paused a moment. "Ryoga, you can keep an eye on Happosai over there, can't you?"

There was a quiet silence, and then Ryoga's voice came back across the divider. "Well, as long as there aren't any... 'accidents'... with me. But I can let you know if he starts trying to go over there."

"Sounds good," Ukyo said with a smile. "Ranchan, why don't you meet me at the door to the women's changing room?"

"The women's... are you sure?"

"Don't worry about it Ranchan, that's why I said to meet me at the door. I'll be waiting for you there."

A few minutes later, Ranma met Ukyo at the door to the changing room. He was wearing the towel, but nothing else. Ukyo grinned a bit as she sized him up, but then grabbed his arm. "Close your eyes, Ranma, and I'll lead you through the room."

"Okay." Hesitantly, Ranma let Ukyo lead him through the changing room. The girls there cried out in surprise as Ukyo brought a man in, but she just waved a hand to calm them down.

"He's not looking," she said. "And our friends have got bathing suits for everyone. We recommend you wear them until this situation has been dealt with." She pointed at Nabiki's two friends, who had the second of the two shopping bags, and were handing out bikinis for the girls going into the baths.

Once she had led Ranma into the actual bathing room, the girls were all wearing bathing suits. "Okay, Ranchan, you can open your eyes now."

She turned to the women, who were all eyeing the two of them suspiciously. "This is my brother, Ranma. He's going to be watching for that old pervert to make sure he doesn't come back here. Just think of him as a lifeguard. He'll be over in the bath portion of the room, so if you want to take off your bikini while you bathe, you can just use the stalls on the far side of the room."

Several of the girls, since they didn't have to worry about being embarrassed themselves, had begun to eye Ranma hungrily. Ukyo looked down at his towel as well. "As for you, Ranchan, we're going to have to get you a bathing suit too."

Ranma turned beet red, and crossed his hands in front of himself. He noticed Nabiki had started snickering, and Shampoo was also watching him intently. Akane was merely blushing and averting her eyes. "I... um... I ain't got no bathing suit."

"Not a problem," Ukyo said, with a grin. "I made sure to bring two." She held up another pair of cutoff shorts, an exact match to the ones she was wearing.

She handed the shorts to Ranma, and pushed him against the wall. Then she turned her back to him, spreading her arms to block the view of the other girls. "All right, let's give Ranma a chance to change now." Reluctantly, the girls looked away while Ranma turned his back to change into the shorts. Shampoo and Nabiki both had to be forced to look away, by Akane. There was splashing and complaining from the two girls, as Akane dragged them into the bath.

After a moment, Ranma turned around, still blushing. "It don't fit. It feels like it's gonna fall down."

Ukyo grinned again. "That's because it's one of mine, Bro. It's sized for my wider hips. Here." She pulled off her shirt, revealing that she was wearing a red bikini top underneath it. Then she wrapped the shirt around Ranma's waist, passing the ends of it through a couple of the belt loops in the shorts. She tied the shirt off tightly, cinching it up against his body.

Then she leaned in close to his ear. "Now, if you get turned into me, you can just pull the shirt out and put it on real fast. You can cover up your chest, and no one will know you're not me, since we're wearing the same thing."

Ranma snickered. "Good thinkin', Sis."

"I figured you'd appreciate being over here, where Happosai can't splash you, more than being over there," she said. "But even if you do get splashed, we've gotcha covered."

Reluctantly, Ranma followed his sister as she led him over to the bath. He became a little more comfortable when Akane shot him a timid, but grateful smile. She didn't even hit him when Shampoo leaped at him, crying out "Airen!", and dragged him bodily into the water. Akane just quietly sat down on Ranma's other side, taking his arm in hers. Although the blush on her face threatened to turn her as pink as her bathing suit. She couldn't look Ranma in the eye, but still seemed happy just to sit at his side.

Nabiki noticed her expression. "Well, isn't this cozy?" she said with a grin, as Ranma looked from Akane to Shampoo, obviously confused.

"Sorry to ruin all your excitement, Nabiki," Ukyo said with a grin of her own. "But I couldn't leave Ranchan over there to get splashed with cold water. You understand."

"Of course, of course. A girl's got to protect her reputation. Actually, I'm surprised Pig Boy had it in him." Ukyo glanced up, shocked that Nabiki had guessed Ryoga's secret, but she just smirked in return. "I guess he's not carrying such a grudge against you anymore."

Ukyo looked thoughtful. "It was nice of him, especially considering... what's happened. I guess I should let him know I appreciate that he was looking out for Ranchan. And me."

"I suspect that the fun isn't over yet." Nabiki glanced at Shampoo and Akane as she said this, but for the moment, things seemed calm. Ranma had even leaned back to stretch out in the hot water, although he was still warily eyeing the two girls to either side of him. Despite his concern, Akane seemed to be totally relaxed, and had even closed her eyes.

"When we get urn out of wall?" Shampoo asked. She was leaning against Ranma, but looking past him at Akane, watching her carefully. Like the others, she was wearing a bathing suit, as racy as Nabiki's, but apparently she was no more interested in being ogled by Happosai than the rest of them.

Akane didn't open her eyes. "We've got plenty of time. We should just relax and enjoy the bath for a while, while we can."

Shampoo cocked her head at her, clearly surprised at her rival's attitude. Akane's calm tone seemed to reassure her as well, though, and she shrugged and settled back in the water. Ranma studied her for a bit longer. He had felt Akane's grip tighten on his arm, for just a moment, when Shampoo spoke. But she had given no other outward sign of any discomfort. As far as Shampoo could tell, and everyone else, Ranma guessed, Akane appeared perfectly at ease, outside of the hint of pink that would not leave her cheeks.

She must know what she's doing, Ranma thought, as he leaned back in the water again. Indeed, the peace lasted a good five or ten minutes, before a commotion started up once again, on the other side of the wall. Ryoga's voice could be heard, arguing with the old pervert.

"Come back here! How dare you trick me and try to lose me in the bathroom! Happosai, prepare to die!"

Ranma snickered at the Lost Boy's familiar battle cry, finally directed at someone else for a change. Then he frowned, at the sound of crashing and banging, and splashes of water being thrown around. Sure enough, after a few seconds, Ryoga's shouts turned into high pitched squeals of "Bwee! Bwee!"

Akane opened her eyes. "Well, might as well get ready," she said. "Looks like he's on his way back."

Sure enough, the old pervert bounded over the divider, his plastic bucket in his hand. Akane stepped out of the bath, followed by Ranma and Ukyo. Shampoo came up on Ranma's other side, trying to take his arm, but he waved her back. He then took a step forward, with Ukyo, both of them confronting their "master".

"You've ruined my fun for the last time, Ranma!" Happosai said, petulantly. With that, he began to pull bath toys from the pail and pelt Ranma with them. Ranma and Ukyo leaped at him, and he jumped aside.

The old pervert was able to avoid two attackers easily, but as Akane and Shampoo jumped into the fray, things got a bit more complicated. He began to weave around the stalls of the bath, goosing the girls and making them scream as he passed. Most of the girls were either in bathing suits or rapidly putting them back on, but his groping still made the girls angry. And Ranma and Ukyo ended up having to dodge the objects they were throwing at him.

Happosai paused a moment at a faucet to fill up his pail, then flung the water at his pursuers. He missed with the first try, but on the second he caught Ukyo. She transformed into her redheaded form, her thrown together bathing suit still fitting her even in her more petite body. As she had mentioned before, the bikini top still fit her narrower chest, it just covered considerably less of her more ample bosom.

She dropped back as she took a moment to make sure her top hadn't shifted and revealed anything. As she did, Happosai threw another pail of water at Ranma. He dodged it, tripping over Shampoo, who grabbed Ranma and tried to cushion his fall. The water hit the Amazon, and within moments, the bathing room was filled with ear splitting screams, as the black haired boy tried to pry the white and purple cat off of his face.

Akane grabbed Shampoo and pulled her off of Ranma. She then flung the cat into the bathing pool, where she landed with a plunk. Seconds later, Shampoo surfaced in the hot water, once again stark naked. She cursed under her breath as she headed for the edge of the tub. "Stupid old man. Shampoo ki-" As she stepped out onto the tiled floor, her bikini hit her in the face. She flailed, and fell back into the water.

The battle still raged, with Happosai continuing his earlier attempts to catch Ranma in the spray from the showers. This time he succeeded, but it didn't stop Ranma, as she continued her charge. Happosai dodged aside, but Ranma managed to catch him with her elbow, which sent his plastic pail spinning out of his hand. Ranma's momentum carried her into the shower stall, where the pail hit the ground and then bounced up, just as Ranma slammed it into the tiled wall.

"My pail!" Happosai cried out, the fight suddenly forgotten. Ranma turned around, even as she swatted at the pail, to get it out of her way. It hit the floor, broken. The impact had cracked it, and there was now a jagged tear in the plastic.

"That was my favorite," Happosai said, his voice surprisingly sad and sorrowful. "I've had it for years..." He knelt down next to the object, gathering it gently in his hands as if it were some kind of precious artifact.

"What are you on about?" Ranma snorted, apparently not impressed by the old man's childishness. "It's just a pail."

Akane and Ukyo came up behind him, more sympathetic, but still confused by his reaction. "Yeah, don't worry, Grandfather," Akane said kindly. "We can get you a new one."

Happosai glanced up at them. Unexpectedly, his eyes seemed to be filled with tears. "This is the last straw. Such insolence, against your own master. You must be punished!"

"Whoa, whoa now!" Ukyo put in, raising her hands as she backed away. "You've smashed things that belong to other people before." Her eyes narrowed. "Don't be getting all upset because somebody smashed somethin' of yours!"

"These are children's toys!" Happosai protested, waving his hand at them. "You should have more concern for such things! I would never harm something so precious..." His eyes suddenly grew big, and he clasped his hands in silent prayer. "Like a beautiful bra or a lovely pair of panties." He glared at them again. "You've got to be more careful!"

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Geez. Wouldn't ya know he'd have a code of honor about useless junk."

"More like a fetish," Ukyo muttered. She pulled Ranma back to stand beside her, and Akane moved to her other side. "Okay, old man. You want to punish us? Fine, whatcha got?"

"Only the Ultimate Attack of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts!" Happosai announced, grandly. He took a wide-legged stance opposite the three teenagers. "And you'll be the first ones I've used this on in years."

"Oo, secret techniques," Nabiki said brightly. She was watching from the bathing pool. Shampoo considered whether to get out of the pool herself, but finally just settled back in the water to watch.

Ranma put out an arm, to shield her sister and Akane. "Akane," she said. "You'd better..."

"We're ready, Ranchan," Ukyo put in, before Akane could voice her own protest. They had both fallen into their stances, set to block or dodge whatever Happosai was planning. "Let's just see what he's gonna do."

The old master brought his hands together, and a battle aura began to build around his body. Unlike the previous time he had used his battle aura for a technique, when he made himself grow in size, his aura was not blasting forcefully away from him. This time, it wafted gently up from him, like a flame of blue light. He drew it into his hands, as he moved them around in the field.

"You three wouldn't be so smug if you knew the power of this Ultimate Attack," he warned them. "You should ask your fathers about it some time. They got to see the last time I used it. They would know to be afraid of it."

"Yeah, yeah, come on, show us," Ranma said, impatiently. "Are ya gonna talk about it, or do it?"

"Very well! Happo... Fire... BURST!"

He drew back his leg and made a casting motion. As he brought his leg back forward, his aura flared in his hands and shot forward. But then, there was a coughing noise, and it spit out a puff of smoke. The small blue puff floated upwards, towards Ranma and the others, until she stuck a finger in it. It then dissipated.

"Was that it?" Ranma grumped.

"No, no. Wait a minute." Happosai looked down at his hands. Then he began the stepping back and pitching motion again. Nothing happened. He tried it a few more times. Then he stood for a moment, silent.

"I forgot how to do it."

"You forgot!" Ukyo shook her head. "Well that was a waste of time!"

"Wait, wait! I remember now, I wrote it on a scroll somewhere. But I've forgotten where." He scratched his head. "Maybe your fathers remember."

"Maybe," Akane said. She kneeled in front of him. "In the meantime, can we buy you another pail?"

"Sure!" Happosai brightened. "You're always so kind to me, Little Akane!" With that, he leaped at her chest, but she just pounded him into the floor.

At that moment, there was a voice from behind them. "All right, what's going on here?"

They all turned to see a man in a janitor's uniform standing in the room. The other girls in the bathing room all squealed and headed for the door. The man was apparently part of the bathhouse staff, though, as he looked quite unhappy.

Ukyo stood up. She then elbowed her 'sister' in the side. "Put your shirt on!" she hissed at Ranma. Ranma glanced down, realizing she was topless, and quickly pulled the shirt from around her waist and put it on.

"Sorry about all the commotion, but our Grandfather here is a bit of a handful. We'll take him back over to the men's side, where we have some friends who are keeping an eye on him."

The man frowned. "Well, I'm sorry to have to say this, but you are all causing too much trouble here. You are disturbing our patrons, and not allowing them to bathe in privacy." He glanced around at the few remaining girls in the bath, all still wearing their bathing suits.

"It just seemed like the best way to deal with the problem," Ukyo said. "We won't be more than another hour, and then we'll leave peacefully. If Grandfather causes any more trouble, we'll just get our friends to take him home." She glared at Happosai as she said this, and he looked sheepish, and kicked at the ground with his toe.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that. The management has asked me to ask you to leave. If you won't leave, we'll have to throw you out."

Happosai stepped up to Ranma. "Don't let him push you around, boy," he whispered. "Don't give in to them, put up a fight!"

Ukyo kicked him in the stomach. Then she stood back up, smiling, as Ranma grabbed the old man and punched him. "We won't cause any more trouble," she said brightly. "We just need a few minutes to gather up our things. Can we have... say... thirty minutes?"

The man shook his head, scowling. "I'll need to ask you to leave right now."

Akane had slowly been edging over to one of the shower stalls, where they had detected the urn before. She took a moment to check it with her own crystal, and then crouched down near the floor. The bathhouse employee didn't seem to have noticed her, so she spared him a quick glance, to make sure he wasn't looking, before she placed her hand against the tile.

With a sudden cry of "Bakusai Tenketsu!" she stabbed her finger at the wall, near the base. There was a shattering sound, and Akane was sprayed with bits of ceramic. She pulled back to reveal a neat, round hole drilled into the tile. She reached into the hole, sinking her arm into it all the way to her shoulder, as she dug around in the wall.

"Hey, what are you doing?" the janitor called out. He started to run and stop Akane, but Ukyo grabbed his arm.

"Sorry about that," Ukyo said brightly. "I'm sure that'll be easy to fix."

Nabiki stepped up next to her. Shampoo had put back on her bikini, and joined them as well. "Here. Why don't you take these? I'm sure they will cover the damage. That's an awfully small hole, after all..."

She handed the man her shopping bag of used bikinis. "Wait... what?" He looked down at the contents of the bags. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Continue to offer them as rental, in case Grandfather Happosai shows up again. You can't be too careful."

"That's not sanitary!" The man yelled.

"Nonsense," Nabiki scoffed. "They're brand new, only worn once. Just run them through a washer, and they'll be fine."

Akane dug the urn out of the hole. She held it up, grinning. Her face seemed to sparkle, but maybe that was the bits of tile on her cheeks. She quickly ran over to the others, holding the urn close as she sheepishly favored the janitor with an apologetic smile. He looked like he wanted to protest about something, but was too confused to figure out what was going on.

"Ryoga! Mousse!" Ukyo called out. "We're going!"

"Meet you outside!" Mousse called back. "I had to catch the pig and show him where the bath was."

"Shut up!" There was the sound of Ryoga bonking Mousse on the head, and then he called out to them as well. "We're on our way."

Happosai put his pail over the janitor's head, cackling madly as he ran out of the room. The others followed at a more sedate pace, Akane muttering "I'm terribly sorry..." as she passed the man. In the changing room, Nabiki met her friends, who had already changed into their street clothes. They also still had the other bag of bathing suits, and Nabiki sent her two friends off with them and the money they can collected.

Ukyo ran to the door to pass Happosai off to the safekeeping of Ryoga and Mousse. The girls then quickly changed out of their bathing suits. There was no concern about Ranma changing in the girl's room, as she was still in cursed form. Ukyo made sure to stand between her and the other girls, as usual, and Akane, Sayuri and Yuka changed without comment, already used to it. By the time more of the bathhouse staff had arrived to kick them all out, they were already on their way out the door.

As soon as they were safely away from the building, however, Ranma turned and grabbed Akane by the shoulders. Akane expected her to ask about the urn, and the map she knew was inside it, but instead Ranma stared at her intently.

"How long have ya known how to do the Bakusai Tenketsu?" she asked.

Akane blushed deeply. Ryoga looked startled and turned to look at her, while Ukyo and Shampoo looked interested as well. They had both seen her perform the technique in the bathhouse.

"It's not that big a deal," Akane said, unable to meet Ranma's eyes. "It was just tile. It was EASY to see the breaking point in it."

"But you knew how to do it, Akane!" Akane looked up, surprised at the note of pride in her fiance's voice. She was even more surprised to see the smile on her face. "You can do the Bakusai Tenketsu!"

"No, I can't." Akane looked away again, feeling her cheeks burning. "I know the technique, but I can't use it. That's how I broke my arm."

Ranma looked confused for a moment, and then Ryoga spoke up. "Her body isn't tough enough. I had to withstand impacts from boulders for a week in order to make myself tough enough to take the explosion of the Bakusai Tenketsu. She could do it - but the explosion would hurt her."

"Oh." Ranma looked disappointed.

Ukyo put a hand on Akane's shoulder. "You'll get it. You're getting stronger all the time. It's only a matter of time before you'll be tough enough to use it. In the meantime, you can still see the breaking point in the rock, and that's amazing all by itself! Maybe you can't use that information, but I'm sure it'll help you with your focus."

"That's true. You're the one that taught me all those focus and meditation techniques, Ucchan," Akane said. "Without your training, I probably wouldn't be able to see it at all. But it has helped me focus and control my emotions."

"And you can break somethin', like the tile, that won't hurt you when it explodes." Ranma suggested. Akane's eyes widened, and she suddenly looked thoughtful. But then Ranma glanced at the urn. "So, what about the urn? It should have a map to the Spring of Drowned Man, right?"

Akane put aside her thoughts, as she took the top off of the urn. "Oh, yeah! Let's see where it is!" She pulled the map out and unrolled it, and she, Ranma and Ukyo began to study it.

"It looks like it's not far from here," Ukyo commented. "In that direction." She pointed, slightly off from the line of the street.

Akane frowned, her eyebrows furrowing as she studied the map. "That rock is apparently where the Spring is. It looks familiar somehow. I think I've seen it before."

"Ya got any idea where?" Ranma asked.

"No." Akane shook her head. "It looks familiar, but I can't think where."

They started off following the map. The directions led them in a fairly straight line, although there were a few twists and turns as they made their way from one landmark to another. It was slowly growing darker, and the sky was tinged with the colors of sunset. As they walked along, several of the street lamps slowly flickered on.

After they had been walking for some time, Ryoga looked around. "This is starting to seem familiar."

"We're getting close to home," Nabiki said. "Our home. It should be that way."

She pointed, and Ukyo looked at the map. "The Spring is that way, too."

Akane grabbed the map from her. "Let me see that." She continued to study it intently, as they walked along. Finally, they counted off the last of the paces, and came to the wall of the Tendo household.

"No way..." Ranma said.

Akane just continued on through the gate. She walked along the path towards the house, still holding the map in front of her, until finally she came to the koi pond. Then she looked up at the pond.

"I knew that rock looked familiar," she said. "Look at the top of it."

Ranma and Ukyo came up to look at the map. Then they looked at the koi pond. Near the back side of the pond, away from the house, there was a large stone much bigger than the others. It was fairly oddly shaped, with a round top which spread out near the base.

"I got to see the rest of that stone when Daddy dug out the koi pond," Akane said. The stone on the map had the same high spot on the stone, but then had three depressions on its sides. She walked over to the back of the stone, away from the pond, and began to scoop away the dirt. In a few moments, she had exposed one of the depressions. It was exactly the right size to hold one of the urns.

"This is the same stone," Akane said. "The Japanese Spring of Drowned Man is right here, under our koi pond."

"You can't be serious, Akane," Ukyo said, although she was grinning. "You mean it's been right here the whole time?"

"Yeah." Akane couldn't help smiling back. "I guess it's buried deep in the bedrock or something, and the urns will bring it up. We even have the pond right here ready to hold the water. It's perfect!"

Ranma grabbed the map away from her, and began reading it. Meanwhile, Akane turned to her sister. "We'll want to get the koi out and put them up somewhere. Maybe we can use that old piranha tank."

"Yeah, since we gave them away to the aquarium, we don't need it any more. We've been using it to hold the goldfish, but it can hold the koi for a little while."

"So how do we get the Spring to come up?" Ryoga asked. "Is there some ritual or something?"

"I guess the map says how to do it," Akane said. "Ranma, can I see it?"

Ranma looked up, and then pulled the map away. "No way."

"What?"

"No. We can't do this. It's too close. There's no way. You might get cursed."

Ryoga tried to grab the map. "Don't you dare try to keep me from my cure, Ranma Saotome! I'm not going to let you get to that Spring first!"

"I'm not trying to get to the Spring first!" Ranma yelled back. "I just can't let Akane get cursed!"

"Ranma." Akane put her hand on Ranma's shoulder, putting out her other hand to hold Ryoga back. "I don't have to get cursed. It's not like I'm going to go swimming in the koi pond or anything. If anything, it's better if it's right here. You can have it available if and when you need it. You won't have to go look for it, it'll be right here..."

"NO WAY!" Ranma pulled away from her. Then she looked into her eyes. "Look, I..." She looked around at the others. "I gotta think about this. Give me some time ta think about this."

"Ranma, you've made my life Hell! I'm..."

Akane turned and grabbed Ryoga. "Not now. I won't let Ranma keep your cure from you, now settle down." Ranma swallowed as she looked back at her. "All right, Ranma, come on. Do you need a couple of hours to think about it?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I gotta think about this. I can't... I can't let you do this until... until I've had some time ta think about it." She clutched the map close to her chest. "Don't try nothin' until I come back." She looked over at Ryoga. "I promise, I'll come back, just... don't come lookin' for me until I come back. Okay?"

Ryoga started to step forward, but Akane pushed him back. "Okay, Ranma. We'll be waiting. Don't take too long."

Ranma leaped over the wall of the Tendo compound, and vanished into the gathering shadows of the evening.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I had hoped to wrap up the arc with this chapter, but it looks like I will go one more. Nabiki's bathing suit in this chapter is not exactly like the one from the episode. Basically, it is just the black portions of the swimsuit, without the green portions. (So a deep v-cut one piece) I stuck with Akane's pink bathing suit from this episode instead of her better known yellow one because of the visual joke of her face turning the same color. :)

My explanation for Happosai's reaction to the pail being broken, also, was from noting that he seems to have a particular regard for objects in the canon. Not just panties and bras, but things like the bath toys and his fascination with the urns. While he can be as responsible for widescale property destruction as anyone else in the cast, he does seem to show real remorse when something he sees as valuable (usually, underwear) is ruined, even if it isn't his. So I came up with the idea that he has a code of honor about protecting things that have sentimental value, while still being willing to smash up the bathhouse.

Of course, I then had him discard the broken pail just as a joke. But hey, it was funny. :)


	67. Close to Home

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 67

Several hours passed, and Ranma still did not return. Ryoga began to pace around the koi pond, not willing to enter the family room, but he would stop from time to time to sit on the engawa, grumbling to himself. Around midnight, Ryoga decided that he had waited long enough, and started to set off after him. Akane reminded him that Ranma had asked them not to search for him, and she insisted that he would be back first thing in the morning. When Ryoga protested, she quietly pointed out that going after Ranma would not bring him back any faster, and might make it take even longer.

Finally, Ukyo agreed to help Ryoga get set up in the dojo to spend the night. At first, the Lost Boy was a little unsure of whether he should accept, given his agreement with Akane. However, she convinced him that he deserved to spend the night in the dojo, where he could be sure to get his cure in the morning. If he still felt that he could not put his anger with Ranma behind him, he could leave after he got cured, with Akane's blessing.

Ukyo took a bath and returned to her normal form, after which she decided to spend the night in the family room, so she could keep an eye on Ryoga through the night and make sure he didn't wander off. Nabiki teasingly asked if she would rather take another futon out to the dojo instead, but Ukyo just silenced Ryoga's blushing protests by saying that would not be appropriate.

They also filled in the fathers about what was going on, and Genma complained that his "ungrateful son" had run off with his cure. Akane repeated that Ranma would be back in the morning, and suggested that they should all meet up at noon, so they could perform the ritual after a good night's sleep. The Amazons agreed, and headed back for the Cat Cafe.

Akane put a kettle on to boil in the kitchen, and then took it with her as she headed up to her room alone. She changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed, but found it impossible to sleep. She just lay there in the darkness, worrying about Ranma, and wondering what he was thinking. Well, she knew what he was thinking, he was thinking about her, but she worried that he was having trouble coming to a decision.

Eventually, as she was just starting to nod off, she heard a tapping at the window. Akane got up, to find Ranma perched on the sill outside. She quickly opened the window, and let her in. She had the map clutched in her hand, and stared at Akane with worry in her blue green eyes. Akane poured the hot water over her head, and Ranma returned to his male form, the clothes he had changed into at the bathhouse fitting better on his larger frame.

Akane eyed her fiance' in the half light. "So, Ranma, what have you decided?" She asked him, her voice gentle.

Ranma glanced up at her for a second, and then looked around the room. "Is Sis all right?"

"Yes, she just decided to sleep downstairs, where she can keep an eye on Ryoga. We've been worried about you."

"Yeah, I'm guessin' Ryoga is worried about the map."

"Of course he is, but that's not important. Ukyo and I are worried about you. You were gone a long time." She walked over and sat down on her bed, then patted the spot next to her, for Ranma to sit down.

Ranma glanced around again, and then reluctantly sat down. He stared into Akane's eyes for a moment. "If I say I don't wanna go through with it, would you really make me do it, for Ryoga?"

Akane tried not to react to the challenge in his voice. "Of course not. I'd hate to have to tell him that he's not going to get his cure, after all this time, but if that's what it comes to, I'll tell him. I'll try to make him understand. If that's your decision, I'll stand by you."

She took a deep breath. "You don't have to worry about me, though, Ranma." She bit her lip, meeting Ranma's stare. "I told you, I wouldn't mind being cursed." She held up a hand, to forestall his protest. "And that doesn't mean I'm going to seek it out, either. I'll be careful, and I won't let myself get anywhere near the Spring when you're bringing it up."

"It's not the bringin' it up that's botherin' me," Ranma said. "It's livin' with it, here, day after day, year after year. Every day'll be another day where you can fall in that damned thing, an' get cursed." He looked away from her, wringing his hands. "We're practically DARING the Spring to curse you. It's only a matter of time. Sooner or later... sooner or later it WILL happen.

"You just dunno what it's like. I just can't stand the idea of... you havin' ta go through this."

He fell silent, and Akane spoke up. "Well... we don't have to run that risk if you don't want to. I'd like to keep the Spring around in case you get locked or decide you want to get cured. But can't we just destroy the Spring after we cure the others? Maybe there's a way to make it stop flowing. It had to have stopped at some time; it must have dried up at some point and went back underground."

"But who knows how long that would take! It's a spring, Akane, you can't just turn it on an' off!" Ranma argued. "Or at least, there ain't nothin' like that on the back of the map." He looked down at it. "An' even if we blocked it off, that'd just mean it might come up somewhere else. It might flood the house, or the yard."

Akane said nothing, thinking about it. Ranma continued to study the map, until he finally shook his head. "An' it's not just you, Akane," he said. "It's your sisters and Ucchan, too. Kasumi or Nabiki... or Sayuri an' Yuka, if they come over here to visit you, any of 'em could fall in that pond and get cursed."

"Come on, it's not that bad, Ranma," Akane told him. "Everyone's going to know how dangerous it is. My sisters and I can avoid it."

"Avoid it?" Ranma turned on her, his expression becoming desperate. "It's right outside the house, Akane, right where everyone can see it - where anyone can fall in it. Do you know how many times I been knocked in that koi pond by Pop? The number of times we've fought over it? You almost can't avoid it, with it right there in the yard. And what if Pop or I fall in it and the water splashes over you or Ucchan?

"Come on, Akane!" He turned back away from her. "You're the one who pointed out how dangerous it was fer me to be bein' careless in the girl's locker room. This is the same thing!"

Akane was quiet for a moment. She wanted to just dismiss his fears, to tell him that the benefits outweighed the risks, but she knew that he was right. It was dangerous, and being careless about it would be a big mistake. Possibly a tragic mistake. She tried thinking of Nabiki or Kasumi cursed to become a man, and shuddered. Even thinking about it happening to her made her really uncomfortable.

"All right, Ranma," she said. "I'll admit that you're right. But it's more than just you, as well. There's Ryoga to consider, and your father, and Mousse. Are you really going to deny them their chance to be human because you're afraid for me? Are you really going to deny Ryoga his chance at a cure, after all he's been through? He misused his curse, and he took advantage of me, and Ukyo, but he's tried really hard to make up for that. I know you, Ranma. I know you can't turn him away."

Ranma shook his head, clenching his fists. "I can't risk it. I can't risk YOU. If Ryoga loves you the way he says he does, he don't wanna risk gettin' you cursed either. And I don't care what Mousse or Pops thinks..."

Akane slid a little closer to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Ranma, can't we..." She paused a moment, to collect her thoughts. "Maybe we can build a... shelter around the pond. A building or something that we can lock. You and your father and my father can work on it, and my sisters and I can stay inside until you're done. That way we can't fall into it accidently, we can keep visitors from stumbling into it, and you can still give Ryoga and your father their cures."

She ran a hand down his arm. "You can even cure the curse yourself if you still want to."

He looked at her, considering the idea. Akane could tell that he liked the idea; he was just frightened that it wouldn't be enough. "I don't know, Akane. Would... would you not want to be with me... if I didn't cure the curse?" She could see the uncertainty in his eyes.

She put her hand to his cheek. "Ranma... I don't care about the curse. I told you that before. I'm not going to let it come between us, and... I want to be with you, just as you are. You don't have to cure your curse for me. Not if you don't want to."

"But are you sure? Are you sure you don't want me... to be..." He looked away from her, his face falling. When he spoke again, it was in a whisper. "... a man."

She turned him back to face her. "Ranma. You are a man. More than man enough." She swallowed, her body starting to tremble with her own insecurities, but she would not let that hold back the words. "If you can put up with... an uncute tomboy like me... and still think of her as... a woman..." Her face began to blaze with heat. "Then... then your curse means absolutely nothing to me."

He looked into her eyes for a moment, and then, as if they had both agreed on it, their lips met. The kiss was gentle, but passionate. Akane drew Ranma to her, even as she felt his arms go around her back. Then, the kiss ended, and Akane rested her head against his shoulder.

"Okay, but while we're workin' on this building, to hold the pond," Ranma said. "You an' Sis and your sisters are gonna go stay somewhere else. Like Dr. Tofu's clinic or somethin'. I ain't takin' no chances."

"All right, Ranma. That sounds fine with me."

He looked down at her. "I don't suppose I can talk ya into stayin' in the house while we try an' bring up the Spring..."

She smiled. "No, Ranma. Whatever happens, my place is at your side.

"But I'll stand back with Ucchan," Akane said. "I'm sure she'll keep an eye on me, and I'm sure she's just as concerned about falling in the pond herself as I am. She'll keep me safe... and I'll keep her safe."

"Well, I'd rather she stayed inside, too..." Ranma growled. "But okay. We'll do it your way, Akane."

* * *

The next morning, Ranma and Akane came down for breakfast. As the rest of the family gathered around the table, Ukyo led Ryoga in from the dojo. Soun and Genma were a little surprised to see the Lost Boy, but said nothing as he sat down. It was obvious that Ranma's disappearance last night as well as his presence this morning was on everyone's minds, as they all stared at the pigtailed boy. He just sat quietly, occasionally sharing a meaningful glance at Akane, who would smile at him.

There was a bit of excitement as Happosai came bounding in, and tried to grope Ukyo as she continued around the table towards the kitchen. She punted him across the table, but the old man turned a flip, and landed on his feet. As he started to dart back in for another try, however, Ryoga smashed him into the floor with his fist. Happosai grumbled something about "You wouldn't treat an old man like this if I remembered my special technique," but then he settled in quietly at the table to wait for the meal.

Ukyo continued on into the kitchen, helping Kasumi to bring in the breakfast. There was plenty for them to carry, as the pony-tailed girl had awakened early to help Kasumi with the cooking. Ranma and Akane quickly dug in, and with Ryoga adding to the voracious appetites of the martial artists at the table, Kasumi looked grateful for the help.

The silence only continued for a few more minutes, before Genma decided he'd had enough. "What's this I hear about you finding a cure, boy? You're not going to keep your father from getting his cure, are you?"

Ranma glanced at Akane, and she nodded. He then turned back to his father, sparing a serious look for Ryoga as well. "I've decided that we're gonna go ahead and have this ritual thing. But we're gonna do it right, without riskin' anybody else getting splashed. There's no way I'm gonna let Akane get cursed..."

He clenched his fists, his tension obvious, and Akane put a hand on his arm, to calm him down. After a moment, he took a deep breath. "An' after we're done, we're gonna build a shed over it. Somethin' with a door that we can lock and keep somebody from fallin' in the Spring by accident. It shouldn't take long if you help out, Pops, and you too, Mr. Tendo." He scowled at them. "An' you BETTER help out if ya know what's good for you."

Surprisingly, Genma seemed to be quite agreeable. "That seems like a reasonable precaution, my boy, good thinking." He turned back to his meal. "It's nice to see you looking out for your fiancee."

Ranma blushed, but scoffed at his father's implication. "It's not that. It's just that Akane's bad enough as a tomboy. Imagine how macho and violent she'd be as an ACTUAL boy."

"You'd better watch yourself, baka," Akane growled. Her voice was calm, though, and she didn't look up from her bowl of rice. "I know where you sleep."

"Oo, I'm so scared," Ranma shot back. Akane shoved her shoulder into his. A few moments later, though, she brushed her hand against his leg, under the table. Ranma only barely caught the smile that flickered across her face.

Ryoga, like most at the table, had totally missed the exchange. "Can't we just fill the pond in after we get done?" he asked. "It seems like a lot of trouble to go to, to build a whole building over it."

Akane turned a genuine smile on him as she answered. "No, Ranma is right. We don't even know if, once the spring starts flowing, it's going to stop once it fills the koi pond. I don't think it's going to get into the house, but if one of my sisters steps in it, they could get cursed too. I'm worried about that, myself." She turned to smile at Kasumi and Nabiki, and Kasumi, at least, gave her a grateful smile in return. Nabiki's expression was more speculative.

"Waaaaah!" Soun burst out into tears. "One my daughters could become my son!" His tears abruptly stopped, and he suddenly looked as thoughtful as Nabiki. "One of my daughters could become my son..." Then he burst into tears again. "If Akane becomes my son, how will she be able to marry Ranma? The schools will never be joined! Waaaaah!"

"Hey!" Akane actually sounded insulted. "Just because I get cursed, that doesn't mean I can't carry on the school! Ranma turns into a girl, and you don't believe that makes him unqualified to marry me! So why would me having a curse to turn into a guy mean I couldn't marry him!"

All eyes in the room suddenly turned to stare at the black haired martial artist. She glared back at them, obviously not realizing what she had just said. Ranma's eyes widened and he backed away from her a little. Ryoga, Genma and Soun all stared at her with their mouths open. Even Happosai and Kasumi looked a little caught off guard, although Nabiki and Ukyo both seemed amused.

"Oh, happy day!" Soun said, starting up the waterworks again. "My daughter has accepted the engagement to her fiance'!"

He and Genma got up and started dancing. "We must prepare for a wedding right away!" Genma said.

Akane turned beet red as it finally struck her what she had said. "I didn't mean it that way! I just meant that IF I wanted to marry Ranma... or any OTHER guy for that matter, whether or not I had a curse shouldn't make any difference." She quickly reestablished her expression of aloof disgust. "It's not like I'd want to marry that pervert, after all. I'm just saying I can still carry on the Tendo dojo... with or WITHOUT him." She cut her eyes at him.

"You sure, tomboy?" Ranma said with a teasing smirk. "Maybe you'd rather be a guy after all. You can sure carry on the Tendo school of Anything Goes better if you actually look like a gorilla, insteada just actin' like one."

"Raaaan-ma!" Akane yelled at him. "You're going to get it now!" She leaped at him, but he blocked her kick. A few seconds later, they were sparring across the table, causing the others to scramble to protect their dishes.

Their fight carried them over to Ukyo, who stood up and cuffed Ranma behind the ear. "Jackass," she commented, although she was smiling. Ranma shot her an unrepentant grin.

"Hey, I'm just kiddin'," Ranma said. "I'd rather Akane stay just like she is, even if she is an uncute tomboy."

Because her back was to the rest of the family, they didn't see Akane's blush. Her voice still held a hint of amusement. "You're one to talk, girly girl. Just you wait; I'll get you for that one."

Ranma met her stare of challenge. "I told ya, Akane, I ain't gonna let you get cursed. I ain't gonna let you or ANYBODY in this house get cursed, not if I can help it."

"I don't know," Nabiki said nonchalantly. "It might be kind of interesting to be a man, every now and then."

"What?" Ranma, Akane and Ukyo all turned to stare at her, wide eyed.

Nabiki blinked at their expressions. "Just as a curiosity, of course. Not permanently. But who knows? It might be an educational... experience." She grinned wickedly.

"Well, I'm going to be glad to get rid of MY curse," Ryoga said, obviously disturbed by Nabiki's nonchalance. "Thanks to... I mean, thanks to my curse, I've seen Hell..."

"You have a curse, Ryoga?" Kasumi said innocently. "What do you turn into?"

Stunned silence fell over the household again, and Ryoga realized that he, like Akane before him, had just inadvertently given himself away. He blushed, deeply, looking at the floor and twiddling his fingers. Akane looked around the room, and noted Soun and Genma looked confused as well. Although, as she already knew, Nabiki was in on the secret.

She glanced at Ranma, then at Ryoga for their agreement. When both boys nodded, Akane cleared her throat. "The reason I banished Ryoga from the house is because he was P-chan. He had been using his curse to hide who he really was, while staying here with us. Ukyo knew his secret, and was trying to take care of him, but instead he tried to break up my friendship with Ranma and Ukyo.

"I think he's learned his lesson, though, and it was very considerate of him to bring Ranma his cure. I don't want anyone to make a big deal over this. I think he's been punished enough."

Kasumi put both hands to her mouth. There was a flash of anger in her eyes, but she covered that by giving Ryoga a stern look. "Well... I think that's just not proper behavior. I'm so sorry, Akane. Are you sure that you're all right?"

Soun's reaction was more direct. He summoned the most spectacular Demon Head he had managed to achieve so far. "YOU SLEPT IN MY LITTLE GIRL'S BED?" He roared, at Ryoga, who leaped away, startled.

"Daddy, that's exactly what I'm talking about," Akane told him. "It's been taken care of. Ryoga spent the night in the dojo last night, and even if he is allowed back into the house someday, he's not welcome in our room." She shot Ryoga a serious look, and he nodded and looked down at the table.

"What about you, boy?" Genma asked, accusingly. "Why weren't you protecting the honor of your fiancee?"

"Hey, I didn't know nuthin' about it!" Ranma snapped back. "Ucchan's the only one that knew, and I'm sure that with her in the room, Ryoga didn't try nothin'. I trust my Sis, and I know she woulda taken care of Akane."

Ukyo shot Ranma a glance, and for a moment, looked like she was about to start crying. Akane spoke up, before anyone else noted her distress. "And I trust her too," she said. "We both shared our beds with Ryoga, and he slept at the foot of the bed each time. And P-chan always turned his back when I changed." She smiled at Ryoga at this. "I always wondered why he did that, and now I know why."

Ryoga swallowed. He knew Akane was lying about him sleeping at the foot of the bed, at least in her case, and that she was doing it to protect Ukyo. He had noticed how upset Ukyo had become. "I'll just be glad to get this over with," Ryoga said, "and put it all behind me. Why can't we do this right now?"

"We'll have to wait until everyone's here," Akane said. Then she smiled and looked at Ranma. "In fact, we might have to wait longer than that. Ranma, do you still have the map?"

Ranma handed it to her, and Akane turned and looked at the writing on its back. "This says something about the 'first evening star'. I'm guessing that means we have to wait for it to rise before we can make the Spring of Drowned Man appear.

"Even if Ranma hadn't taken the map," she pointed out, "we would have had to wait anyway. It was already dark by the time we got home last night. The evening star would have already risen."

"So we're gonna have to wait until TONIGHT?" Ryoga protested. He looked disappointed.

"Looks like it," Ukyo said. "Can I see that?"

She held out her hand to Akane, who handed her the map. Ukyo studied it for a few moments. "Well, it looks like Akane's right. There's both a Chinese and a Japanese translation here. There may be more in the Chinese, but... I'm guessing the 'evening star' refers to Venus. I think Venus is going to rise as the Evening Star tonight. So it looks like the time is right, we'll just have to wait for sunset."

"Well, fortunately we don't have school today," Akane put in, "so we can all pitch in and get ready for the ritual. Shampoo and Mousse will be here at noon, and we can get their help as well. Let's get to it!"

* * *

Noon time came, and the Amazons arrived, with Cologne along, as she was curious about the ritual. Sure enough, she agreed with Ukyo's conclusion, confirming that the Evening Star would appear just after sunset. The ritual called for the three urns to be placed in the depressions in the rock, and that would cause the Spring to rise up through the rock and flow into the koi pond. She agreed to perform the ritual, much like the monk who originally created the Spring in the first place.

Happosai disappeared the moment he realized work was going on, but nobody missed him. Ranma, Mousse and Ryoga set to getting the koi out of the pond, and draining it of the existing water. While the water in the pond wouldn't hurt the ritual, Ukyo felt it best if they took no chance of the pond overflowing. They dug out around the large stone, exposing the indentions on its three sides, and ensured the water would flow into the pond.

Ranma insisted on using the time to start work on the shed that would enclose the pond. He and the other boys set four large posts into the ground. He then ran to a supply store for some sandbags, and placed them around the pond. Now if it overflowed, there would still be a chance the water would be held back. With the pond lying empty, ringed by its smaller stones and a makeshift wall around its perimeter, there was nothing left but to wait for the sun to set.

As the time came, they all stood around anxiously, no one willing to say anything. Nabiki and Kasumi watched from Kasumi's bedroom window, while Ukyo and Shampoo waited on the engawa for the sun to set. Cologne stood ready next to the koi pond, the only female of the group who dared to get that close to it. Ryoga, Mousse and Genma lined up in front of the pond, but Ranma stood slightly back, near enough to the engawa to be close to Akane.

Akane took hold of Ranma's hand, excited to see him finally get a chance at a cure, even if he chose not to take it. The colors of sunset slowly faded away to a deep blue, and they all waited, barely even breathing, for the first star to shine. Finally, it began to twinkle above them, a single star just above the horizon.

"The time is right," Cologne said. She spoke a few words in Mandarin, and then struck the stone with her staff.

"Look! Look!" Ryoga cried out. "It's happening!" He was almost jumping up and down in his excitement, and Akane couldn't help smiling. Water began to bubble up from underneath the rock and flow into the pond. Then, water seemed to flow up into the urns and fill them, and they began to overflow. Water filled up the pond even faster.

Ryoga and Mousse seemed to be eager to jump in, but Ranma put a hand on Ryoga's shoulder. "Hold on. Let's let it fill up," he suggested. Ryoga glanced at him, perhaps considering whether to yell back at him, but finally he just smiled and nodded.

The water finally reached the level of the rocks surrounding the pond, and then stopped. Ukyo pulled Akane back a little, but it looked like the Spring was going to fill the koi pond perfectly, and not overflow. Grinning a bit at the luck, she called out to Ranma. "Looks like it worked. Who's going first?"

Ryoga and Mousse looked at each other. Then, as one, they jumped Genma and tossed him through the engawa into the family room. Then they turned to Ranma. "We'll decide just as soon as we make sure you don't go first!" Ryoga said, although without his usual anger.

Ranma was caught by surprise, but managed to put up his hands before they could attack. "Cut it out, you two. I've already decided, I ain't gonna get cured." He grinned smugly. "You two wanna fight it out, be my guest!"

They looked at each other, but Akane stepped up to Ryoga, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Go on, Ryoga. You deserve it. After all you've done to make this happen, I think you deserve to go first."

She then looked at Mousse. "Don't you agree?"

Mousse smiled widely. Then he wrapped his arms around Akane. "Anything for you, Shampoo!"

Akane stiffened, but then she smiled slyly, and let out a girlish squeal. "Shampoo so happy! Shampoo thank Mousse for being kind to Ryoga!"

"Hey!" Shampoo stomped forward and grabbed Akane. Pulling her away from Mousse, she glared at the blind boy. "Shampoo over here! That Angry Girl, not Shampoo!" She then frowned at Akane. "Why you make like Shampoo? Shampoo not talk like that!"

"What's the matter, Shampoo?" Akane said with a grin. "Jealous?"

"Jealous? Of stupid Mousse? Shampoo no jealous!" With that, she huffed and stuck her nose in the air. When Akane giggled, she clenched her fists, and then stalked grumpily up to the engawa and back into the family room. Genma, who was just climbing to his feet, took one look at the expression on her face, and gave her a wide berth as she passed.

Although avoiding Shampoo had slowed his return, Genma still descended on Ranma, his anger plain. "What's this I hear about you not wanting to be cured?" he bellowed.

"I just don't wanna be cured if Ucchan can't be cured, Pop!" Ranma yelled back. "Just leave me alone!"

"No son of mine is going to refuse to cure his curse!" Genma said firmly. "I raised you to be a man amongst men, not a weak, useless girl!"

"WEAK? USELESS?" Ukyo came down from the engawa to confront Ranma's father. Shampoo looked infuriated as well, and took a few steps towards them herself. Akane put a hand on Genma's shoulder to try and calm him down, although it was obvious from her scowl that she was insulted as well.

"I've had it, Pop," Ranma said, falling into a stance. "You're the one that got me this curse, an' here I go and try to make things right with Ucchan and Ryoga, and you just gotta mess it up!"

"You sound like a girl!" Genma countered. "If you're so ungrateful as to refuse to jump into that pond of your own, I'll THROW you in!" With that, he leaped at Ranma.

"Ungrateful?" Ranma shot back at him. "What did you have ta do with any of this? It's Ryoga that found the map, you old fool!"

He wasn't able to dodge all of his father's attacks, though, and Genma finally managed to grab Ranma. As he lifted him over his head, it suddenly sank in for Ranma that what he had feared the most was actually about to happen. "Whattya doin' Pops! If you splash that water, the girls could get cursed!

"Akane! Ucchan! Run for it!" Ranma was relieved to see Ukyo and Shampoo run back into the family room, but the stupid tomboy just put herself between his father and the koi pond. She spread out her arms, blocking Genma's path. "Akane you baka! Get away from there!"

"Mr. Saotome, stop!" Akane yelled, not budging an inch. "Ranma doesn't want be cured like this! Please, let Ryoga go first, and then we can talk about whether Ranma wants to be cured."

"There's nothing to talk about!" Genma answered. "Get out of the way, girl. This is for the Saotome and Tendo families, and your engagement to your fiance'."

Genma tried to duck around Akane, but she moved to block him, shoving him back. "That engagement will be threatened if I get cursed, won't it?" she asked him, cutting her eyes back at the Spring behind her. Her implication was clear; the only way Genma would get to the pool would be to push her in with him.

Ranma struggled, trying to hit his father, although he couldn't see any way to get a grip, to break free. "Akane, no!"

"Ranma doesn't want to stay cursed forever," Akane said, trying to reason with Genma, "He just doesn't want to be cured while Ukyo is still cursed. If we can find a cure for Ukyo, then Ranma can be cured as well. The Spring will be right here, and Ranma can use it any time he wants to. He can even use it if he gets locked again, or something, and it gets to be too much for him."

This seemed to make Genma pause. He thought for a moment. "The Spring of Drowned Man WOULD be right here, wouldn't it? I could keep trying to talk him into it, and it would be right here for when the boy finally agreed."

Ranma struggled again. "You better not be thinkin' of knockin' me out and throwing me in without tellin' me!" he yelled.

"Let Ryoga go first," Akane said. She put her hands on Genma's arm. "He can check and make sure the Spring works. If it does, you and Mousse can get cured, and you can wait on getting Ranma cured. I'm sure he'll agree to it when the time is right."

Genma looked like he was seriously considering it. "You think so?"

Akane nodded. "Ranma wants to be a man. That's why he feels he has to endure his curse as long as his sister's cursed. He wants to do what's right."

Genma set him down. "Well... I suppose as long as he accepts his cure eventually." He glared at Ranma. "And if ANYTHING comes up that requires you to be a man, I mean, you have an obligation to be a man, well then, you cure yourself immediately!"

"Sure, sure Pop." Ranma looked confused, and a little suspicious. He knew his father, and he had that tone that meant he was hiding something. But he didn't see any reason to disagree. If it was a matter of honor, of course he would accept a cure.

"We're agreed, then." Akane looked back at the Lost Boy, and then walked over to the engawa to take his hands. "You ready, Ryoga?"

Ryoga looked back at her, his eyes tearing up. Then he nodded. "All right! Here I go!" He ran and jumped into the spring.

Ranma and Genma drew back, unconsciously avoiding the splash as Ryoga jumped in. For a moment a cloud of water droplets and mineral deposits obscured their view, further hiding Ryoga as he stayed submerged under the water. Then a small black pig broke the surface, and began to call out in fear as he flailed in the water.

"Ryoga!" Ranma called out, shocked that the spring hadn't worked. There was a moment where Ranma was overwhelmed by a feeling of such loss and despair that he couldn't move. And then Akane ran past him and jumped into the pond.

"AKANE!" Ranma yelled at her, running into the pond himself, as Akane grabbed the pig and pulled him out of the water. She hugged him to her, as Ryoga squealed in anguish and frustration, and buried his head against her chest, crying.

"I'm so sorry," Akane muttered. She wasn't crying, but the pain in her dark eyes was just as clear.

"Akane, you stupid..." Ranma grabbed her and put her arms around her. The cold water had turned her into her cursed form as well, although she didn't notice. "What were you thinking? What if the water had cursed you, even if it didn't cure Ryoga or me?"

Akane looked up at her. "Well, it didn't," she said, sadly. She brushed a wet lock of hair out of Ranma's face. "I guess it's just ordinary water. It didn't cure you, either."

Ranma looked down at her hands. That feeling came over her again, and she clenched her fists. Akane looked at her, her eyes filling with tears, now. And then Ranma let out a cry of "WHY?" and punched the rock.

It cracked, part of the round top of the stone breaking and rolling off. Ranma ignored it, as she put her head in her hands. Akane put an arm around her, still holding Ryoga in her other arm, until Ukyo waded into the pond and took the pig out of her arms. Akane then wrapped Ranma in her embrace, while the other girl shuddered, not crying, but Akane knew she was holding the tears back.

"Why me?" Ranma muttered. "Why does this have to happen to me?"

Akane said nothing. There was silence for a moment, and then Ukyo reached into the broken portion of the rock and pulled something out. "Hey," she said quietly. "There's another urn."

Sure enough, she had another urn, this one unpainted and much smaller than the others. She took the top off and unrolled a scroll.

"Many thanks for patronage from valued customer, but this local franchise of Japanese Nanniichuan is out of service, due to lack of resources. We look forward to serving you at original Nanniichuan in mainland China. Signed, the management."

"I'm so sorry, Ranma," Akane said, and Ukyo put a hand on her shoulder as well. Ranma seemed to gather herself up, and looked at her redheaded sister.

"Nah, I made up my mind. I'm... okay with this curse. I can't say I like it, but I'd rather live with it than keep hopin' to get it cured. As long as you an' Akane are okay with it, I'm okay with it."

"Of course, Ranchan," Ukyo said, but she couldn't hold back her tears. "I'm just sorry Ryoga and Mousse didn't get their chance."

Ranma ruffled the pig's hair, favoring him with a smile. "Don' worry about it, Ryoga. We'll still keep looking for a cure for you and the rest of 'em, even if I don't wanna get cured myself. You keep on lookin', and if you need my help, you got it."

P-chan stared at her for a moment, and then nodded his head. Although he was obviously still upset as well, he seemed to take a deep breath and regain control of himself.

"Come on," Ranma said. "Let's get some hot water, an' then we gotta clean up this mess."

* * *

The Amazons departed quickly, as there was nothing more for them to do once the posts were pulled out of the ground, and the sandbags cleared away from the koi pond. To Mousse's astonishment, Ranma actually expressed his regret that Mousse hadn't gotten cured of his duck curse. Mousse accepted it philosophically, admitting that he didn't dislike his curse as much as Ryoga seemed to. He still felt he could be cured someday; after all he did live right next to Jusenkyo if he chose to return home.

Shampoo had to give her 'Airen' a goodbye hug, which Akane cut short with the admonition that it was very late and there was little time for long goodbyes. Clearly, she had reached the end of her patience. She quickly hustled the Amazons out the door, to Cologne's obvious amusement. Finally, the Tendos, the Saotomes, and Ryoga gathered back in the family room for a late and somewhat quiet supper.

After supper, Ryoga headed to the genkan and started gathering his things. Akane came up to him, with Ranma and Ukyo behind her. "Do you have to leave so soon?" Akane asked him.

Ryoga looked up at her, and then behind her at Ukyo, who returned his gaze with a pained look. He hung his head. "It's time for me to go," he said simply. Then he looked up with a smile. "I've got to continue to look for the cure. There's another one out there, I know there is."

"Of course there is." Akane smiled widely. "You know... you don't HAVE to go." She blushed a bit, but didn't lower her gaze. "I think you've earned a second chance."

He shook his head. "No. I still need to work on this." He looked up at Ukyo again, and she took a step towards them. "I think... I think I'm ready to start looking for the truth. But I've got to have some time to myself. To think about it."

Ukyo took another step towards him. She sniffled, and tears started to roll down her cheeks. "I understand," she said. "I'm the one that cursed you. I don't think anything I could ever do would make up for that. I... I..." She looked away. "I can understand why you hate me."

"I don't hate you," Ryoga said. She looked up, shocked. "I think if I did it... would be easier."

He turned to the door and opened it, and then paused. "Ranma, I'm never going to forgive you." He turned to grin at the other boy, although there was a hint of tears in his eyes as well. "Because there's nothing to forgive. You've done nothing to me except pick on me over bread, and I stopped caring about that a long time ago. I'm the one that missed our duel, and I woulda lost if we'd had that fight. So next time I'm just gonna have to make sure I don't lose."

Ranma grinned back. "Sure thing, Pig Boy."

Ryoga then looked at Ukyo. "I can't stay here, though, as long as I still feel the way I do about you giving me my curse." His expression turned stern, and for a moment there was a flash of pain and anger in his eyes. But then he shook his head. "I don't deserve to stay here as long as I can't get over that. I don't deserve for you to CARE for me the way you do, until I get over that."

Ukyo shuddered, and began to cry harder.

"When I do, I'll be back." Ryoga went through the door, and disappeared into the night.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I have to give all the credit for this chapter to my sister, who proofread it last week. It was about half as long as this, and I intended to continue on with a couple of scenes to wrap up the chapter. My sister pointed out two HUGE holes in the plot, though, first, that Genma would not react well to finding out Ranma didn't intend to get cured, and second, that the Spring of Drowned Man could be destroyed or filled in, instead of being a permanent feature that ran the risk of cursing Akane.

Both points never even occurred to me, although I always assumed that, as I state here, that once a Spring begins flowing, it is a permanent fixture unless it dries up or the magical source goes out. (As in the Saffron arc) My sister was right, though, in that the cast would have considered it and argued the different possibilities.

And I threw in a reference to one of my own works, this time. Those who've read "A Little Different" may recognize the line "It might be kind of interesting to be a boy, every now and then," stated there by Akane. I first wrote that fanfic a long time ago, before I got a real grasp of the characters (I had only seen the first six episodes) and I'll be honest, that line was a bit out of character for Akane. At the time, I didn't realize she had that much trouble accepting her tomboy nature. Ultimately, I decided it fit with the Ranma and Akane of "A Little Different" being a little smarter and more self aware than the canon, and intentionally hiding that from their parents.


	68. Star Crossed Lovers

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 68

Nabiki hummed happily to herself as she went over her income from the bikini rentals. This had been a profitable week. It looked like Kodachi was no longer going to be in the market for information about her "Ranma darling", but she hadn't really been a reliable customer to begin with. Her school was too far from Furinkan for her to be actively involved in Ranma and Akane's life. Her brother, on the other hand, had already made two payments to support her "investigation" and was likely to continue to pay for a long time to come.

Her introspection was interrupted by a knock at her door. "Hey, it's Ukyo. Mind if I come in for a moment?"

"Of course not." Nabiki opened her desk, placing the ledger next to a spiral bound notebook. On top of that was a moderately sized, leather bound book that she knew contained some VERY valuable information. She shut the drawer. "Come on in."

Nabiki swiveled in her chair as Ukyo entered the room, turning to face her visitor. She crossed her legs, relaxing as she smiled in her usual confident manner. "So how can I help you, Kuonji?"

Ukyo returned her smile with the same confidence. "Actually, it's how you can help Ranma and Akane. Or rather, STOP 'helping' them..." She put just enough irony in her voice at the word "helping" to emphasize it, while still maintaining a hint of amusement.

Nabiki smiled wider. She was a woman who appreciated tact. "Your brother is an interesting fellow. People want to know about him. I can't help that, but I can make a profit off of it."

"I understand that. But your little... investigation almost wound us up in some serious trouble. If Kodachi hadn't seen reason..." Ukyo blinked and then shook her head. "... as incredible as that sounds, and Shampoo didn't already know how far Ranma and Akane have come, there could have been a real fight."

"Does that bother you?" Nabiki looked honestly curious. "I thought you could protect your 'Ranchan'."

"I can, but I'd rather not," Ukyo answered. Her expression turned a bit sour. "And I don't want to have to be looking after your sister, as well. And if there had been any trouble it would have been on her head. Akane can take care of herself, but I'd think you'd be more concerned for your sister's safety."

"As you say, Akane can take care of herself." Nabiki studied her for a moment. "Not that she normally has to deal with such things. After all, Akane and I haven't been dragged all over the world by a crazed martial artist who would do anything in the name of training. If anything came along that Akane couldn't handle, it's not like I could be any help to her."

Ukyo looked chagrined. "I suppose you have a point. But you ARE able to handle things that don't have anything to do with fighting, that it's a lot harder for Akane to deal with. You could make things easier for her at school if you wanted to." She shook her head. "It's just, I can't see myself making money off a brother or sister like that. Sure, Ranchan's not really my brother, and technically I'm an only child, but still..."

Nabiki waved a hand. "Look, it's not like I blackmailed Ranma and Akane to keep the secret about their relationship from our fathers. And I considered it, believe me I did. But then I realized Kuno would be a lot better source of cash, and with the proper incentive, I could make him JUST as willing to pay. Kuno is happy, Ranma and Akane are happy, and the fathers remain in the dark. All the better for me to continue to turn a profit.

"And you know, if you hadn't been quite so secretive about all of this, I might not have gotten suspicious in the first place." She leaned forward, to waggle a finger at Ukyo. "It cost me a pretty penny to get the story of Akane and Ranma's kiss, not to mention your little feud with Ryoga in the woods, out of the Amazons. It's not that I expect you to trust me, but the way I see it, you owe me, for not thinking I'd be interested in the 'juicy details'."

Ukyo laughed a little. "You may be right. Actually, the truth is, I've kind of come to the same conclusion myself. It's obviously too dangerous to keep you in the dark, because then we can't control what you find out, and what you do with that information."

Her expression turned pensive. "The bathhouse, for instance. We got lucky, but if Ranchan turned into me on the guy's side, you know all everyone would be talking about tomorrow at school would be how Ukyo the cross-dressing pervert showed off her body to all the men at the public baths."

There was a moment of silence while Ukyo wrapped her arms around herself, too caught up in her disquieting thoughts to continue. Then Nabiki spoke up. "Well, at least we foresaw the possibility, and you brought along a bathing suit for him. Like you, I was hoping we wouldn't have to use it, but I suppose we'll know better next time. And Ryoga did come through for you."

Nabiki paused a moment, looking a bit uncomfortable as well. "I'll admit that there are some things that even I am not willing to sell. We would've come up with an explanation. I don't know if the other students would have bought it." Nabiki then grinned, her smug confidence returning. "But I would have sold it."

"Thanks." Ukyo didn't smile, but she did nod. "I'll try to keep you more in the loop from now on. However, I might have another idea. You've already proven that you're good with money, and you've got a drive to turn a profit. How would you like to put that drive to work... for me?"

Nabiki sat up straight in her chair. "Oh? You're thinking of going into business?"

"More like... buying into one." Ukyo did smile, now. "It's a bit late for me to be starting off with my own shop, learning how to cook again, and all the details of running a restaurant. However, Shampoo and Cologne have expressed an interest in my coming to work for them. I figure that's the best way for me to get on my feet again, to become the chef that my father was... that I was starting to become, before Genma took me away from my home.

"I'm not gonna just be some waitress, though." Ukyo shook her head. "If I'm going to start my okonomiyaki business, I'm going to have a stake in it... and I'm going to make okonomiyaki, not Chinese dishes. I don't mind learning whatever Cologne has to teach me, just so I can become a better chef, but okonomiyaki is my life."

"So that's why you're thinking of buying into it," Nabiki guessed. "You're thinking of buying... what, fifty percent of the business? So you can have an equal partnership with Cologne?"

"Well... that's where you come in." Ukyo smirked, knowingly. "I need you to find out just how much the Cat Cafe is worth, and how much I need to invest to match it. There's an empty shop right next door to the Cafe. I was thinking of buying it up, tearing down the walls between them, and joining the two shops. It'll have its own entrance, and I can set up an open griddle where I can make okonomiyaki, for lunch. Then, when the dinner crowds come in, we can close down the grill, and open up the tables to the Cat Cafe's customers. I can help out Cologne in the kitchen, or wait tables, or both."

Nabiki's eyes had grown brighter and brighter as Ukyo spoke. She now sat on the edge of her chair. "And how do you expect to pay for this?" she asked. "I hope you don't think *I* have a lot of money. Most of what I deal with is chump change. I've put some aside for college, but not a lot, and it would be quite a risk to invest that in something that could take years to turn a profit."

Ukyo's grin grew wider. "That's why I was thinking that we need an investor. Someone with a LOT of money, just sitting around. Someone that you deal with on a regular basis, so you know how to... interest him in a purchase. And it wouldn't hurt if he's a bit stupid. And if this person, that happens to have a whole lot of money, just might so happen to have a CRUSH on me... ?

Her grin was now positively diabolic. "Do you think we might know somebody like that?"

Nabiki's grin matched Ukyo's perfectly. "Oh, I think we might."

The two girls broke out laughing, and then Ukyo turned more serious. "I've got a little money myself, that I've saved up on the road. I had to keep it away from the Old Man, so it's not much. But I always intended to use it to help me start my business. I figure with that, with what you can provide, and a lot of help from Kuno, we can go to the Amazons with a really good deal. Something they would be stupid to turn down."

Nabiki studied her face for a moment. "Are you planning to try and make Shampoo give up on Ranma?"

"More like Cologne, but yeah, I hope to work with Shampoo as well. She likes me, and I think she trusts me. She doesn't want to give up, but hopefully I can talk to her about it. And Mousse, too. I'd kind of like to see those two together."

"You sure did well with Ranma and Akane," Nabiki said with a chuckle.

Ukyo blushed and looked at the ground. "Well... I didn't do that much."

"You did more than you think you did. I know my little sister, and between smoothing things over with that jackass of a brother you've got, and teaching her how to REALLY be a martial artist... you've made her happier than she's been in years."

Nabiki paused a moment. "Which, I guess, I owe you for."

Ukyo continued to look embarrassed, but she smiled.

"All right. I think the first thing we need to do is draw up a contract." Nabiki turned back to her desk, and began to pull out paperwork. "For you and me, of course, but also for the Amazons. We'll want to make clear that we're buying up half ownership of the Cat Cafe. I also recommend you make an offer to buy up the other half in total, should they decide to return to China. That will give them a quick out, and make it easier for them to decide that way."

Ukyo's expression turned serious as well. "That sounds good. I do want to make clear, though, that you're a silent partner in this business. While you'll be helping me to negotiate with Cologne, *I'm* the one that's buying interest in this restaurant. I don't want you looking over my shoulder, or trying to tell me how to run inventory or set prices. That's my job; it's what I was born and raised to do. You may know your way around money, but I'm guessing you don't know your way around a kitchen. And unlike Akane, you don't wanna know."

"You got that right." Nabiki turned back and eyed her, coolly, over her shoulder. "But you're essentially jumping in with both feet, here. Are you sure you're ready for that?"

"I'd better be," Ukyo said, unflinchingly meeting the older girl's gaze. "If I'm not, I'd better find out now, and not later. But there are some lessons you never forget. I may have been out of the business for ten years, but working for Cologne I've found a lot of it coming back to me. And I've really missed it...

"If nothing else, I'll have Cologne to help me out. Which is the other reason I don't want any outside interference, I'm going to have enough trouble dealing with her. That means I don't want Kuno coming around thinking he can order me around or anything either. I'll make sure both you and he continue to get good returns on your investments, all I ask is that let me run things the way I want to."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself. You're taking a big risk, you know."

Ukyo nodded. "I'll put it this way. If you want to invest your college money, I'll make sure you get it back after a year. I'll take a loss to make sure you get it back, with interest."

Nabiki turned back in her chair. "Somehow, I don't think it'll come to that. Between you and Cologne, I'm betting my money's safe. If you'll cover my college tuition, I believe I can spare the whole thing. And I'll get you a good rate on Kuno-baby's investment as well."

Ukyo grinned. "So when you wanna tell the Amazons?"

"I think we can set up an appointment tomorrow, if you like. If you're serious about working with the Amazons, though, you might want to see this."

Nabiki turned in her chair and opened her desk drawer. Then she pulled out the book. She handed it to Ukyo, who studied it closely.

"What is this?" Ukyo asked.

"The Laws of the Amazons", Nabiki answered with a grin. "And not that abridged version with the Japanese translation that they give to the tourists. No, I had some contacts help me find the real thing, direct from the Joketsuzoku."

She pointed at the book. "You'll notice it's written in Mandarin. I've been working on translating it myself, and my contact gave me some suggestions on the best places to look. It's rough going, but this is what I've got so far." Nabiki pulled out the notebook, and handed it to Ukyo as well.

"So you've been trying to help Ranma find a way out of the Kiss of Marriage?" Ukyo asked her.

Nabiki folded her hands, steepling her fingers. "Well, if I could find that information, it would be worth a lot to both you and Ranma. But unfortunately, I haven't found anything like that so far."

Ukyo gave her a guarded look. "So what are you giving this to me for? You expectin' a finder's fee?"

"Not at all." Nabiki waved a hand. "I just figured with our new... partnership... you might like to know I have it. And in the spirit of good faith, I might be able to give you some information that could help you."

"Oh?"

"Well, Shampoo's claim isn't nearly as strong as she and Cologne have led us to believe. I found that out from a little conversation I... overheard, between her and Cologne. That it was Kuno that defeated her and not Ranma puts her claim on somewhat shaky ground. It's nothing they can't get around, as long as Shampoo is set on having Ranma, but it does make it a bit better for us if we have to challenge it to the Council."

"Of course, to do that, we'd have to go to China." Ukyo was flipping through the pages of Nabiki's translation.

"And that's if the Council will even listen to us. It would likely come down to a battle between one of you and Shampoo, in a challenge over Ranma." Nabiki's expression soured a bit. "Akane likely wouldn't be allowed to challenge as she's an 'outsider', or if she did win, it would most certainly be grounds for the Kiss of Death. You might have a chance, since they consider you a 'Shield Sister', but I'm not really sure what that means..."

Nabiki blew out a breath as she considered. "I'm not sure if it helps in any way, but supposedly there is a way to counteract the Kiss of Death. It is possible for one warrior to challenge an Amazon as a replacement for another, who is unable to answer the Kiss of Death."

"In other words, someone else could sacrifice their life to satisfy the Kiss of Death." Ukyo scowled. "That's not very helpful. Ranma doesn't seem to be subject to it now that they know he's male, and neither Akane nor I have actually received a Kiss of Death."

Nabiki nodded. "It's a good thing Akane got Shampoo to kiss Ryoga instead - although I overheard Cologne say that doesn't count as a Kiss of Marriage. Too bad, because I can't think of anything funnier than either Kuno or Pig Boy getting stuck with Shampoo."

"I don't know about Ryoga, but I don't think even Shampoo deserves to get stuck with Kuno," Ukyo said. "Even I don't want to do something that horrible to her." Both girls laughed, at that.

"Well, I will keep looking into it," Nabiki said, taking the booklet and notebook back from Ukyo. "I'm not sure there is a way out of the Kiss of Marriage, but it can't hurt to look."

* * *

"No way! Forget it! I'm not doing it!"

"But Akane! You're our only chance to win the drama contest! Please, you're the only one who can play the lead!"

Ranma studied the two weird actors that had approached Akane while they were cleaning the classroom. He couldn't help but laugh to himself. One of them was dressed as some sort of clown, while the other was wearing a Godzilla costume. Ranma, of course, didn't know what a Harlequin was, but he did think they looked pretty ridiculous.

"Me? The lead role?" Akane asked, her tone scornful. "Let me guess. A warrior princess. Or maybe a girl hiding out as a samurai in an army troop." Her eyes narrowed. "Or even worse... some jungle queen in a skimpy bikini. Is that what you're thinking?" She shook her fist, as the two actors backed away, warily.

Ranma laughed again. "You'd be perfect for it, Akane!"

She turned to glare at him, although there was a hint of pink to her cheeks. "Oh, you'd like to see me in a skimpy bikini, huh pervert?" Although she sounded mad, there was a bit of a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Of course not!" Ranma protested, the reflex almost automatic. "You're just such a gorilla it's the perfect role for you."

"Ranma!" She swung her broom at him, and he jumped over it.

"What's the matter, Akane?" Ukyo asked, coming up to join them. "It sounds like it'd be fun."

"You think so?" Akane grabbed Ukyo by the shoulders, and turned her around to face the two boys. "Here! Here's your lead actress. She's strong, she's agile, she does her own stunts, she's even the one who trained me! She'd be WAY better at it than I would."

Ukyo looked a bit caught off guard. "Hey, Akane, I don't know if I'd say I'd be better just because we trained together..."

"Look, I hate plays, okay!" she said, to Ukyo. "You do it!"

"But she's a cross-dresser," the Harlequin shot back. "We need an actress that's willing to wear a dress."

Ukyo snarled at him. "CROSS-DRESSER? I AM NOT A CROSS-DRESSER! I just... I just find pants more comfortable, that's all..." She looked down, blushing and pushing her fingertips together.

Akane stared at him in surprise, completely ignoring Ukyo's response. "What do you mean... you need an actress that's willing to wear a dress?"

The actor glanced at Ukyo, then back at Akane. "What Juliet wouldn't be wearing a dress?"

Akane gaped in astonishment, her eyes suddenly shining. "Juliet? Did you say Juliet? As in Romeo and Juliet?" She suddenly grabbed the boy's hands. "I'll do it!"

Ukyo gave her a sidelong glance. "I thought you said you hated plays."

"That's before I found out it was Juliet." She turned back to the Harlequin, almost begging him. "Please, you've got to let me play Juliet!"

"So you'll do it! Great!" The boy looked relieved, as did his reptilian partner. "Now all we need to do is cast a Romeo."

Akane suddenly turned beet red. She looked at Ranma, while at the same moment the Harlequin eyed Ukyo suggestively. Ukyo stared back at him, and then turned red herself as she realized what he was thinking.

"NO WAY! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY!"

Akane glanced at her and, amazingly, her blush grew even deeper. Her uncomfortable moment was interrupted as Kuno popped up in front of her. She drew back, disgusted, as he took her hand.

"Alas, poor Juliet, I knew her well. Let me kiss again those lips I have kissed I know not how oft."

"Eh?" Akane stared aghast at Kuno for a moment, then frowned. "That's Hamlet, Kuno. You're confused."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Ukyo commented.

"And who said that you could try out?" the Harlequin asked him.

Kuno looked disdainfully down on him. "I could call my father to have him send me permission."

The Harlequin turned even whiter than his makeup. "I don't think that'll be necessary."

"Wait! Wait! I was promised the lead role!" Hikaru Gosunkugi rushed in, and tried to impale Kuno with one of his voodoo spikes. Instead, Kuno sidestepped him, and he just hammered it into one of the desks.

"At my age, playing Romeo isn't going to be easy." All eyes turned to see Happosai, posed in a spotlight that had somehow appeared around him. "But for the chance to do a love scene with my sweet Akane... I'll do it!"

He leaped at Akane's chest, but Ranma stomped on him. Akane looked up to give him a grateful smile, then swallowed and looked away. Ranma became a little concerned, as Akane wrapped her arms around herself, and blushed very deeply. He was worried that the old pervert had embarrassed her or something, but as Akane looked into his eyes he saw something there. It was a look he had seen before, whenever she was getting up the nerve to get closer to him. Most recently, he had seen it when he was staring at her, while she was wearing nothing but her bra and gym shorts.

Akane took a deep breath to steel her resolve, although her heart was pounding. Looking up at the Harlequin, she took on a determined expression. "I think Ranma should take the role of Romeo. Not that I care about the baka or anything but... he IS my fiancé. And I think I trust him not to go too far in our scenes together."

Ranma was really worried, now. "Whaddya talkin' about, Akane?"

Kuno did not let her answer, however. "That fiend?" he asked, pointing at Ranma disdainfully. "Play Romeo, to your fair Juliet? Surely you must jest, my love. It must be some foul spell that compels you to say otherwise, that the lead role should be played by anyone other than the great Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High."

"If this Romeo is a pompous windbag, Kuno, you'd be perfect to play him," Ukyo said, causing Akane to shoot her a dirty look. Ukyo then added, "But I don't think Akane wants you to play Romeo." Akane's frown faded as she blushed and looked away.

"But... but..." Gosunkugi stuttered, putting his hands to his face. He looked like he wanted to protest, but was too timid to speak up.

"Of course Akane wants me to play Romeo," Kuno said, sweeping Ukyo into his arms. She slugged him in the face. "As do you, and if you were not under the spell of that fiend, you would say so. But do not worry, my love, I know the thoughts of your heart."

"That'll be the day," Ukyo said, and she sent Kuno sprawling with her second punch.

"I don't think there's any reason for tryouts," Happosai said, with a challenging sneer. "Why don't we all just settle this, right here and now?"

"Hey!" Ranma cut in. "I haven't agreed ta do nothin'!"

Kuno pulled himself to his feet. "A Battle Royale, over the part of Romeo? I accept!"

"Battle? Wait, no!" Akane tried to interrupt, but nobody was paying attention to her. She swallowed, trying to regain her focus. "I think Ranma should..."

"Hold it, hold it!" The Harlequin finally cut in, as he was also feeling his control over the situation slipping. "If we do not hold auditions, how do we know who is best for the role? Do any of you even know the play Romeo and Juliet?"

"Of course," Kuno said coolly. "It is a samurai drama, is it not?"

Gosunkugi stared at them with his wide, unblinking eyes. "I am in the Drama Club, of course I know it," he said. He then bent over, making his voice hoarse and high-pitched. "Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble..."

"That's Macbeth!" Akane shouted. Although she sounded angry, she just felt overwhelmed. She almost said "Taming of the Shrew".

The Harlequin turned to his partner in the Godzilla suit. "Oh, this is a disaster. We are never going to win that Community Theater prize to see China."

"China!" Ukyo suddenly perked up, as did Ranma. But while she turned to him, excited, he just looked thoughtful. "We could get you your cure, Ranchan!" Ukyo said.

Ranma looked at Akane, who just stared back at him. In the inside, the black haired tomboy felt like her head was spinning. She didn't know whether to be angry, embarrassed, frightened, flustered, or what. A cure? There was a cure for him in this?

"Nah," Ranma said, "I don't wanna be cured, but we could give the ticket ta Ryoga or somethin', right Akane? Or I could go along with him." He stared at her for a moment, as he noticed the unfocused look in her eyes. "Akane, you okay?"

Akane tried her best to concentrate on what Ranma was saying. She knew Ranma didn't want to be cured, but she remembered how unhappy he was when he thought his cure was lost. Did she want him to be cured? That's not important right now, she told herself, I've got the chance to play Juliet, but that means... that means Ranma and I...

"It is obvious she is overwhelmed by the thought of her love for me," Kuno said. With that, he strode boldly forward to embrace her. This startled Akane out of her stupor, and she shoved him away from her, snarling.

The two Drama Club students were looking at each other. "What are we going to do? We can't just let them fight it out, but what choice do we have?"

"Leave Akane alone!" Ranma grabbed Kuno and pulled him away. "All right, Kuno. You wanna fight me, I'll fight ya."

"No!" Akane protested.

"That's the spirit, my boy!" Happosai chortled. He and Ranma both fell into a stance, as Kuno drew his sword.

"I've got a better idea!" Gosunkugi suddenly yelled. He paused, and gulped when the others all looked at him. Then he swallowed. I can't possibly fight them, he told himself. I've got to come up with something else.

"Why don't we wait until the day of the play, and settle this on stage! We can all four fight, as Romeo, and let the AUDIENCE decide!" That might give me a chance, he thought. I don't have to fight, I just have to make it LOOK good for the audience.

This seemed to interest the Harlequin. "Yes, that might work! Four Romeos, all fighting for the hand of Juliet! It's so new, so exciting! The audience will love it!"

"What?" Akane seemed to no longer be confused, having settled on anger as her prevailing mood. "You can't possibly be listening to these idiots!"

Ranma, unfortunately, had not noticed. "That sounds good to me," he said, eyeing Kuno and Happosai with a smirk. "We'll wait until the play, and then we'll see who the best Romeo is."

He was surprised as Akane grabbed him and spun him around. Then she slapped him across the face. "You're ruining everything! This is a LOVE STORY, not a brawl!"

Ranma felt his heart sink in his chest. "I thought you cared about me!" Akane cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her face was scarlet with anger, but it was the hurt in her eyes that made Ranma swallow and look away. "I thought you understood! But you're just fighting over me, like I'm some sort of prize again! This was my chance! And you've... and you've... YOU'VE TURNED IT INTO SOME SORT OF GAME!"

She turned away, putting an arm over her face to hide the tears. "Just leave me alone, Ranma! Do the play yourself if you want. I don't care anymore..." With that, she ran out of the classroom.

"Now look what you've done!" Kuno snapped, as Ranma stared at Akane's retreating back. "How dare you toy with my fierce tigress' affections, you cad! Have you no shame?"

Ranma looked back at him, now growing mad himself. "I didn't do nothin'! You're the one that messed everything up! I didn't wanna be in no dumb play anyway!"

"But now who can play Juliet to my magnificent performance as Romeo?" Kuno asked, melodramatically. "Who, I ask you?"

He turned to Ukyo. "Come, my ponytailed goddess. Agree to be Juliet and we can proclaim our love on the stage." He took her hands. "It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!"

If Ukyo had realized Kuno had finally chosen the right play, she might have laughed. As it was, she just kicked him into Happosai. She then turned to Ranma. "You'd better go after her, Bro. I don't know what's goin' on, but I think this was really important to her. She may be mad, but I think she needs you to tell her not to give up."

She paused a moment. "And you'd better tell her you're sorry."

"Hey, I didn't..." Ranma cut himself off as Ukyo just stared at him. Then he hung his head. "Okay." He turned and walked out of the room.

Akane wasn't anywhere to be seen in the halls or the courtyard of Furinkan, and so Ranma headed out the gates and down the street towards home. Sure enough, he found Akane stalking along on the sidewalk, her shoulders hunched over. From time to time she would sniffle and wipe her eyes. Ranma hurried up until he was just close enough that she would know he was there. She straightened up and tried to wipe her tears away.

"What do you want?" She finally asked.

"Uh... um..." Ranma finally just sighed. "Sorry, Akane."

She snorted, and turned to face away from him. "Sure you are."

"Hey, I am! I didn't wanna be in no dumb play!"

Akane shot him a glare that, if it were an Anything Goes technique, would have reduced him to ash in seconds. Then she looked away again.

Damn it. Ranma put his hand behind his head. "Sorry. Again. Um... I just meant..." He sighed again. "It's not a dumb play... I guess... if you wanna be in it. If you don't want me to be Romeo, then I won't be."

She turned on him, her eyes flashing. "IDIOT! MORON! JACKASS! So you think I'm just going to let Kuno or Happosai kiss me!" She slapped him again, with enough force this time to knock him sprawling to the ground. "No one touches my lips but you! Got that?"

Ranma's eyes widened in shock, even as he rubbed at his cheek. "KISSING? NOBODY SAID NOTHIN' ABOUT KISSING!"

Akane's scowl grew even more intense, her eyebrows drawing together. "Do you even know who Romeo and Juliet are to each other?"

"Um..." Ranma swallowed, hard. All of a sudden he remembered Akane saying "This is a love story". And Happosai's comment about doing a love scene with her. "Um... no?"

The angry expression relaxed slightly, but only slightly. "Well. Fine then. Come on." With that, Akane grabbed Ranma's hand, and began to drag him down the street. Ranma tried to protest, but Akane ignored both his complaints and his attempts to break free. By the time they reached the Tendo home, Ranma had nearly stumbled and fallen on his face five times, and he would have, if Akane's momentum hadn't carried him along.

She dragged him in the front door, without even making a greeting, and up the stairs. She finally came to a stop in her room, and let him go. Ranma rubbed his wrist to try and get the circulation going again. Meanwhile, Akane began to dig in her wardrobe, and began moving things around in the very bottom drawer.

Finally moving a bunch of her older clothes aside, she pulled out a stack of papers. Ranma could see the title "Romeo and Juliet" typewritten on the top page. She walked over to Ranma, still frowning, and smacked the papers into his chest.

"Here," she said, wrapping his arms around the pages. "Read it. Baka." She then grabbed him by the shoulders, and forcefully shoved him out of her room. Her door slammed behind him with a bang.

* * *

"So who is this Romeo guy, Pops?" Ranma asked his father.

The panda held up a sign. "I think he's from the planet Krypton."

Ranma shook his head, walking past Genma into the family room. "Shoulda known he'd be no help."

"Didn't Akane give you that script?" Ukyo asked him, pointing at the stack of papers that he had been struggling with all evening. "Why haven't you read it yet?"

"I can't make heads or tails of the fool thing!" He complained. "It's written like Kuno talks!"

"What? Let me see it." Ukyo took the script away from him, and leafed through a few pages. "Geez, you're right. It's like readin' some of those old technique scrolls we used to find on the training trip. Sounds like it was written a hundred years ago."

"Is Akane doing Romeo and Juliet again?" Kasumi asked, coming in from the kitchen with a tray holding several cups of tea. "Oh, I hope she gets to be Juliet this time..."

"This time?" Ukyo looked up, interested.

"Yes, her elementary school did the play, when she was younger," Kasumi said.

Ah, Ukyo thought to herself. So that's it. She missed her chance to be Juliet. "Did the other kids not think she was good enough to play the lead role?" she asked out loud.

"No, actually, they all wanted her for the lead. The other children all praised her and said she would do a very good job. But..." Kasumi smiled brightly, but with a hint of discomfort. "They asked her to play Romeo."

"Romeo?" Ukyo looked back at the script. "That's the guy's role! Right?"

"Yes. She was so athletic and knew martial arts and Kendo so well. The other children all insisted that she play Romeo."

"Heh." Ranma grinned widely. "I can just see the tomboy. She musta really looked the part."

Ukyo slapped him upside the head. "Shut up, Ranchan. That's obviously it. It was Juliet that she really wanted to be."

"So what?" Ranma rubbed his head, while he scowled at his sister. "It's her own fault for bein' more of a boy than the boys in her class."

"Jackass. Listen, Ranma, how would you feel if that Drama Club guy had asked you to play Juliet? Say, you were in girl form, and he thought he was asking me."

"I ain't gonna play no silly girl!"

"Yeah, and I don't wanna play no stupid guy, either. And neither does Akane. I'm a girl, and I'd rather play a girl, thank you."

Ukyo scowled, remembering the way the director had looked at her, like he was considering her for Romeo. So I wear boy's clothes, she said to herself, that doesn't make me a boy!

"You'd feel pretty bad," she told Ranma, "if everyone talked about what a great girl you were and how pretty you were and what a perfect Juliet you made. I bet you'd be pretty mad."

He was. Ranma clenched his teeth, growling as he considered it. "Yeah, I'd be pretty mad all right. I've punched guys for less than that. Ryoga, for one."

Suddenly, Ranma remembered his conversation with Ryoga in the equipment shed, and telling him that Akane wanted him to say she was pretty. His mind shot him an image of the look on her face when he called her cute, when she was standing there in the girl's locker room.

Ukyo continued, not noticing his change in mood. "Now say you get your chance to play Romeo instead. You get to show what a big man you are. But me, and Akane and Shampoo all start fighting over who is going to be Juliet. And who's gonna get ta give you a great big, sloppy smooch..." She winked at him.

"Ew!" Ranma shook his head, his thoughts returning abruptly to the present. "Thanks a lot, Sis! I didn't need you to say that!" He shuddered again, his mouth twisting into a grimace. "But I get the point. Akane finally got her chance to be Juliet. And I turned it into some kinda joke."

Ukyo smacked him across the head again. "'Bout time you got it, jackass."

"All right, all right. But I still don't even know what the play's about! Or why it's written in all this flowery stuff..."

"You've really never heard of Romeo and Juliet?" Kasumi asked him. "It's a very famous play by William Shakespeare."

"I've never heard of it either," Ukyo said. "Or at least, I've never seen it. I think I may have heard the name. The Old Man didn't take us to many plays or shows. I thought it was some American movie."

"Romeo and Juliet are the original 'star-crossed lovers'," Kasumi said gently. "But their fathers are enemies. So they have to hide their love."

Ranma looked surprised. "Huh. That's funny. It's kinda like us, only the other way around. Our fathers want us to get married." He then suddenly started to turn pink. "Um, not that I... uh... you know, not like I wanna marry Akane or anything."

Kasumi smiled at him. "I'm sure you'll do fine, Ranma. It's just a school play, after all. Just have fun and enjoy yourself."

Ranma blushed and cut his eyes up at Kasumi. "I'm gonna have ta kiss Akane, ain't I?"

"Maybe." Her smile grew wider. "But Akane must really trust you if she's willing to do a scene like that with you. I'm sure that you won't go too far."

"No, no, of course not!" Ranma waved his hands, nervously. "It's just a play, like you said! It's just pretend! Right?" He turned to Ukyo for her confirmation, and although she grinned impishly at him, she nodded.

"Whaddya say, Ranchan?" she asked him. "Why don't you go tell Akane you'll do the play with her? In the meantime, I'll hold onto this, and see if I can figure it out for you." She indicated the script.

Ranma looked thoughtful for a few minutes more. Then, his mind made up, he stood. "Okay, Sis. I'll go talk to Akane. Although I hope she's not still mad..."

He walked upstairs to Akane's room. There, he hesitated before knocking on the door, staring at the wooden duck that held Akane's name. Despite his determination, he still wasn't sure if Akane had calmed down. Taking a deep breath, he knocked.

"Come on in," Akane said. Her voice was soft, and a little regretful, which seemed like a good sign.

As he opened the door, she turned over on her bed, and sat up to look at him. He could see that her eyes were still red from crying, but the tear stains were gone. As he stared at her, she studied him for a minute, her expression serious. Then she patted the bed next to her. "So did you read it, Ranma?"

"Not yet," Ranma said, a little sheepishly. "But Kasumi explained it to me." He walked over to the bed and sat down. As he did, her eyes widened, and she grabbed his head, turning his face to look at the welt she had left on his cheek.

"Oh, Ranma! Did I do that?" She sighed deeply, and then winced as she traced the mark with her fingers. "I really lost it, didn't I? I'm sorry..."

"Nah, it don't bother me," he said. "Besides, I was bein' a jerk. I'm sorry too, Akane. This was your fight. This was your chance to show everyone that you can be a really great Juliet, and I just messed it up."

Akane's eyes widened in shock. Then she suddenly put a hand to her face, to wipe away an unexpected tear. "Well, it may not bother you, Ranma, but it bothers me. It's a weakness, Ranma, and I've just got to keep working on it."

She paused a moment, then continued, a little of her old contrariness returning. "So, if you haven't finished it, what did you come in here for?"

Ranma stared down at the bed, blushing. "I just wanted you to know that, um... I think you'll make a really... pretty... Juliet. An' I'm sure you'll do a great job."

Akane turned just as red. She found she couldn't look at Ranma, either. "Oh. Thanks."

Finally, Ranma worked up the courage to turn back to her, and took her hand. Akane jumped a little, surprised. "I also wanted ya to know, I don't know nothin' about plays, and I may not know how to say all that flowery stuff, and I don't know how I'm gonna remember all those lines." Ranma frowned to himself, and Akane giggled a bit. "But I'm gonna try and be the best Romeo I can for you."

Ranma stared at her. "If this is important to you, then..." Akane found her breath catch in her throat, her heart pounding. "Then it's important to me."

He then looked away again. "Even if I have ta... you know... kiss ya."

Akane folded her hands in her lap, also looking down at her bed. "Well... Ranma... you don't really mind kissing me. Do you?" She sounded uncertain.

"Of course not! Just... not in front of an audience."

"Yeah, I know." When Ranma looked back at her, she wrapped her arms around him, drawing him into a tight embrace. "I feel the same way. As long as we're alone, right?"

"Yeah."

After a few moments, Akane released him, and sat back. "We really don't have to kiss," she said. "No one will ever know for sure with us up on stage, we'll be too far away."

Ranma looked relieved, but at the same time disappointed. She smiled at his expression. "All right, Ranma," Akane said. "Tomorrow I'll tell them that I'll do the play, on two conditions. The first is that you will play Romeo. If they won't accept that, then I won't play Juliet. There's not going to be some free-for-all over me and who is going to play Romeo.

"The second is that you won't kiss me for real. I'll say that you're my fiancé, which is the only reason I'm even considering it, but we're really just friends and you're the only one I trust to make it look real without actually kissing me. As far as everyone knows, including our parents, our lips won't actually touch."

Her cheeks turned pink, and she lowered her head a bit, to look out at him through her eyelashes. "Although... if, in the heat of the moment, well, you really want to... I'll give you permission to kiss me. As long as I say it didn't really happen - and Nabiki doesn't take any pictures - they'll have to believe me."

"Okay." Ranma swallowed, and tried to figure out whether that meant she would be more disappointed in him if he didn't try. Akane's coy but embarrassed expression didn't seem to tell him either way.

She smiled brightly at his agreement, and Ranma grew even more nervous. She just looked so cute when she was happy like that.

Akane didn't seem to notice. "Hopefully," she said, "once they learn I'm not willing to kiss Romeo for real, Kuno and Happosai will give up on it. Otherwise, I was thinking Kuno would be perfect for the role of Paris. We can tell him he's the other man fighting for Juliet's heart."

"Ugh. Don't ya think he'll just cause us more trouble?" Ranma asked her, shaking his head in disgust.

"Not really." Her grin turned impish. "In the end, Romeo kills him!"


	69. Hopes, Dreams, and Fears

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 69

The next morning, the Tendo family gathered around the table while they waited for Kasumi to serve breakfast. Ukyo and Akane had finished their morning spar, but Ranma and his father, whom Ranma had already dunked in the koi pond, were still fighting. Ukyo and Akane watched, amused, as Ranma leaped and ducked around the giant panda. For the moment, he was managing to avoid his father's attempts to even the score by knocking Ranma into the pond as well.

"Say, Akane," Ukyo began. "I arranged with Kodachi for her to come over tonight, during our evening sparring session. I hope you don't mind working by yourself for a while, so I can have some time to train with her alone."

"Not a problem," Akane said. "So, you don't want me to help?"

"Not at first. I'll want you to help once we start building up her conditioning, assuming she wants to do that. Like me, she's fast, but she needs to be tough enough to take a hit, too. But first, I want to run her through the basics and see where she is."

Ukyo paused a moment, as Ranma flew past them, and landed on the floor on the other side of the table. The panda held up his sign, "Getting sloppy, boy?"

"I'll show you sloppy, Old Man!" Ranma snarled back. He jumped over the table and back at his father.

"I've got a lot to do to get her started, and not a lot of time," Ukyo said, as if she hadn't been interrupted. "She's agreed to come over twice a week, and on Sundays when she doesn't have gymnastics practice, but she can't really practice every day like we can. She's got to come over from her house, while we live right here."

"I understand," Akane said. "Actually, I was going to ask if you it was okay if we cut back on our evening practice a bit. I'll need the time to rehearse the play with Ranma."

Ukyo nodded, but Happosai suddenly cut in on the conversation. "You're not losing interest in my Art, are you little Akane? It isn't getting too tough for you?" Although there was genuine concern in his voice, his tone was smug, and Ukyo frowned at him.

At that moment, though, Ranma finally fell into the koi pond with a splash. She leaped out of the water in Ukyo's form, still swinging frantically at the panda. "I'm gonna get you, Pop!" she yelled, in a now much higher pitched voice. There was a faint jingling from upstairs. Ukyo cut her eyes up at the ceiling, and then looked back out over the engawa.

Akane, meanwhile, answered Happosai's accusation, her expression as sour as Ukyo's. "Of course I haven't lost interest!" Akane snapped. "This is just for a while, until the play is over. Ranma and I need the time to do the best we can at playing Romeo and Juliet."

"What about the next time?" Happosai said with a wry grin. "Is there going to be something else that takes time away from Anything Goes?"

"Of course not!" Akane turned away with a huff. But Soun smiled widely, obviously pleased by his daughter's answer.

"Leave them alone, Master," Soun said. "It's obvious Akane and her fiancé want to spend some time together. There is always time for that." He began to sob. "My little girl is growing up so fast!"

"It's not like that, Daddy!" Akane protested. "Ranma and I are just rehearsing the play."

Ranma and his father came in through the engawa, soaking wet and shaking off the water, but Ukyo stood up. "Hold on a moment. I have to check on something." She strode out into the yard, then turned around and reached under the engawa. She dragged out Sasuke, who struggled to escape from her grasp as she lifted him by his collar.

"Did you find whatever it is you were lookin' for?" she asked the little ninja.

Sasuke looked embarrassed, even as he continued to try to wiggle free. Ukyo held him a couple of feet in the air. "My mistress Kodachi told me what I thought must be an insane story. That Ranma Saotome has a curse that turns him into you, Kuonji! I had to see this for myself!"

"Ah, I guess that makes sense." She put him down. "So you're convinced this is real, now? That what Kodachi told you is true?"

"I suppose so," Sasuke fiddled with his fingertips. "After living with Master Kuno for so long, I have learned not to question some of the things my master and mistress say. But Kodachi was so insistent..."

"It's a Chinese curse," Ukyo said. "My brother and I fell into a cursed spring in China. My brother turns into me, and I change form, too. Kuno thinks the red haired girl is Ranma, but she's actually me."

Sasuke stared at her for a moment, wide-eyed. "Would you like me to show you?" Ukyo asked him, her smile turning friendly.

"No, no, I don't think that will be necessary." He glanced sheepishly at the other family members inside the house. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

"What are you going to tell Kuno?" Ukyo asked.

The little ninja shrugged. "Do you think he will believe me?" He sounded hopeful, but not too much so.

"I doubt it. Ranchan and I have explained it to his face, several times. I suspect Kodachi is right, he's blocking the truth so he doesn't have to worry that any time he's coming on to me, he might be chasin' after another guy."

"It does seem so. Well, I am sorry again." With that, he leaped over the Tendo wall and disappeared.

"Well, that was kind of amusing, I guess." She walked back inside, where Kasumi was handing Ranma a towel and a kettle. Ranma used the towel to cover herself while she wrung out her shirt, and then changed back with the kettle.

Ukyo sat back down at the table. "Anyway, Akane, I agree. You'll need the extra time to rehearse with Ranchan, and it won't take that much time away from your training. I'll work with Kodachi while you're rehearsing."

"That's my boy," Genma said, once again in his human form. He patted Ranma on the back. "You need to spend as much time as possible with your fiancée."

Soun burst into tears again. "The schools will be joined before we know it!"

"Hey, hold on!" Ranma cut in. "It's just a play! It's just make-believe."

"That's right!" Akane added. "Just because we're playing Romeo and Juliet, that doesn't mean Ranma and I l-l-love each other." Her face grew pink, in contrast to her words. "It's just acting!"

"See, you're already getting along, in agreement and everything." Genma seemed to have missed that Ranma and Akane were in agreement about disagreeing with him. "This play is just the thing to cause a new love to bloom. Perhaps we should start thinking about a wedding..."

"WEDDING?" Ranma protested. "There's no way I'm gonna marry that uncute tomboy!"

"And I don't want to marry him!" Akane agreed. "Not yet... I don't want to marry anybody yet!" Her muttered afterthought almost slipped out of her mouth, but she managed to catch it quickly enough for a last-minute clarification.

"No time like the present!" Genma said joyfully, he and Soun linking hands and dancing around. "We can have the priest here by tomorrow."

"I'm not doin' this for Akane!" Ranma cut in. "I'm doing it for a trip ta China! There's a prize for the school that does the best play, and I plan on winnin' that prize." His desperation suddenly turned to a wicked grin. "Don'tcha want to get cured, Pops?"

That stopped the old man in his tracks. "A cure?"

"That's right. The winners get to see China. I bet we could arrange ta have you go along..."

Akane, meanwhile, had stared at Ranma, stunned. But then she looked at Ukyo and noticed her reassuring smile. Of course, Ranma was just saying that to fool their fathers. She tried to put aside the feelings of hurt and rejection. Ranma was doing the play for her, she knew that. He had said so. Let the fathers believe he was doing it to get his cure, she knew the truth. There was a little doubting voice in the back of her head that said that maybe she only believed it was the truth, but she did her best to ignore it.

Why had it hurt to hear Ranma say he didn't want to marry her? She and Ranma weren't ready to get married yet. They hadn't even said they loved each other, although she was pretty sure how Ranma felt. She stopped to wonder when Ranma would finally say those words to her, not noticing the dreamy smile that came over her face as she did. Fortunately, no one else was paying attention to her, so they didn't see it either.

Genma, in the meantime, had fallen for the story. "Absolutely, son, I totally agree, you need to work hard with your fiancée in order to win that prize." He put his arms around Ranma and Akane, surprising them both, and herded them towards the stairs. "In fact, you should probably go up and practice right now."

Ranma slugged him in the face, and Genma hit the floor. Akane put her hands on her hips as she stood over him. "We've got to go to school!" she yelled at him. "And we haven't had breakfast yet! Honestly!" She huffed and stomped back to her place at the table, while Ranma just grinned at his father, before walking over to sit down beside her.

Ukyo watched the pair as they settled at the table and started eating. Then she pointed with her chopsticks at Happosai. "That reminds me; Master Happosai mentioned something about a special attack while we were at the public baths the other day. He called it the Ultimate Technique of Anything Goes, the Happo Fire Burst or something." She looked at Genma and Soun. "Do either of you guys remember anything about it?"

Their reaction was immediate. "The Happo Fire Burst!" Soun exclaimed. He and Genma both rose from their seats, putting up their hands as if to ward off an expected attack. "What did you do to merit the master's wrath in such a fashion? And are we going to have to pay for repairs to the bathhouse?"

"No, no, the master didn't remember the attack. And there weren't that many damages to the bathhouse." Ukyo glanced at Nabiki. "We already took care of that.

"Happosai said that he wrote the technique down on a scroll," Ukyo continued, "and you guys might know where it was."

Relieved, the two fathers sat back down at the low table and started eating again. "If the master has forgotten the attack," Genma said solemnly, "perhaps it is best if it stays that way."

"Indeed, Saotome," Soun agreed. "That technique was far too dangerous for any martial artist to ever use."

"Oh, yes, that's right," Happosai suddenly cut in. "I had sealed it away for the good of all mankind. After a tragic accident, I realized that I could never use it again."

"A likely story..." Ukyo muttered, rolling her eyes at the three men. "What was this accident?"

"You know, I don't remember that either," Happosai said.

"I can tell you all about it," Soun said. He set down his bowl, and stared off into the distance. "It was the first and last time that Saotome and I saw the master's Ultimate technique. Even now, the memory makes my hair stand on end."

Ukyo rolled her eyes again. His hair really was standing on end. "The master had aroused the anger of some villagers," Soun said, "who had set up a number of terrible traps. Genma and I had to flee for our lives, with the master ahead of us with his bag of ill-gotten gains. Suddenly, a huge boulder began to roll down the hill behind us. The villagers had set it rolling down on top of us."

"Of course, we were concerned about Master Happosai," Genma added. "After all, if the boulder rolled over the master, it would be the end of him..."

"Right," Ukyo said sarcastically. "So, of course you two weren't like helping the boulder along or anything..."

"Of course not," Soun agreed. He laughed nervously, eyeing Happosai, but the old man just stared back at him, intent on the story. "Anyway, we had no other place to go, so Saotome and I jumped onto the boulder, and ran along on top of it. We called out to the master to look out, and he saw the boulder bearing down on him. But the villagers had set one final, cunning trap."

"Yes, yes, I remember now!" Happosai said, excitedly. "It was the loveliest little bra, placed right there in the path of the boulder. Naturally, I could not let such a precious thing be crushed..."

"Naturally," Ukyo said. She glanced at Ranma and Akane, who both shook their heads at this tale.

"We were sure the master would be crushed instead," Soun said. "There was no stopping the boulder, and the men of the village had planned their trap well. We couldn't believe our luck... I mean, we couldn't believe our master would be taken from us so soon."

"Indeed," Genma cut in, continuing the story. "But to our surprise, Master Happosai just turned and faced the oncoming boulder. We could not see him very well from our vantage point, but the master fell into a certain stance. And then there was this brilliant, white flash of light. Tendo and I were sent flying, and when we came to, we were surrounded by rubble. That was all that remained of the massive boulder.

"I'll remember it as long as I live," Genma concluded. "Such incredible power. Even the master could not contain the devastating force of the blast."

Happosai nodded, sadly. "Such a tragedy. Such a tragedy. That poor bra was burned and blackened by the force of my Happo Fire Burst. Right then and there, I declared that no innocent underwear would ever again suffer because of my Ultimate attack. And so I sealed away the Happo Fire Burst forever..."

"Enough power to reduce a boulder to rubble, and you're upset because a bra got caught in the crossfire?" Ukyo shook her head. "Can't say I'm surprised, though." She remembered Happosai's anger when his pail got broken. It seems that the old coot did have a sentimental spot in his heart after all, even if it was a bit of an odd one...

"So whaddya say?" Ukyo asked brightly, turning back to Happosai. "Why don't we find this scroll and see if we can figure out how to use it safely. I'm certainly not going to be interested in hurtin' any bras with it, and I'm always interested in learnin' a new technique."

The fathers drew away from the table again. "Weren't you listening to us?" Genma said. "The master's technique is incredibly powerful! There's no telling who could be hurt by it."

"Meaning, there's no telling if he's going to end up hurtin' you with it," Ranma said with a sneer. "I can't believe you guys are so afraid of this old geezer."

"You should have more respect, boy." Happosai leaped up on the table, making a showy display of anger that sent Soun and Genma fluttering around the table in a panic. Ranma just snorted. "Your fathers have the right idea."

"Come on, sensei," Ukyo put in. "Just because we don't let you push us around like these two jackasses doesn't mean we don't wanna learn from you. I'm interested in this Happo Fire Burst."

"Well, I ain't," Ranma said. "This old pervert ain't got nothin' to teach me. It's probably nothin' anyway."

"I don't know, I'd kind of like to find out." Ukyo looked at Happosai. "What do you say?"

Happosai shrugged. "I don't remember where the scroll is, anyway. Maybe it's meant to stay sealed, for now at least."

* * *

"So, Akane, you gotta tell us!" Sayuri grinned at her friend, while Yuka looked on, excitedly. "What's it going to be like doing this play with Ranma? Are you going to get to kiss him?"

Akane's cheeks turned a little pink at the suggestion, but she smiled back. "Sayuri, please! Ranma and I aren't going to kiss for real! It's just a play!"

"Yeah, yeah. That's what you say to everyone else, but we know better." She and Yuka both giggled. "You and Ranma have kissed before, so there's no reason to hold back. You've got a great excuse to do all the kissing you want!"

"I bet you're really looking forward to it, aren't you?" Yuka asked.

Her blush grew deeper, but Akane shook her head. "Ranma and I have already decided that we will just pretend to kiss. Although, he might kiss me for real, or he might not. It depends on how it goes." Akane's smile grew a bit wicked. "You'll never really know for sure - which is just how Ranma and I want it."

"Oh, come on," Sayuri wasn't about to let it go at that. "At least tell us if he's a good kisser!"

Akane glanced over at Ranma, who was talking with his two friends Hiroshi and Daisuke. They had pulled him aside once Sayuri and Yuka had begun grilling her about the play, and she figured Ranma's friends were doing the same. They were excitedly asking him questions, and from the way he was scowling and quietly snapping at them, she figured they were being as nosy as her friends.

After a long moment, Akane glanced shyly back at Sayuri again. "Okay. The truth is, he's... he's... nice. But we're taking things slowly!" she amended, to forestall any further questions. She lowered her voice, making sure she couldn't be overheard. "We've only kissed a few times, and it was special BECAUSE we waited each time."

"But surely you'll get more chances to practice kissing now that you've agreed to do the play," Yuka pointed out. "You'll have to rehearse your kisses." Yuka giggled again. "And even if you can't do it on stage, that doesn't mean you can't let Ranma kiss you for real when you're both alone in your room."

Akane blushed again, pushing her fingertips together. "I had... um... thought about that."

As her two friends grinned knowingly at her, their attention was suddenly attracted by Ranma. "No way!" He shouted. "You're kidding! There's just no way!"

Hiroshi said something that Akane and her friends couldn't hear. Then Ranma looked back at Akane, meeting her eyes. Something had him worried, and really, really upset. He turned back and argued with Hiroshi again, who replied, "It's true!" just loud enough to be heard.

"Why would she do that? That's crazy!"

Hiroshi shrugged. "I dunno, man. It's just the way the story's written, I guess."

"There's no way," Ranma said. "I'm not gonna let her do that. She can't!"

With that, he stood up and strode over to Akane. She swallowed as he approached. What was he concerned about? Had his friends been talking about the kissing scenes, like Sayuri and Yuka were?

"Do you really wanna do this play so bad, Akane?" Ranma asked, as he stood over her. "I don't want ya to do it."

Akane leaned away from him a bit, startled by his intensity. "What's the matter, Ranma? Is it the kissing scenes? We've already discussed this. You don't have to kiss me for real."

"No, no, it's not the kissin'." Ranma sounded irritated that she didn't get it. "It's the last scene. Hiroshi and Daisuke just told me about it, when they were talkin' about scenes where Romeo and Juliet kiss. I can't letcha play Juliet. I can't let you do that scene!"

The last scene? Akane struggled to understand just why Ranma might be so upset over it. Was he uncomfortable kissing her in a tomb, while she was asleep? It couldn't be killing Paris that bothered him. "What's wrong with the last scene, Ranma?" She frowned. "You know how much this play means to me. How much being Juliet means to me. If you're worried about kissing me in that scene, then..."

"I said, it's not about the kissing, Akane!" Ranma yelled. Akane's frown deepened as he glared at her. He glanced at Sayuri and Yuka, and then lowered his voice. "Juliet dies, Akane. Romeo and Juliet die. Hiroshi said so."

"Yes, Ranma. It's a tragedy." Akane could see why that would bother Ranma, but not this much. "I already knew that, and if you'd read the script, you would too..."

"I can't figure out that script!" Ranma protested, wildly waving his arm. "It's all crazy talk, an' this Juliet's crazy, too, if she wants ta kill herself! Why would you wanna play somebody like that?"

"Ranma, stop it! This is important to me. It's not a stupid play, and Juliet is not crazy." Akane paused a moment, noticing her fists clenching, and forced herself to calm down. "You can't tell me I can't do it, just because you don't like the ending."

"I can't let ya do it." Ranma answered, sternly. "You're always doin' crazy stuff like this, gettin' inta things you can't handle, and then I gotta pull ya out of it..."

"What?" Akane's voice came out loud and shrill, in response to Ranma's harsh tone, but she cut herself off. "Are you trying to say that I'm not good enough to play a death scene?" she said, in a more lowered tone of voice. "Or are you afraid I've got some kind of death wish?"

Ranma glanced at Sayuri and Yuka again, and then he visibly attempted to restrain his own anger. Finally, he grabbed Akane's hand and pulled her out of her chair. "Come on," he said. "I gotta talk to you alone."

Akane pulled her hand away, but she nodded. She had come to expect Ranma's criticism when he got like this, and there was no sense dragging it out. She wanted a little privacy, too. "All right, Ranma."

He led her out of the classroom, and out into the hall. Once they were far enough away from the other students, Ranma paused to collect his thoughts. Then he turned and, after a moment's hesitation, took Akane's hands.

"I can't let you die, Akane. I'm your fiancé, it's my job to protect you."

That's what this was about? Akane found that she couldn't resist a smile. "It's just a play, Ranma. I'm not really going to die."

"I KNOW THAT!" Ranma's eyes flashed with anger again for a moment, but then he sighed. "I... I... even if it's just make-believe, Akane, I don't wanna see that." He looked away. "I'm supposed ta protect you, and... if I can't... I..." His voice trailed off.

Akane trailed her fingers down his arm, and then took his hand in both of her own. "It's not me, Ranma. It's Juliet that dies."

"Then Romeo shouldn't want her to die!" Ranma protested, drawing away. He gestured with a hand. "If he loves Juliet, then he should wanna protect her, too. He should STOP her from killin' herself! He should SAVE her! It's his job to SAVE her!"

Akane paused for a long moment, but she wasn't angry any more. In fact, she couldn't help feeling a kind of warmth, at Ranma's words and his obvious concern for her. Finally, she pulled Ranma a little further away from the classroom, and the curious eyes that were still watching them from the door. Sayuri and Yuka had stopped their classmates from following, but she could tell that they were intent on the argument, as well.

"Ranma." Akane smiled reassuringly at him. "Romeo would have saved Juliet if he could, but it was all a misunderstanding. It was trick, to fool their families so they could run away together. But the priest didn't get the word to Romeo until it was too late. By the time Romeo was able to get back to Juliet's tomb, he thought she was already dead."

Ranma was shaking his head, his eyes widening in horror. Akane took his hands again as she continued. "Don't you understand, Ranma? This is one of the most romantic stories ever written. Romeo chose to die, rather than live without his Juliet. And when Juliet woke up, and realized Romeo had killed himself in his grief, she couldn't live without him, either. They died for each other..."

"No... no..." Ranma's voice was quiet, the look in his eyes growing wild. Akane smiled, and squeezed his hands, her touch gentle.

"If you don't want to do the final scene, Ranma, we can skip that. There are plenty of other scenes that we can do. In fact, we probably won't have time to do more than a couple of scenes anyway. The balcony scene is a given, we've got to do that one. But the other one could be the party, where Romeo and Juliet first meet." She looked into Ranma's eyes, noticing his fear clearing. "It's when Romeo and Juliet first kiss."

"Would... would you like that, Ranma?" Akane gazed up into his eyes, her insecurity making it hard not to look away. "We... we could practice... that scene... tonight... in my room." She wrapped her arms around herself, as she waited for him to answer.

Fortunately, Akane's offer seemed to calm Ranma down, instead of freaking him out further. "Uh, yeah, sure," he said, uncomfortably, and nodded his head. Akane gave him a hug, but didn't dare do more with the others watching. So she simply took Ranma's hand to lead him back to the classroom.

Ranma pulled back on her hand, stopping her. "Um... Akane..." She looked up into his eyes, and he was silent for a moment, his expression serious. "Just... don't you ever trick me like that. Okay?"

Akane bit her lip. She had done exactly that, when she pretended to be leaving him for Ryoga. She remembered how she had felt at that moment, and swallowed as the shame swept over her, all over again.

"I don't know if I can promise you that there won't be misunderstandings between us," she said, quietly. "But... I won't ever lie to you. All I ask is... is that you trust in me. Believe in me. Even if it looks like..." She looked down at the floor, her face growing red.

She took a deep breath. "And I'll try to remember how much it can hurt you if you have to protect me, Ranma." She looked up and met his eyes again. "I'll always try to consider your feelings, whatever I do."

Ranma smiled at her, uncertainly. Akane gave him another hug. Then they walked towards the classroom, hand in hand.

"It's all right, everyone," she told the students, with a secretive wink for Sayuri and Yuka. "Ranma was just concerned he couldn't play the final scene, that's all. Being martial artists, we deal with death a lot. Ranma was worried he'd get too caught up in it, and interfere with my performance. We've agreed that we just won't do the scene."

"Sure looked like more than that to me," Daisuke commented, but the rest of the students filed back into the class, losing interest. Akane blushed and denied it, but didn't even notice she was still holding Ranma's hand until they were back in their seats.

* * *

Nabiki and Ukyo met up for lunch and headed for the Cat Café. Nabiki had several contracts with her, including paperwork for the purchase of the building next door. "I got in contact with the owner of the building," Nabiki said, "and arranged with him to meet us there."

"Wow," Ukyo commented, obviously impressed. "You don't waste time, do ya?"

"Well, I figured you would be able to approach Cologne from more of a position of power if you were already in the act of purchasing the building. That way, if she causes trouble for you, you can threaten to set up the shop on your own, and be in competition with the Cat Café. Given the choice of competing against a neighbor and expanding her business into a partnership with said neighbor, I think Cologne will go for the latter."

Ukyo chuckled. "That's pretty ruthless. I'm glad you're on my side."

"The Amazons are known for their ruthlessness," Nabiki answered. "I may not know as much about martial arts as you and Cologne do, but I know about business. I'm guessing Cologne does too, she's done everything right so far."

"Well, hopefully we can both handle her."

The two girls made their way to the Cat Café, arriving just as the owner was unlocking the shop next door. Ukyo and Nabiki introduced themselves, and then followed the man inside. "Sorry that there are no lights," he said, "but I have not had time to have the power turned on yet."

"That's quite all right," Nabiki told him, as Ukyo opened the shades over the windows at the front of the shop. "We can take care of that once we're done."

Ukyo stood back and let Nabiki handle the deal making. She and the owner of the shop haggled for a short period of time, and finally he agreed to sign the necessary paperwork. Nabiki wrote him a check from the business account that she had opened that morning, just as Cologne wandered in, clutching her staff.

"Good afternoon, Nabiki Tendo," Cologne said, glancing around the shop, the sunlight streaming in through the windows casting stark shadows in the darkened room. "You said that you had a business proposition for me?"

The former owner of the building turned to look at her. "Ah, the owner of the café next door." He looked back at Nabiki. "You and Miss Kuonji are working with her, then?"

"That has yet to be determined, but I hope so," Nabiki answered. She glanced at Cologne. "I take it you two have met. Has she tried to purchase this shop before?"

"I had an interest in it, but did not have what he was asking for it." Cologne looked over at Ukyo. "Are you planning to set up your own business, then?"

"Not exactly, but let's see this nice gentleman off, shall we?" Ukyo smiled as she walked over and shook the man's hand. "We can talk about business after we are done."

The man smiled at her warmly, and then shook Nabiki's hand as she offered it. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, and I wish you luck in your plans, ladies." He picked up his check, and left the building.

Nabiki then took a seat at one of the tables, while Ukyo checked a counter at the back of the room. Apparently, this had been a bar, although it had not been opened for years. While Ukyo was looking over her new purchase, Cologne hopped over to the table, and glanced at the sales contract.

"You made quite a deal, Miss Tendo," Cologne said, her voice amused. "This is a good five hundred thousand yen less than what he quoted me." Nabiki merely smiled.

Ukyo rejoined the two of them. "I'll want to move the counter closer," she said, drawing a line with the toe of her shoe. "Perhaps here, so I can set up the grill. I can portion off this section of the room so customers can sit here at the counter while I prepare the okonomiyaki."

"Ah, an okonomiyaki place." Cologne looked around the room. "It is a fairly small and narrow space, perfect for a lunchroom. Given your skill at preparing the dish, I'd say you could do pretty well. Is that why you called me here?"

Nabiki smirked as Cologne looked at her, but Ukyo answered. "Actually, we'd like to offer you a partnership. While, as you say, I could make a few yen here, okonomiyaki is primarily a lunch dish. The space would go largely unused for dinner. That's why I'd like to offer to buy into your restaurant, with this shop included in the deal."

Cologne's eyebrows shot up. Her shock lasted only a moment, and then she burst into cackling laughter. "Well done, Shield Sister! I accept your deal, although I'd like to hear more about your plans."

Ukyo sat down at the table. "Well, I was thinking of tearing out the wall, over there, and connecting the two shops." She pointed at the brick wall to their right. "During lunch and after school we can operate as two restaurants, me serving okonomiyaki, and you serving your usual Chinese dishes. Then for dinner, we can close down the grill and open up the tables to your customers. The expanded space will help you to serve more customers, and I'll be free to cook or wait tables."

Cologne studied her for a moment. "Chinese cuisine and okonomiyaki. That is... an unusual combination."

"Yeah, but you've gotta admit, my Pot Luck Okonomiyaki is kind of an unusual idea as well. I figured I could feature non-traditional toppings, like a Chinese-style option, as well as the usual Osaka and Hiroshima styles, to give it a certain exotic feel. I figure most of the locals will stick with the standard, picking their own toppings, but the variety might draw in more customers."

"If you're worried about the competition for your own dishes," Nabiki put in, "it's likely that word of mouth will draw in more customers that are interested in both sides of the restaurant. And those who come in for lunch of okonomiyaki may return for a Chinese dinner, or vice versa. Plus, most of your lunch orders are takeout or delivery, while okonomiyaki will draw lunch crowds into the store."

"Plus, all of it is profit for me and my partner anyway," Cologne said, with a knowing grin. "You have once again made an incredible deal, Nabiki Tendo."

"I certainly hope so," Nabiki said. "I've invested a great deal in this, and I don't just mean in yen. I'm counting on you, Kuonji."

"I won't let ya down," Ukyo answered. She then looked up at Cologne, as she was glancing between the two of them. "Just so you know, Nabiki is my financial officer. She won't be working with us on the restaurant."

"A pity." Cologne's grin grew even wider. "But I can certainly understand your desire to stand on your own, Shield Sister. I look forward to working with you."

Nabiki pulled out a number of additional papers. "Very well then. If you'll look over these contracts, I will be on my way. I need to get back to school, but Kuonji is taking the day off. Once you two have hammered out the details, you can just sign the papers and leave them with my partner." She leaned over, to shake the diminutive Elder's hand. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you," she said, with a touch of humor in her voice. "I wish you luck in your plans, ladies." With that, she left the building.

Ukyo stood up as Cologne hopped around on her staff to look at the room. "I have to admit, I had planned to expand into this space eventually, but had no idea it would happen this soon." She glanced back at Ukyo. "There is a small room above this floor. Are you planning to move into it?"

"Not right away. I figured I could stay with the Tendos for now, it isn't that far away. For now, I was thinking we could use the space as a storeroom."

"Probably." Cologne hopped around the room again, and then stopped in front of Ukyo. "Are you planning to try to talk me out of bringing Son-In-Law back to China?"

Ukyo smiled, but held her gaze evenly. "I'd like to think that's a possibility. At the very least, if you and Shampoo can see me as a business partner and not just a friend or potential ally, I might be able to work out some kind of deal that preserves everybody's honor. The Laws of the Amazons are complex, but... I've got time."

Cologne cackled again. "I gather Nabiki Tendo has been talking to you about the conversation we had here."

"Some of it, yeah." Ukyo paused a moment. "I understand that you feel you have a claim to Ranma, but some of it I just can't agree with. The Kiss of Death, for instance. It seems pretty straightforward on the surface; you are protecting your village from outsiders that might invade it, but in practice..."

"What do you mean, Shield Sister?" Cologne's expression was unreadable, she just watched Ukyo with her eyes narrowed.

"Here you have somebody who has already proven that he... or she, rather, can defeat you. So you take this person, that you know can defeat you, and place them in a situation in which they have no choice but to kill you. You run them to ground, back them into a corner from which they can't escape, and force them to fight you to the death."

Ukyo raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't that seem a little... foolish?"

Cologne merely shrugged. "The purpose of the Kiss of Death is to restore honor. If an Amazon is defeated, it is usually through deceitful or disgraceful means. The Kiss of Death allows her to prove that she is the better fighter and restore her standing in the tribe."

"But what if the victor really is just better than the girl? What if there was no deceit involved?"

"If the Amazon is foolish enough to give the Kiss of Death when she knows she cannot win, then she deserves to die." Cologne's expression turned stern for a moment, but then she sighed. "Sometimes, though, the dishonor of being defeated is so great, that the Amazon would rather die."

Ukyo stared at Cologne for a moment, and then a bicycle bell shattered the silence that had fallen between them. Cologne hopped to the door, as Shampoo pulled up on her bike, and got off of it to go inside the Cat Café.

Cologne opened the door to call out to her. "Shampoo. Come inside, please, and meet our new partner."

Shampoo tilted her head, curious, as Cologne ducked back through the door to the adjacent building, and then she followed. She walked inside to see Ukyo grinning at her.

"Shield Sister! You come to work for Great-Grandmother after all?"

"Not exactly," Ukyo said, her grin growing mischievous. "I'm gonna be your boss!"

"What Shield Sister mean?" She looked at Cologne, who grinned as well.

"Kuonji has offered to buy up this property, and join in a partnership with us. She will be a half owner of the Cat Café, and we will own the other half. We'll be able to expand the restaurant, and draw in more customers."

"Aiyah! Shampoo so happy!" She ran forward and glomped Ukyo, who cried out in pain, although she was clearly amused. "Shampoo and Shield Sister be best of friends now, work together all the time!"

"I sure hope so, Shampoo," Ukyo said with a smile.

"What we do first?" Shampoo asked, looking at her great-grandmother.

"Well, we will need to get the lights turned on in here, and you should get that lazy part-time duck in here to help clean up and sweep the place out. And Great-Granddaughter..." Cologne's eyes twinkled. "Since we need to knock out the walls anyway, for once you don't need to remember to use the door."

Shampoo looked confused again for a moment, then giggled. "Shampoo go through wall?"

Ukyo nodded. "But pick a good spot, Shampoo. Wherever you go through, that's where we'll put our first door."

"Actually," Cologne interrupted, "go through right there." She pointed at a certain spot on the wall. "Any spot on this side of the wall is fine, but you need to be close enough to the front of the Cat Café that you don't burst into the kitchen."

"Aiyah!" Shampoo drew her chui, and then charged. Seconds later, there was explosion of rubble and dust. Shampoo ran through the Cat Café, calling out for "stupid Mousse" to come help her, leaving behind a pile of bricks and mortar that spilled out onto the floor. The customers in the café all looked up for a moment, but then shrugged and went back to their meals.

* * *

Author's Notes:

As tuatara pointed out, after I posted the last chapter I added onto the scene between Ukyo and Nabiki, which made an already long chapter even longer. So I decided to try and make this one a bit short. I ended up having to skip a scene which will appear next chapter. You should have noticed by now, though, that this arc will have three subplots all running at the same time. The main plot is the Romeo and Juliet play, while Ukyo will have TWO subplots, her new restaurant with Cologne, and her helping Happosai to remember the Happo Fire Burst.

I actually had intended to skip the Happo Fire Burst, as I thought it wasn't part of the manga, but I eventually found the volume it is in. So I added it back in at the last minute. This is really the only place it can go, although Ukyo will be busy with the restaurant. It will take a bit of juggling to make it all work out, but I wanted to clarify that the reference to it above wasn't just a dead end. It may be a while, but it'll come back.

I am hoping that even with all the additions, this arc won't run on until Chapter 75 or something. :D Hopefully I will be able to finish it up and move on. With luck, this story will be finally drawing to a close around Chapter 85 or 90, and at the pace I'm setting that will probably be around the early part of next year, maybe sooner.


	70. We Make Our Own Destiny

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 70

"I can see why Akane likes this Juliet character so much," Ukyo said, as she and Ranma looked over the script that he had given her. They were in Akane's bedroom, sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Ukyo's rolled up futon. "She's pretty tough, for a girl that's supposed to be this dainty rich girl who's obedient to all of her parents' wishes. She's actually pretty devious, ya know?"

"What, she's a fighter?"

"Oh, no, although Romeo has some sword fighting scenes." She noticed how Ranma's eyes lit up at that. "I just mean she's no pushover. Here, check out this line from the balcony scene.

"If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully," Ukyo read, "Or if thou think'st I am too quickly won, I'll frown and be perverse and say thee nay." Ukyo giggled, "In other words, 'You better not lie to me. And if you call me easy, I'll pound ya.' Sounds like Akane."

Ranma laughed as well. "Yep, that's the tomboy all right."

"And then there's this one: Romeo says, 'Would you leave me so unsatisfied?' and Juliet answers, 'What satisfaction could you have tonight'?"

Ukyo raised an eyebrow at Juliet's line in just such a way as to leave no mistake about her meaning. Ranma burst into laughter. "Aw, man, that's rich!" He said. "These two are a couple of perverts!"

"Well, they do run away together to get married," Ukyo said. "And you should see the speech Juliet makes on her wedding night. I'm bettin' Akane ain't gonna want you to read that." She chuckled. "Heck, she'd probably die of embarrassment just trying to read it herself!"

"What about Romeo?" Ranma suddenly looked worried. "He ain't really a pervert, is he?"

"No, not really. He's in love, and he's got a couple of pervert friends, but he's a nice guy." She paused a moment, then snickered. "Which sounds a lot like you."

"Hey!" Ranma countered. "I'm not... all that close friends with Hiroshi and Daisuke." He broke out in a wide grin as well.

"Were you going to say 'not in love with Akane' or 'not a nice guy'?"

"I'm not gonna tell." Ranma shoved against Ukyo's shoulder.

"Well, I think you'll like Romeo, too. Check this out. He gets into this fight with this jerk named Tybalt, but since he just got married, he's trying to make peace with the Capulets. But the jackass keeps goading him, and his friend Mercutio defends him, but gets stabbed.

"Alive, in triumph! - Romeo says - and Mercutio slain! Away to heaven, respective lenity, and fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!"

Ranma stared at her. "Um... Wazzat mean?"

Ukyo waved her hand for a moment, trying to come up with an explanation. Finally, she said, "It means he's really, really pissed."

There was a moment of silence, and then Ranma glanced at his sister. "You ain't thinkin' of playin' that guy, are you?"

"Who, Tybalt?"

"No, that other guy. Romeo's best friend, the one who dies." Ranma stared at her, worried. "There sure are a lot o' people dyin' in this play..."

Ukyo paused a moment, sensing his discomfort. "Nah," she finally said. "Like I said, I don't wanna play a guy. It doesn't look like there are any girls in the play I'd wanna play either. I was thinking I'd help out backstage or something."

Ranma looked relieved. "That's good."

Ukyo playfully punched him in the arm. "I heard about what you said to Akane. Don't you worry about it, I'm gonna be okay, too."

"I know, Sis. I know you an' Akane can take care of yourselves. It's just..." his voice trailed off.

"Yeah, I know." She studied him for a moment, her grin turning mischievous. "That's another thing you got in common with Romeo. You should have seen him when he got banished from Verona. He got all weepy and depressed and talked about how he couldn't see Juliet any more. Even the folks around him were like, 'Aw, quit bein' such a baby.'"

"I wouldn't be like that!" Ranma protested. "He's a wuss!"

Ukyo punched him in the arm again. "I bet you would. I bet if you couldn't see Akane any more, you'd be whining and moaning."

"I would not!"

"'Tis torture, and not mercy!" Ukyo quoted, with a smirk of mischief. "Heaven is here, where Akane lives; and every cat and dog and little mouse, every unworthy thing may live here in Nerima and look upon her. But Ranma may not! Waaaaaah!"

"Sis! Cut it out!" Ranma punched back at Ukyo, and for a moment the brother and sister scuffled on the floor. But then Ukyo shoved him away, laughing.

"Admit it, Ranchan. You've got it bad for her. If you had to go off on a training trip and leave her behind or something, you'd be miserable."

Ranma's expression turned clouded. He looked away from her for a moment, then shook his head. "A man wouldn't act like that."

"Romeo seems pretty manly to me. Except for that one scene, where even the priest calls him 'girly'. But I'd say it shows how much he loves Juliet, that he can get so upset over her.

"Anyway, Ranchan, here you go." Ukyo handed the script to him. "There's still some parts I couldn't make a lot of sense out of, but I'm guessing Akane can help you. Is Akane going to need it back?"

"No, they were gonna give us both a new copy at the first rehearsal, tomorrow. But I might need it tonight anyway," Ranma said. "Akane and I were, um, gonna rehearse..." For some reason, he blushed deeply as he admitted that.

"No problem, Bro." Ukyo smiled at him, half guessing what he was blushing about.

"So, how is the new restaurant doing? Did Cologne go for it?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ukyo looked pleased. "I think she's really looking forward to this. We made so many sales at the festival. I guess folks really do like it. Maybe I can make this work out."

"Of course you can!" Ranma hugged her. "You make the best okonomiyaki ever. An' I'll always be there ta help you out."

"Well, hopefully you won't eat up all of my profits," Ukyo said, with a laugh. "But you wanna help me work on tearing out the walls of the new place? We'll need your help, even if Shampoo has gotten started already."

"Sure thing, Sis." Ranma was quiet for a long moment, then he glanced up at Ukyo. "Hey, Sis, you could hire me to do some work at the Cat Cafe, right?"

"Yeah, sure, why?"

"Well..." Ranma turned a little pink, glancing away from Ukyo in embarrassment. "I was kinda thinkin' of buying... somethin'."

"Oh?" Ukyo's grin grew wide. "A gift for Akane, maybe?"

"No, nuthin' like that!" Ranma protested. Then he started fiddling with his fingertips. "It's just... I wanted ta get her somethin'. After the fight the other day, and the one today, I just wanted to... you know. I wanna get her somethin'... somethin' she might like." He looked away again.

"Something to show her how you feel?"

"Come on, Ucchan, stop it!" Ranma couldn't meet her eyes for a long moment. Finally, he nodded, his blush growing deeper. "Yeah. Somethin' like that."

Ukyo hugged him again. "Of course I'll help ya, Bro. If you need money for it, I'll be glad to give it to you."

"No, no, I want to work for it. That's all right, ain't it?"

"Sure. I'm sure there'll be lots of work. We'll have plenty for you to do. After we finish tearing out the walls, we'll have to brick up the space between them. And then there's a lot of work to prepare the floor space and install the new counter and its hot plate."

"Great! How 'bout I come by after school?"

"That'll be fine, Ranchan, but when are you and Akane planning to rehearse? Other than tonight, I mean." Ukyo smirked at him.

"We were gonna do that after we finish with homework, before Akane goes to spar with you in the evening. I should have a little time. Akane's says she's gonna help me with my homework so we have some more time."

"All right. Sounds pretty good." Ukyo smiled. "I don't know if I'm gonna make a lot of money this way, but I hope it's gonna be fun!"

* * *

"What is taking that baka so long?" Akane snarled as she clutched her script tightly. Ranma hadn't been seen since lunch time, when he and Ukyo had rushed off to begin work on the new extension to the Cat Cafe. Now the Drama Club was beginning to start their auditions! Akane was standing on an improvised balcony, which the students had built in a tree in the field behind the school. The play itself would take place in the school gym, on the stage, but since rehearsals were being held during school hours, the gym was occupied.

She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was worried. She knew Ranma cared about her, but wondered if Ranma was really dedicated to helping her out with the play. Ranma rarely took anything but martial arts seriously, and if it was something he didn't know how to do, he was doubly likely to brush it off.

"And where is Saotome?" Kuno bellowed, brandishing his bokken. "If he cannot even be bothered to show up, then I say he is not worthy to be Romeo! Surely that role cannot belong to any other than myself!"

"Shut up, Kuno!" Akane snapped back, the kendoist's pompous attitude not helping her mood. "Ranma will be here!"

"Are you sure?" asked the director, who was still in his Harlequin costume. He was working on one of the sets, using a roll of tape to put together a previously painted backdrop. "I know I agreed to let Saotome skip the audition, but if he does not show up in the next few minutes..."

"He'll be here!" Akane cut in, her voice becoming almost a screech of desperation. "If you want me to play Juliet, then no one but Ranma is going to be my Romeo!" A number of the girls watching giggled at her declaration, including Yuka, but Akane ignored them. "I know this is as important to him as it is to me. He'll be here!"

Akane tried to calm her nerves, telling herself that Ukyo and Ranma were just being held up at the Cat Cafe. Unfortunately, the thought of Ranma being "held up" caused her mind to flash her an image of Shampoo hugging and caressing Ranma, whispering "Airen, wo ai ni" while pressing her body seductively against his. She just as quickly forced that image aside, shaking her head angrily to dispel her doubts. She had come too far to lose her faith in Ranma now, not when he was clearly trying so hard to make her happy.

And Ukyo was there to keep an eye on Shampoo as well, and keep her from causing trouble. The Amazon even seemed to have taken Akane's advice to heart, as she seemed to be a lot more considerate of Ranma's personal space these days. She was still just as forward about showing her affection, but at least she would wait a moment before hugging him, and wouldn't squeeze him quite so tightly. It was still hard to let go of the jealousy, but Akane thought of the times she and Ranma had held hands or hugged, and that made her feel better.

Kuno's pacing, however, was having the exact opposite effect. "How long are we supposed to wait for that vile cur?" he asked, snidely. "Does he seek to make a mockery of this performance, and the performance of the great Tatewaki Kuno?"

Akane was tempted to make like Ukyo and say that Kuno's performance would be the mockery, but she held herself back with difficulty. It did amuse her a little that her friend's sense of humor was rubbing off on her. "Now, Kuno, we need a great actor to play Paris," she said, settling on appealing to Kuno's ego instead. "It's the third most important role in the play, as important as Romeo and Juliet, and we need you to play it."

Kuno looked back at her, starry-eyed. "Ah, my love. You are so kind, and so wise. Of course, you must see that Juliet is torn between her two loves, Paris and Romeo, just as I am torn between my love for you and my ponytailed goddess Ukyo!"

"Yeah, right, Kuno." Akane frowned down at him, glad that being on the balcony prevented him from rushing up to her and putting his arms around her. Not that he seemed reluctant to try.

Akane gave a shriek as another small, fast-moving figure leaped up to the balcony instead. "Little Akane!" Happosai cried out. "Your Romeo has finally arrived!" He grabbed onto her chest, and Akane began squirming around in the small space, the tree swaying as she tried to pry the shriveled pervert off of her.

She was saved when another figure leaped up to the balcony as well, and punched Happosai off into the distance. Akane's expression brightened as she recognized him. "Ranma!"

"Sorry I took so long," Ranma told her. "The old coot tried to knock me out, pour concrete over me, and bury me in the yard."

"Fortunately, I figured he'd try something like that," Ukyo called out, from the ground below. "I was able to pull Ranchan free, and we started to beat up the old man. He took off runnin', and we chased him here."

"Well, at least you made it here in time," Akane said, her eyes sparkling. "We don't have to audition, but we'll have to play Romeo and Juliet for the folks who are trying out for the other parts. Don't worry, it'll be fun!"

Ranma tilted his head at her, a little unsure about the expression on her face. On the one hand it was adorably cute, but on the other she looked a lot like she was wanting to kiss him, and the thought still made him nervous. With all these people watching, anyway.

Happosai hopped back onto the railing of the balcony. "Don't you want me to audition for Romeo, Little Akane?" he asked. He then cut his eyes mischievously at Ranma. "Don't you want to audition for it? What kind of victory is it if you don't even have to fight?"

Akane cut in quickly, as from the look in his eyes, Ranma was considering it. "Ranma is playing Romeo, and that's the end of it," she said. "The director agreed, there will be no audition for Romeo. Otherwise, there will be an audition for Juliet, and I won't be part of it."

Ranma grinned at her, his thoughtful expression dispelled by her words. "That's right. Sorry, old man, but there's not gonna be a fight over Akane. She ain't no prize to be won." Akane glanced at him, and Ranma smiled even wider, at the look of gratitude in her eyes. "'Course, she ain't no prize anyway. Who'd wanna fight over an uncute tomboy like her?"

"Rraaan-ma!" Akane snarled, although she was grinning widely as well. Her punch to his shoulder was more playful than anything else.

Happosai pouted, ignoring the couple's banter. "That's not how I taught your fathers. A student of Anything Goes, turning down a challenge? What has my school come to... ?"

"Grandfather, listen." Akane's voice became gentle, persuasive. "I have a role in mind for you. I want you to play Lord Capulet, Juliet's father. What do you think of that?"

"Juliet's father? A broken down old man?" Happosai looked hurt, although the big-eyed look he was giving Akane looked like his usual playacting. "Is that really how you think of your poor Grandfather, Little Akane?"

"Oh, Lord Capulet is quite strong and vigorous," Akane said, "he even has a fight scene. And my friend Yuka is auditioning for Lady Capulet."

She glanced at her friend, giving her a subtle moue of apology. Yuka just nodded, and then inclined her head at Happosai, rolling her eyes. "So Lady Capulet is quite a young lady, too," Akane continued. "Wouldn't you like to play the husband of such a beautiful young woman?"

Happosai looked over at Yuka, obviously sizing her up. She blushed a little, but tried her best to look innocent. Akane knew she was laying it on a bit thick, but Yuka was a sweet girl, and had a bit of the air of a respectable housewife about her, like Kasumi. Akane was hoping that would curb Happosai's tendencies to grope her. And if not, she hoped the role of a strong wife who held her hotheaded husband back in the "fight scene" would help Yuka keep the master under control.

The old man didn't look interested, though. He hopped down off of the balcony, sulking. Yuka looked relieved, and honestly Akane was too. At least even if Happosai did accept the part, Yuka wasn't guaranteed to pass the audition for Lady Capulet. Although if word got out that Happosai was Lord Capulet, she might end up being the only one trying out for the role!

While the crisis with one would-be Romeo seemed averted, there was still the other to deal with. "Now that you have arrived, Saotome," Kuno said, stepping forward to confront Ranma as he hopped down off of the balcony, "I feel that I must protest your selection as Romeo. How do we know you can even play the part?"

"Shut up, Kuno," Ukyo cut in. "You thought Romeo was a samurai, remember?"

Kuno posed dramatically, gazing off into the distance as he gestured with one hand. "So he might as well be, this noble man who would win the heart of the fair Juliet. Like myself, a valiant knight of old." He looked disdainfully down at Ranma. "Not a ruffian such as you."

"Look, Kuno, I got my own reasons for doin' this play," Ranma told him. "So I'm gonna BE Romeo. And Akane's gonna BE Juliet. Don't you worry about whether or not I can do it."

"Well said, Bro," Ukyo said, while Akane beamed down at them from the balcony above.

Kuno struck another pose, as he gazed up at Akane. "But my love, you must see that this scoundrel is only trying to keep you from your one true Romeo. He even has the nerve to demand that none kiss the fair Juliet's lips but himself!"

"*I* made that demand!" Akane yelled back down at him, "And Ranma isn't going to kiss me either. This is just a play! There's not going to be any real kissing!"

Kuno turned back to Ranma. "Ha! You prove yourself a faker, then! For the true Romeo would never deny his faithful Juliet her true love's kiss!"

"Ranma is not going to kiss me for real!" Akane repeated. "We're just going to pretend to kiss!"

"Yeah," Ranma added, "and she's for sure not going to kiss YOU!"

The director spoke up, somewhat timidly. "Actually, Paris does kiss Juliet."

Ranma and Akane both turned to face him, at the same time. "WHAT?"

"Um... although we probably won't be doing that scene." The Harlequin swallowed, even more unsure if he should have said anything. Unfortunately, his clarification was drowned out by a cry of joy from Kuno.

"Juliet, my love! Come to your Paris's arms!" Kuno rushed to leap up to the balcony. He was met by Akane's fist, which she planted in Kuno's face without even looking at him. Instead, she had begun to frantically flip through the script.

"Oh, Geez!" she commented, as she came to the scene in question. "I forgot all about that!" Shoving Kuno aside, she hopped over the railing of the balcony, and effortlessly dropped to the ground below. The director backed away from her, worriedly, as she stomped up to him.

"We're probably not even going to do that scene..." the Harlequin said again, holding up his hands in a warding gesture. "In fact, I'm sure we're not going to do the scene."

Akane grabbed the roll of tape out of his hand, though. She turned back to face Kuno. "The director and I have a deal. No one is going to kiss me for real. So, to make sure of that, I'm going to stick this tape over the mouth of any guy who's about to kiss me. Whether it's Romeo, or Paris, or whoever. Do you understand me, Kuno?"

Kuno glanced at Ranma. "You will put the tape over Saotome's mouth as well?"

Akane met Ranma's eyes, and winced a bit at the expression she saw there. Mostly it was disappointment, but there was a bit of hurt, and even a small amount of relief as well. She gave him a slight smile, then looked back at Kuno.

"Of course. I said it was just pretend. Ranma's lips aren't going to touch mine - during the play." She gave Ranma a wink, and his hangdog expression faded.

"Then I agree!" Kuno said happily. "A little piece of tape shall not make Akane's tender kiss any less sweet, and it shall serve as a memento of our unspoiled love."

"Yeah, right, Kuno," Akane snarled. "As long as your lips don't touch mine, you can believe whatever you like."

"That's not fair!" Happosai suddenly exclaimed, stomping his foot petulantly. "You've taken all the fun out of it! Where's the fun in 'Romeo and Juliet' if there's no kissing in it?"

"It will look like Romeo and Juliet kiss!" Akane countered, her face growing redder, with anger this time. "But that's Juliet, not Akane Tendo! Nobody is going to tell me who I have to kiss!"

"Fine, I know when I'm not wanted." Happosai shuffled off out of the schoolyard, kicking a rock as he left.

Since everyone was paying attention to the old pervert, no one noticed the smirk on Ranma's face. "The tomboy's kisses ain't really all that tender," he muttered to himself. "Or at least, the one she gave me in the forest wasn't. She can get pretty pushy. When I'm in male form, anyway." Fortunately, the "pushy tomboy" didn't hear him say that.

"I, uh... really think that w-we're not going to end up doing that scene," the director repeated. But nobody was listening to him.

* * *

Gosunkugi made his way across the schoolyard, hurrying to make it to the rehearsals. His preparations had made him a little late, but with luck, his hard work would finally pay off, and he would be rid of the fool Ranma Saotome. He clutched the elaborately designed costume in his arms, chuckling evilly to himself, and then when he ran out of breath, coughing and wheezing.

He had to remember not to chuckle evilly while running.

As he passed the gymnasium, he was surprised to notice a figure lying in the bushes, in ragged and blackened clothing. Although he was in a hurry, he was curious enough to timidly approach the body and check it out. It was a person, rather small like him, and his clothing was most definitely burned. He could smell the smoke from here.

As he edged closer, he realized it was Kuno's little manservant, Sasuke. He was again dressed in a costume, a girl's dress, which had obviously fallen victim to a massive explosion. Gosunkugi nudged him with a toe, and the little man stirred, sitting up. He was wearing a blonde wig, tied up in twin ponytails. Or it had been at one time, like the dress the wig was burned and singed, most of the hair sticking out crazily.

"Hey, I know you," Sasuke said. "You're that... that guy that helped me find out Ranma Saotome's weakness. Um... um... what was your name again?"

"Hikaru Gosunkugi," he answered. "I'm not surprised you don't remember me. No one ever does. What are you doing here?"

"My master asked me to help him eliminate the fiend Saotome, so he would be free to play the role of Romeo!" Sasuke announced, with a sudden smile. "I made a Romeo costume for Saotome, and offered it to him, in the disguise of one of his lovestruck fans! It was the perfect plot! I had hidden a bomb in it, which would blow him to bits."

His round, soot-smudged face turned into a sullen frown. "But he saw through my trick. He said 'I'm engaged, I can't take gifts from strange girls,' and gave the costume back to me. And it blew up in my face."

"Well, that was a foolish plan!" Gosunkugi told him. "It's no wonder it didn't work." He quickly took his own costume, and sheepishly hid it behind his back. Then he tossed it into the bushes. There was a muffled boom.

Sasuke got to his feet, dusting himself off. "Well, my master wants to play Romeo, but perhaps if you help me, I can help you to get the role instead. I'm sure that Master Kuno would prefer to play Paris if it means that Saotome does not get to play Romeo."

"If I play Romeo, then Akane will have to speak to me!" Gosunkugi swooned for a moment, overcome by the thought, but then collected himself. "That sounds like a good idea. We'll team up again, and this time Saotome will not stand a chance against us."

"Perhaps," Sasuke said, "but I am not sure what we can do against him. This was my only plan." He gestured at his blackened clothing.

"Well, maybe we can pool our information and come up with a plan, like the last time. Have you learned of any new weaknesses Saotome may have?" Gosunkugi stared at him, intently, with his round eyes. "Any secrets he may be hiding?"

"Secrets he may be hiding..." Sasuke looked thoughtful. "Yes, yes, there is one, but I can't see how it would help us. Hmmm..." His voice trailed off as he thought.

"Well, what is it? What is this secret?"

Sasuke glanced up, startled out of his thoughts. He eyed the skinny boy warily. "I'm not sure. This is such an unbelievable story. Even I, who have seen it with my own eyes, still have trouble believing it." He looked hesitant for a moment. "Do you believe in magic?"

Gosunkugi laughed. "Magic? Me? I'm a practitioner of Voodoo! Of course I believe in magic!" His expression turned a bit sour. "I can't always make it work all that well... or even at all..." he brightened. "But I believe in it!"

"Well..." Sasuke said again. He suddenly stopped and looked around, as if concerned that someone might overhear. He pulled Gosunkugi a little closer to the wall of the gym.

"I have learned... that Ranma Saotome has a curse! His father and his sister Ukyo Kuonji as well. They picked it up when they were travelling in China, before they came here!"

"A curse?" Gosunkugi's eyes lit up, a wholly unnatural looking sight. "As in, a Voodoo curse?" All this time, he had been trying to curse Saotome, and he was already under the influence of one? Gosunkugi smiled in anticipation.

"Not exactly, but something like that. He fell into a spring in China that bears a curse that causes him to change shape. And here is the really incredible part..." He paused dramatically. "He turns into his sister, Ukyo."

"What?" Gosunkugi looked confused, as his brain processed this new information. "And how do you know this?"

"I saw it! He fell into the pond at the Tendo home, and when he surfaced, he looked identical to Kuonji! I saw them both standing right next to each other. And his father, he turns into a panda."

The younger boy's hollow eyes grew wider, and wider, as he considered it. "I remember that panda. He was working for that doctor, at his clinic. I thought he seemed strangely intelligent."

"That's right. Do you also remember, that same day, when I got caught in Kuonji's alarm system, and she pulled me out? She called out to someone on the roof, and she called her 'Sis'! I didn't notice at the time, but the person on the roof had a girl's voice! That must have been Kuonji, and it must have been Saotome that pulled me out!"

"This may be it. Yes." Gosunkugi smacked his palm into his hand, then winced at the impact. "This is the way we'll get that fool Saotome!"

"But how?" Sasuke stared at him. "I don't understand, how can this help us?"

Gosunkugi's voice grew louder and louder in his excitement. "Don't you see? If Saotome is a woman, he can't play Romeo. We will splash him during the play, and he'll turn into his sister. Everyone will think that he's disappeared, and Kuonji has suddenly shown up. But she can't play Romeo. So the way will be open for me to play Romeo, and finally get to talk to Akane!"

Gosunkugi was so overcome by his shout of triumph that he fainted dead away. Shaking his head, Sasuke lifted him back to his feet, and slapped him awake. Gosunkugi blinked, then asked, "What happened?"

"Nothing. If we are going to be ready to splash Saotome at the right moment, we will need to get roles in the play. Come on, let's go audition." He half carried the taller boy, as the two of them made their way across the schoolyard to the field where the rehearsals were being held.

* * *

"Prepare yourself, Akane Tendo!" Kodachi called out haughtily. "Your efforts will not cause Kodachi, the Black Rose, to yield!"

"We'll see about that!" Akane growled back. She met Kodachi's charge as the taller woman came at her with fists and feet flying, blocking her attacks with precision. As the noble woman left a hole in her defense, Akane struck at it, landing a blow to her gut. Kodachi momentarily had the wind knocked out of her, but she recovered quickly and pressed the attack. Akane had to counter another flurry of attacks, and one strike got through to her shoulder before Akane went into a roundhouse kick that knocked the gymnast away.

"Hold." Ukyo ordered. "I think that's good enough for today."

Akane extended a hand to help her rival up. "Good hit, Kodachi."

"Thanks." Kodachi took the offered hand, and Akane pulled her to her feet. She let out a tired sigh. "I still cannot believe how fast you are. You were barely able to hold your own in our fight before, and now it's all I can do to keep up with you."

"A lot of the problem in your first fight was that Akane was still unsure of herself, and what she was capable of." Ukyo told her. "It was her own insecurity that held her back, and your intimidation tactics, not lack of skill. Her training since then has only widened the gap between you."

Akane smiled widely at Ukyo's praise, while their ponytailed instructor continued to address Kodachi. "We'll get you up to speed pretty quickly, though. Your gymnastics training has given you a pretty solid foundation for me to work with, and you're already pretty fast. I'll show you some of the speed techniques we use, and that'll help smooth out the rough edges."

Ukyo grinned. "I'll even show you how to do that Attack of a Thousand Clubs trick for real."

Kodachi grinned back. "That would be nice. I have studied my brother's speed with the bokken, but cannot seem to match him. It will be nice to finally be able to beat my brother."

She then sighed again. She winced, putting a hand to her bicep and rubbing the muscle. "Oh, but I do not believe I have ever been this tired or this sore." She looked down at a large bruise that was already starting to spread across the exposed skin, bared by the short sleeve of her leotard. There were other bruises appearing on other parts of her body, and she was sure Akane's punch to her stomach had left a bad one, although she could only feel it, not see it.

"That just means it's working," Akane said with a grin of her own. "Don't worry, we'll get you to the point where you won't even bruise at all. Unless I hit you with my full strength, that is." Her grin turned into a confident smirk, one more than slightly reminiscent of her more arrogant fiancé.

"I do not doubt that at all," Kodachi said, still rubbing her arm. "If that was you holding back, I would hate to feel your full strength."

"You still don't have to go through the endurance training if you don't want to," Ukyo said. "We don't want to push you too far anyway, it would stiffen you up and slow you down. And I'm sure you're not going to want to have noticable calluses."

Kodachi shook her head, firmly. "No, no, that would just not do. A noble woman of the house of Kuno should not carry scars. Still, I trust in you, Ukyo Kuonji. If you feel it will help me, then I will endure it..." She sighed again, and clutched her arm. "No matter how painful it may be."

Ukyo smiled at her dedication. "Well, toughening up your skin a bit will help prevent scars that might happen due to accidents with your gymnastics equipment. You do use a lot of bladed weapons, after all."

She walked over to a bench, and picked up a jar from a bunch of supplies that were placed there. "Use this daily on your bruises, and they'll help clear them up and keep the skin supple as it heals. And it'll help prevent your joints from stiffening up as well. As long as you keep coming over here to spar twice a week or so, I think I can help you keep up a light level of conditioning that won't interfere with your gymnastics, but will allow you to take a hit if someone hits you with something you can't dodge."

"If you can call this 'light'," Kodachi said, wincing again as a muscle complained, "I shudder to think what you and Tendo must have gone through."

"Far more than that, let me tell you," Akane said brightly. "I had bruises for months."

"And what Ranchan and I went through was far worse than that," Ukyo said, her mood turning sour for a moment. But then she smiled again. "You're welcome to use our furo. You'll find the hot water will go a long way to relaxing your muscles and soothing all those aches and pains."

Kodachi look startled for a moment. There was a long, long silence, and then finally she spoke. "You know... I was thinking that there is no way that your humble furo could possibly compare to the grandeur and extravagance of the bath that awaits me at the noble house of Kuno. And yet, at this moment, I think nothing in the world could be more appealing to me than the sight of your furo, simple though I know it must be."

Ukyo clapped Kodachi on the shoulder, ignoring her wince of pain. "You're learnin', rich girl," she said with a grin, which was matched by Kodachi's smile. "I'll bring your clothes up so you can change when you're ready to leave. And take all the time you like."

"Thank you, Kuonji, for your generous offer," she said. "It has been a true pleasure..." She grimaced again, clutching at her shoulder. "And a pain..." With that, she left the dojo.

Akane stopped to towel some of the sweat off of her forehead. "That was quite a workout. She's a lot better than I thought she'd be."

"She depends too much on the cheating and weapons. I'll have to cure her of that." Ukyo grinned again. "But she didn't do half bad in hand to hand. She doesn't really have any real knowledge of unarmed combat, but she picked up on the basic strikes pretty quickly. They'll serve her if she gets separated from her weapons."

"At least she wasn't going on and on about her 'Ranma darling'. Although I could have done without the crazed laughter. It kind of threw off the impression that she had suddenly turned sane."

"Actually, it's a pretty good taunt," Ukyo pointed out. "It's intimidating, and appearing unstable can be an advantage in a fight. I'd advise her to stick with it, if I didn't think she doesn't even realize she's doing it." She shook her head. "She's still a nutcase, but at least she's a friendly nutcase."

Akane smiled that rare smile that seemed to light up the room. "And we all want more friends, don't we Ucchan?"

"That we do."

"I guess I'll head upstairs and see if Ranma wants to rehearse a little more, while I'm waiting for Kodachi to get out of the furo." She blushed a little. "I'm a little sweaty, but I hope Ranma won't mind."

Akane headed for the door of the dojo, but just as she was about to leave, Ukyo called out to her. "Hey, Akane?"

"Yes?"

Ukyo bit her lip. "Look, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a long time now." She shifted uncomfortably, and turned her eyes away. "About what I said... that time we... had that fight here..."

Akane's eyes widened. "No, Ukyo, that's okay. You said some things to me that..." she swallowed, "... that I needed to hear. You were right. I was lying to myself about my feelings for Ranma, I-I was afraid, and..."

"Not that, Akane." Ukyo looked around the dojo, avoiding her friend's gaze. "What I said about you not being as good as Ranma and I. I shouldn't have said that, and... and I didn't mean it."

"No, no! You were right about that, too!" She wrapped her arms around herself, and her blush became very deep. "It's like you said to Kodachi. You and Ranma have been through things, things I'll never understand. Things I don't WANT to understand. You've got ten years of experience on me, and if I've got to give up my family, and go through the things you went through..."

Ukyo took Akane in her arms and hugged her. "No, Akane. That's just what I mean. You're not ten years behind us. You've caught up pretty quickly, and that's part of the reason I said what I did." She took a deep breath. "I was jealous, Akane. I worked so hard... to be Ranma's equal... and you..."

For a moment, the two girls didn't say anything, just holding each other. Then Ukyo smiled. "Martial arts isn't like a footrace, Akane, where if you give me a fifteen minute head start, I'll be fifteen minutes ahead of you for the whole race. When you get to the level Ranchan and I are at, it takes most of your time just to keep from losing the progress you've made and getting sloppy. It's like when you broke your arm, Akane, you lost a bit of muscle tone while your arm was in a cast and had to build it back up again before you could continue.

"Once you get to this level, it gets harder and harder to progress any further. You really can't push past those limits unless you're desperate, unless you have no choice but to get stronger. That's how training techniques like the Chestnut Fist and the Bakusai Tenketsu work; that element of danger forces you to push past your limits and find the strength inside yourself."

Akane nodded. "I'm always pushing myself too hard. That's why I broke my arm..." she said sadly.

"Yes, but you weren't ready to test that limit yet. You were closer with the Chestnut Fist, but your speed isn't really great enough to master it. You've hit the limit of your speed, and it's just below the speed needed to fully use the attack. The attack isn't as suited to you and me as it is to Ranchan. I can use it when I'm in his form, but I prefer to use weapons anyway."

"Your weapons are your way of pushing past your limits," Akane guessed.

"That's right. The truth is, without my weapons, you've already surpassed me." Ukyo smiled even wider at her friend. "In another couple of months, you'll be able to beat me even with my weapons, Akane. You're a lot better than you think you are, Akane-chan."

Akane shook her head, unsure. "N-no, that can't be. You're way better than I am, Ucchan. I'm still clumsy and slow. I-I couldn't beat you."

Ukyo hugged her again. "Trust me, Akane. You're slow, yes, but you're way tougher than I am, and you're fast enough that I can't just avoid all your attacks. All I had to do was correct your mistakes and bring up your speed. The rest has always been there. Your father may have stopped training you, and that's a shame, but what he did teach you, he taught you well. You just haven't had the focus to make use of it.

"More importantly, Anything Goes is not about who is the strongest, or the fastest. Do you think Ranchan wins his fights because he's the strongest? Ryoga is way stronger than he is, but Ranchan still beats him. He's not nearly as fast as I am, but he's able to beat me. And the Old Man, as much as it galls me to say it, is far more skilled and experienced. Yet while Genma can keep up with him when they're sparring, he can't stand up to Ranchan if he goes all out.

"No, Ranchan wins because he doesn't give up until he finds a way to win. Ranchan is not the best at any one thing in particular, but he's the best overall, because he BELIEVES he's the best. He doesn't let anything stop him, and he doesn't let anyone tell him otherwise. You shouldn't let anyone tell you any different either - especially yourself."

Akane blushed deeply at her friend's words, but Ukyo smiled reassuringly, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "In all the time I've known Ranchan, in all the time I've travelled with him, I've never seen anyone who loves the Art like he does. Other martial artists, the monks and priests that we've trained with over the years, none of them live, just for the Art, like my Bro. It's all he wants to do, it's his whole life, and he loves it more than just about anything else."

"I'd never met anyone who loves the Art like he does - until I met you." She smiled at Akane. "Unlike Ranchan and I, you haven't had the opportunity to live for martial arts and nothing else. But you've done so much on your own." She looked around at the dojo around her. "You made this your life, your home, it means more to you than anything. You're proven that, with how far you've come."

Ukyo looked uncomfortable again. "Akane... martial arts isn't my first love any more. It was when I was a little girl, when my father was teaching me his style, and it was when I met Ranchan, and began to follow him around. But Anything Goes isn't my family's style. I've adapted it, and I've made it my own, but it's not my first love. It's not my life. My restaurant, making okonomiyaki, THAT'S my life, THAT'S my first love. For ten years, I've forgotten about that, and I've let my skills get rusty. I've got a long way to go... until I can catch up with where I want to be.

"I've decided, Akane. I can't spend all my time on Anything Goes and spend all my time on my restaurant at the same time. I've got to choose one or the other. And this is what I've got to do. Not because my pops was a chef, or because that's where my talent lies, but because I LOVE it. I love it more than just about anything."

Ukyo's smile faded, and she turned thoughtful. "I don't love it more than Ranchan... but I love it more than following him around, and protecting him. I love it more than devoting the rest of my life to keeping him safe."

She met Akane's eyes, her expression serious. "That's why I need you, Akane. I need you to continue to train with him, and continue to push him to get better. And to get him to push you to get better. I need you to watch out for him, and protect him. I need you... to share with him the one thing he truly loves."

"I... I will, Ukyo." Akane's voice was quiet, and choked with emotion. "I know how much he means to you. And... and it really means a lot to me... that you trust me with... with his happiness."

"Of course, Akane-chan." Ukyo gave her another hug. "Now you go upstairs and rehearse with that boyfriend of yours."

Akane glanced at Ukyo, wiping at her eyes, but didn't protest Ukyo calling Ranma her boyfriend. With a grateful smile, she headed out the door of the dojo.

As she stepped out into the yard, Akane was surprised to see Kasumi standing there. The taller girl wiped a tear from her eyes as well.

"S-Sis?" Akane said, a bit caught off guard. "Are you okay?"

Kasumi smiled at her, widely. "I heard what Ukyo said, Little Sister, and I have to say I agree. You've really come a long way. Father should be proud of you... and I think Mother would be, too."

Akane's lip began to tremble, and she burst into tears. Kasumi drew her into an embrace. "I wanted to say, Little Sister, that I'm sorry as well. I've been so worried about you. With your attitude towards boys, and the way you seemed so set on learning martial arts, I was worried you would never find a husband. I was afraid you would never be happy. I was afraid that I had failed you..."

"No... no..." Akane muttered between sobs. "It's okay. Big Sister... I..."

"I was wrong, Akane. Not only have you become a strong, powerful young woman, you have found a man who loves you for exactly who you are. I'm sorry, Akane, for ever wishing that you were less of a tomboy. I'm proud of you, Akane. I'm proud of you. And that's how I know Mother is proud of you as well."

For a long moment, Akane was stunned into silence, although her grip tightened around her sister's waist. Then she sniffled. "Thank you, Kasumi. That's... that's all I ever wanted."

"I know," Kasumi said. Her eyes weren't dry, either. "I know that, now. I'm so glad Ukyo came along and helped you find out who you really are. And I'm glad Ranma came along, and that he makes you happy."

"I'm... I'm glad too, Big Sister."

Kasumi gave her a final hug, and released her. "All right, like Ukyo said, you had better run along upstairs, and spend some time with your boyfriend. And don't worry. I won't say anything to Father. You two take things at your own pace." Then she took on a gentle, yet stern expression. "But don't do anything improper, now! Remember that you have a boy alone in your room, and you shouldn't let him go too far."

"Kasumi!" Akane blushed deeply. "Ranma wouldn't do anything like that! We're just... you know... rehearsing for the play." She looked flustered for a moment, but then shook off the mood and smiled happily. "Ranma wants to take things slowly, too!"

With that, she almost raced into the house, while Kasumi watched her, her smile just as bright.


	71. The Ultimate Technique

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 71

Sayuri and Yuka hurried over to their friends' desks during lunch, and sat down next to Akane. "Hey, Akane, I've got bad news," Yuka said, apologetically. "I'm afraid Sayuri and I aren't going to be able to help with the play."

"What? Why not?"

"Well, it's not all bad," Sayuri clarified. "My father and his co-workers were awarded a free vacation to a hot springs resort by his boss at work. He's got a couple of extra tickets, and said I was welcome to bring some friends along. A bunch of our other friends are already going, and it's looks like it'll be a lot of fun."

Akane smiled at them. "That's great! You wouldn't want to miss out on something like that, and who knows when you'd get another chance. You two have a good time."

"Are you sure?" Yuka asked her. "I hate to leave you to do this play all alone. Are you sure you aren't going to need me to play Lady Capulet?"

"No, don't worry about that. Happosai seems to have completely lost interest, and your understudy can take over the role. I'll miss you, but I don't want you to worry about me when you should be having fun."

Yuka studied her face for a moment. "Would you like to go along? I know you're really involved in this play, but I'd hate to just go without at least inviting you to come along."

"Thanks, Yuka, but I'm way too busy with this play." Akane waved a hand, smiling widely. She looked over at Ranma, and a blush settled over her cheeks. He was arguing with his two pervert friends, and she wondered if they were asking about her again.

"This means too much to me, and to Ranma too, to give it up now. Thanks for the offer, but I just can't..."

"Well, I didn't think so either," Yuka said with a smile, "but I had to ask."

"How long will you be gone for?" Ukyo asked.

"Well, we're going to have to leave tomorrow, and we'll be gone most of next week," Sayuri said. "What about you, Ukyo? Would you like to go?"

Ukyo looked startled, and then thought for a moment, her brow furrowed. But then she shook her head. "Naw, I've got way too much to do with getting my new restaurant set up. Even though we've finished knocking out the walls and joining the two buildings, there's now a ton of things to do before we can be ready to open the new wing. We've got to get some furniture in, build the counter, install the griddle... and then I've got to start putting together the menu, and ordering the supplies we'll need."

"Wow, running a restaurant is hard work!" Yuka commented.

"Tell me about it." Ukyo's grin grew very wide as well. "The last time I did inventories or helped Pop to put together a menu was back when I was six years old. And we just had an okonomiyaki cart, not a full size place to call our own. I'm sure Cologne could handle most of this, but if I don't pitch in to help her out with it I'll never learn how to do it myself."

"You've never told us much about your father," Akane said, smiling at her friend fondly. "We've talked about those days a couple of times, but mostly what you seem to remember are your travels with Ranma. What was your father like?"

"I can hardly remember." Ukyo's expression turned wistful. "I remember he could be harsh sometimes. He was always upset with me when I'd lose to Ranma. But then we became friends, and he seemed happy with that. I can't really remember what he looked like very clearly. All I can seem to remember is him sitting over his okonomiyaki cart, while I sat at his feet and watched him..."

Her voice trailed off, and she was silent for a moment. Then she smiled. "That old cart... I haven't thought about it in years. I wonder what happened to it..."

"I can't wait until your restaurant opens," Sayuri said, interrupting Ukyo's thoughts. "I haven't had the chance to try your okonomiyaki."

"Oh, it's great!" Yuka told her. "I got to try one at the Chinese Festival, when she was working the booth there. I'm glad I did, it was delicious."

"I'm glad you liked it," Ukyo said, with an embarrassed smile. "When you guys get back from your hot springs trip, why don't you stop by the Cat Café? If I've got my griddle installed, I'll cook one up for you. It'll be good practice for when I've got paying customers."

"Sure, we'd be glad to," Yuka said. "Maybe we can even help out." She looked at Akane. "You and Ranma will be there too, right?"

"Yeah, unless we're in school. Once we're done with the play, we'll have a lot more time to help out."

"What are you going to do about school?" Sayuri asked Ukyo. "You've been working on it after school so far, but aren't you going to have to be open during the day? I'm guessing you're going to be pretty busy."

"I'm probably going to have to start taking off around lunch once I get started," Ukyo said, with a hint of regret. "I hate to miss any more school given how little education Ranchan and I got when we were kids. Still, lunch and just after school will be my busiest times. I'll probably have to leave school early so I can be ready when everyone else gets out."

"Maybe you can take off a few hours for lunch," Akane suggested, "and then leave again just before last period. After all, you have Cologne to help you out."

"That's true. I guess I'll just have to see how much business I get."

"I wouldn't worry about that!" Yuka beamed at her friend. "I'm betting once word gets around the school, you'll have plenty of customers!"

* * *

"Then, um, dear saint, let lips do what hands do." Ranma glanced up at Akane's lips, nervously, then at the pages of his script. "They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn ta despair."

Akane smiled gently, teasingly at him, and Ranma swallowed. "Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

"Then don' move, while m'prayer's effect I take." Akane giggled a little, at Ranma's merging of his brash speech with that of Shakespeare. His voice got a little softer as the next line. "Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged."

Ranma leaned forward to kiss her, and in defiance of Romeo's line, Akane met him halfway. Their kiss was gentle, but Akane kept it up for several minutes before she drew away. Ranma swallowed, his heart pounding.

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took?"

"Sin, from yer lips?" Ranma shook his head, slightly. He didn't look down at his script this time, but just stared at Akane's lips. "Oh, trespass sweetly urged. Gimme my sin again."

Smiling, Akane leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. This time, his hand went up to grasp her shoulder, and he felt her hand tangle in his pigtail. She sighed a little, as they continued to kiss for several minutes more. Finally, Akane turned her face down, to rest her forehead against his for a moment.

Then she leaned back and looked into his eyes. "You kiss by the book," she said. She paused, as that was the last line of the scene, but then her mouth quirked. "In fact, thy book is a script. I think thou doth need to practice thy lines again." She leaned in again, and kissed him, as long and passionately as before.

By the time their lips parted, they were both breathless. "Much better, fair Romeo."

"But it's now you that doth need more practice," Ranma told her. He leaned in for another kiss, which she gladly accepted.

When he pulled away again, she was giggling. "I think we're getting into the role too much."

"Don't seem like it to me," Ranma said, giving her a small peck on the lips. But he looked down at his script again, frowning. They were sitting on Akane's bed, her with her script, although she rarely needed to look at it, and both his script from the rehearsal and the one with his sister's notes sitting next to him.

"Are you still having trouble understanding it?" Akane asked.

"Nah, Sis's notes are a lot of help. For instance, I get this part, 'bout how he's comparing kissing to pilgrims visiting a shrine. And it's cool the way he keeps askin' if he can kiss her, and she keeps turnin' it around. This guy don't give up easy." Ranma snickered.

"And neither does Juliet, but..." Akane blushed, cutting her eyes up to smile at Ranma. "She eventually lets him."

"Only after bein' pretty uncute about it," Ranma said with a sly grin. Then he flipped forward several pages in the script.

"There's this part, though, in the balcony scene. Sis couldn't figger it out, although she's got some notes here.

"'Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,'" he read, "'Who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou, her maid, art far more fair than she. Be not her maid since she is envious. Her vestal livery is but sick and green, and none but fools do wear it. Cast it off!'

"I already figgered out that he's saying like Juliet is the sun, and making the night and the moon go away. But Sis thought there was somethin' more to it. There's this whole bit about bein' the moon's maid an'... an' this "livery" means clothes, so it's like wearin' the moon's clothes, and..."

His voice trailed off and he stared at the script for a moment more. Then he looked up at Akane, and swallowed. "He ain't like sayin'... you know... take it off?'

Akane's face grew even redder. "Well, you see, Ranma, in Europe, where Shakespeare comes from..." she looked away from him. "The moon is seen as a young maiden. You know, an unmarried girl. Innocent. And kind of a hunter, a wild, untamed girl."

"So he likes her because she's... really tough?" Ranma asked.

"Not exactly." Akane looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "He's saying that this goddess is envious of Juliet because she's so much more beautiful than she is," her blush grew really deep at this, "and so she should stop serving this goddess and... and... being like her."

Akane stared down at her bed for a moment, then her eyes flicked up to Ranma's before she looked away again, in modesty. "He's asking her to... you know. To no longer be... i-innocent."

"Oh." Ranma's eyes widened, as he considered it.

"Ranma?" Akane finally met his eyes again. "You don't think Juliet is... too forward, do you?"

"No, no. She's really sweet and kind, although she's really kinda smart, you know. She seems ta keep Romeo from actin' too stupid. Of course, she ain't no pushy uncute tomboy that can't cook, neither." Ranma grinned smugly, but then his smile faded. "You don't... you don't think Romeo is a pervert, do you?"

Akane's smirk matched his, before. "No, but then when he does say perverted things, he says it sweetly and in a respectful way, instead of being an insensitive, arrogant jerk about it. He knows how to tease a woman instead of making it into an insult."

"Yeah, well, he's not dealin' with a macho chick who don't know how to stay out of trouble." Ranma looked up, to stare into Akane's deep brown eyes. "But I guess I wouldn't want my fiancée to be any other way."

"Yeah, and she doesn't have to put up with an egotistical baka who can't turn down a challenge, no matter how stupid." Akane held his gaze. "But I wouldn't want my fiancé to be any other way, either." She drew him to her, kissing him soundly, and then slipped her well-toned legs into his lap. Ranma took her in his arms, as she wrapped her own arms around his neck.

They continued kissing like this for a while, although this was a new experience for them. Ranma had held Akane in his lap before, but only when she was upset or crying. Her hands were all over his back, and he tentatively began to caress her the same way. This apparently met with her approval, because Akane let out a sign of contentment. When she ended the kiss, unable to hold her breath any longer, her cheeks were blazing red. But she was smiling happily. She leaned against his chest, and sighed again.

"Hey, Akane?" Ranma started. He was hesitant, but decided this was a good time to tell her.

"What is it, Ranma?"

"I'd like ta do the last scene. Th-the death scene."

"In the crypt?" Akane leaned back, and looked up into his eyes. "Are you sure?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. I've been thinkin' about it, and I wanna do it."

"Why?"

"You wanna be Juliet, right? The best Juliet you can be? Well, that's the scene that really shows what kinda person she is, isn't it? That she loves Romeo, and that she's strong and brave."

"Yes, yes, I guess so."

"Well then, I want you to play that scene." Ranma hugged her. "I want ya to be the best Juliet ever. I want everyone who watches that play to remember an' say you were the best Juliet they've ever seen."

Akane's lip began to tremble, and then she pressed her face against his chest, as the tears started to fall. She sobbed, hugging him harder than she ever had before. Ranma, naturally, flew into a panic.

"I'm sorry! Geez, Akane, I didn't mean ta make you cry. I'm sorry, I didn't know this would hurt ya..."

"Baka," Akane said. "I'm happy."

"You are?"

Akane slapped him, hard against the chest. Then she returned to sobbing against him. "Yes, baka. It's all your fault anyway, for making me so happy."

Ranma shook his head, as he held his black haired tomboy even tighter. She was the most uncute thing he had ever seen, and he didn't think he'd ever understand her. But as long as she held onto him like that, he didn't care.

* * *

Ranma and Akane came down to supper to find their fathers racing wildly around the family room, with Happosai in close pursuit. The two men were trying their hardest to escape from him, but the diminutive martial artist would grab one of them, toss him across the room to land sprawled on the floor, and then leap to the other as he was still struggling to get up. Soun and Genma were screaming and begging for mercy, but Happosai refused to let up.

"Yo, what's going on here, Pops?" Ranma asked, not really concerned. "What'dja do to rile up the old pervert this time?"

"These two ingrates have been hiding the location of the technique scroll for the Happo Fire Burst from me!" Happosai told him, glaring at Genma as he grabbed him and tossed him towards the engawa. "I just remembered where it is, and those two helped me bury it! They've known where it was all along!"

"We were just trying to protect you from yourself, Master!" Soun protested, as Happosai leaped onto him. "We knew that you would want to keep your promise to seal the technique, so innocent lingerie would never again be harmed..."

"Cowards!" Happosai growled, as he flipped Soun with his pipe and dropped the man near his spot at the table. "And you call yourselves my disciples? I thought I taught you more respect than that."

Ukyo came in from outside, as Genma got to his feet and started to scramble past her on the engawa. She stuck out her foot and he tripped, tumbling down the wooden steps to land in the koi pond. He rolled over in panda form, holding up his sign. It read, "I'm just a harmless panda. I would never think of tricking my master."

"Dinner is served, everyone!" Kasumi called out. In moments, the battle was forgotten, and the family had gathered around the table. The panda sat there dripping for a few moments, until Kasumi walked by with a kettle of hot water. After changing Genma back, she dropped a towel on his head. She then continued on around the table, where she finished setting out the bowls with their dinner.

There was a moment of silence while everyone served themselves, and then the scuffle started up again. Happosai, Genma, Ranma and Soun began to steal off each other's plates. Happosai quickly gained the upper hand, cleaning off Genma's plate with his chopsticks, but then Genma kept him from getting to the bowl of rice to serve himself more.

"Once I get the scroll with my lost technique," Happosai threatened, "You three will be its first victims."

"I ain't afraid a' you, old man," Ranma snarled, parrying Happosai's chopsticks with his own.

Soun put down his chopsticks. "Ranma! You must leave immediately to reclaim that scroll before the master does!" Genma nodded, putting his own chopsticks down as well, the conflict over the food put aside for this greater threat. Behind him, though, Ukyo grabbed a pickle off of his plate, and she and Akane dueled over it for several minutes.

"Whaddya talkin' about!" Ranma protested. "I gotta do this play with Akane! I ain't goin' nowhere!" Akane would have smiled at his words, if she hadn't been so busy fighting over the pickle.

Happosai jumped onto the table. "Fools! Do you think you can beat me to the scroll?"

"Ranma, you must leave now!" Soun formed his Demon Head, roaring dramatically. "You cannot let the master get his hands on such a dangerous attack!" Ranma and Ukyo both drew back from him in shock, but Akane snatched a rice ball off of his plate.

"Catch me if you can!" Happosai leaped off of the table, racing for the engawa. Soun's Demon Head popped like a balloon, and he and Genma began to flutter around the table, flying into a panic. Ukyo caught the old man by an arm, though, before he could make it to the yard.

"Hold on, sensei," Ukyo said, her voice kind. "Ranchan has got to stay here and play Romeo, but I can go with you to get the scroll. If you promise to teach me the technique, I'll go with you and help you find it. Is that okay?"

"Are you crazy, girl?" Genma said pompously. "You would let the master get his hands on the ultimate technique?"

Ukyo scoffed. "I'm still not convinced that's what it is. You guys didn't see it very clearly. All you can say is there was a bright flash, it shattered a boulder, and burned a bra. Ryoga can shatter boulders with his Bakusai Tenketsu. I'm interested in findin' out more about it."

She looked back at Happosai. "What do you say? Instead of both of us rushin' off to try an' beat the other to this scroll, how about we work together?"

Happosai smiled brightly, then glared at the two men. "You see, this is the way you should treat your master. You two clods could learn from this girl." Soun and Genma began to wail and flail around again, but Happosai turned back to his ponytailed student, his eyes growing huge. "Of course I'll go with you, Little Ukyo."

Ukyo ignored his attempts to look cute. "Akane, you don't mind if I miss the play, do you? I was hoping to get to watch you, but at least this way Ranchan won't have to get dragged inta this."

Akane had grabbed another rice ball, and stuffed it in her mouth, swallowing it quickly. "Sure, Ukyo. Most of the sets are already done, so we don't have a lot more we need for you to do. You go ahead and have fun."

"I can't leave right away, though; I've still got a few things to take care of with the restaurant. If I'm going to be gone for a few days, I'll need to let Cologne know. Can we wait until tomorrow to leave?"

Happosai nodded. "If we're not going to be racing to the scroll, there's no hurry. Take all the time you need, Little Ukyo. Your sensei will be happy to wait until you are ready to leave."

The fathers continued to squawk and complain the rest of the evening, but both Ukyo and Ranma ignored them. And although she never mentioned it to anyone, Akane was quite smug that she had managed to eat the largest share of the dinner.

* * *

The next day at school, Akane felt a little lonely without Sayuri and Yuka around to chat with. In the morning she had Ukyo to talk to, but she had arranged to take off from school early, as she had suggested to Sayuri, to take care of her work on the café. She left well before lunch, already muttering about her last minute plans, as she ran out of her last class.

That left Ranma, and while it was reassuring to have him around, she just couldn't get close to him the way she could when they were at home. She just knew that the other girls in the class had noticed the furtive glances she would give him from time to time. It grew increasingly frustrating that she couldn't hold his hand or lean up against him, but her classmates would definitely notice that.

She found herself staring at the clock, wishing the day would end, so she could go home and rehearse some more in the privacy of her room. Her cheeks began to burn, as memories of kissing Ranma flitted across her mind. She glanced over at Ranma again, and found him dozing off, so she nudged him. He blinked awake and scowled at her, and she glared back at him, but inside she was just happy for the chance to touch him.

When the school bell rang to mark the end of last period, Ranma jerked upright, and then ran out of the room. He had fallen asleep again. Akane laughed to herself for a moment, and then wondered where he was rushing off to in such a hurry. Oh, well, he was probably as eager for the school day to end as she was. Although likely not for the same reason, she thought dourly to herself. Not that she wasn't sure that Ranma enjoyed their "rehearsals", but she knew better than to believe that she was the only thing on his mind. Ranma likely had a lot to think about, with his sister getting ready to leave that night. And who knew what the old pervert might get up to, while he was left at home waiting.

"Hey, Akane. What's Ranma in such a hurry about?" asked one of her classmates, not one of her close friends, but one of the circle of acquaintances that she and Sayuri and Yuka knew. Akane blinked, surprised that the question had so echoed her own thoughts.

"Oh, nothing, I'm sure," Akane said. "You know Ranma, always in a hurry, never sitting still. It drives me crazy at times." She added the last without really thinking about it, just her usual protest to keep the other students from thinking she liked the baka or anything. Inside, though, the girl's question had made her worried. It was almost like Ranma was trying to avoid her. But that couldn't be true, could it? They had spent plenty of time together since starting on this play.

"Maybe it has something to do with whatever he was talking to Kuonji about," the other girl said.

"Ukyo?" Akane looked up, startled. "Ranma was talking to Ukyo?" Ranma and Ukyo hadn't talked much when they were in class together earlier, so why would they talk about something when she wasn't around? "About what?"

"I don't know. They just said something about 'needing to go pick up something'. Ukyo told Ranma to meet her after school. It sounded like they wanted to go do something together."

Akane waved a hand, to dismiss that idea. "Oh, I'm sure it's just something for the Cat Café. Ukyo's got a lot of things to take care of, and I'm sure she just needed Ranma to help with it."

"It sure sounded like more than that to me." The girl's voice became more concerned, as she eyed Akane sympathetically. "They were talking really quietly, and looking around like they didn't want to be overheard." She paused a moment, growing more uncomfortable. "I don't want to say this, but... um..."

"What is it?" Akane stared at her.

She looked around the room, as if she was worried about eavesdroppers. "It's just, that Kuonji girl seems just TOO close to him, you know what I mean? She's always... you know, touching him and caressing him and things."

"Well, of course. She's his sister."

"Yeah, but not really." The girl pursed her lips, as if Akane's lack of concern bothered her. "I suppose it would be all right if they were really brother and sister but... with all the time they've spent together, have you really considered what they must know about each other? The... the things they could have done together?" She blushed a bit. "I've heard a couple of people say they've even taken baths together. Who knows what perverted things they could get up to?"

Akane smiled, even as she squashed that little doubting voice in the back of her head again. "Look, I know it's hard to understand, but that's probably WHY they feel like brother and sister. I mean, I've never had a brother, so I wouldn't know what that feels like, but I do have my sisters. We don't always get along, and they know some things about me I really wish they didn't, but they're my sisters, so that's okay. I suppose if I felt that way about any boy, he'd feel like a brother to me, too."

For a moment, Akane considered if she felt about Ranma like that. But no, as comfortable as she was with Ranma, there was always something about him that made her feel unsure. They had shared baths and showers, with Ranma in female form, but never in male form, and they had never looked at each other. There was something there, something they both wanted to save until the time was right. She hoped she never got so comfortable with Ranma that her heart didn't start to beat a little faster every time he looked at her.

"But it's like she's obsessed with him or something," the girl countered. She was clearly not convinced. "She dresses like him, she talks like him, she even seems to think of herself as a boy! She ties her hair like his, and she even copies his mannerisms and the way he walks. Sometimes I think she IS Ranma! She like... worships him. I don't think that's healthy."

Akane took a deep breath. "You may be right." She shook her head, frowning. "I don't think any of us can really understand what Ranma and Ukyo went through together. For ten years they had no home, nothing to call their own, just living on the road, trying to survive. That's why they act so much the same. Ukyo never had much chance to be a girl, to hang out with girls her age. That father of hers... of Ranma's, he didn't think much of girls. That's why he raised Ukyo as a boy.

"But she's not a boy. And she knows that, she's comfortable with that. There's... there's actually a really good reason why she wears male clothing, but it's not because she doesn't want to be a girl."

"All right, Akane, if you say so. And I guess you know her better than any of us. She's just so... strange. Is it any wonder there are rumors going around about her?"

Akane gave her a reassuring smile. "You shouldn't listen to rumors. After all, I've heard some of the ones that are going around about me. Just because Ucchan and I are martial artists, that doesn't mean we don't want the same things as everybody else." Her grin widened. "Our lives are just a little more exciting, that's all!"

* * *

"Mousse, I could use another couple of nails over here," Ukyo called out. She was hammering up a support brace for the new counter for her okonomiyaki grill. Mousse hurried over with a couple of bags of supplies, and Ukyo took them from him.

"Has the hot plate I ordered arrived yet?"

Mousse shook his head. "The company said that since it was a custom order, it'll be at least another day before they can get finished with it. It should be here tomorrow."

"Damn. I was hoping it would get here today." Ukyo looked around the room. She had nearly completed the counter, and it now dominated the little room, drawing the eye down its length, and welcoming her potential customers. "Well, if it does arrive tomorrow, put it up in the storage room and don't touch it until I get back. I'll want to set it up the moment I get in."

"Are you sure you don't want us to set it up? I'm sure Cologne will be able figure out to install it, and I don't mind doing the heavy lifting."

Ukyo shook her head, firmly. "No way. The hot plate is the most important feature of an okonomiyaki restaurant. There is no way I'm going to trust it to anybody else. I'll install it myself." She smiled at Mousse. "Although I might take you up on the lifting part."

Their conversation was interrupted by a chime from the door. Ukyo looked up as Ranma walked in, with an armload of lumber. "And speaking of strong backs, here's my Bro."

"I got here as soon as I could, Sis. I know we ain't got a lot of time before you have ta leave..."

"Actually, your timing's perfect," Ukyo said, setting down her hammer. "I was just about to run out of wood for bracing. I'm almost done, and I'd like to finish the counter before I go."

"Airen! Shampoo so happy to see Airen!" The Amazon came bouncing in from the main room, where she was still waiting tables. The doorway between the two buildings was now complete, and stood wide open, although a sign to one side of the door warned of the construction. The doors that would be fitted into the doorway had not yet arrived, but the door frame had been decorated in an elaborate Chinese style, painted in bright colors.

Shampoo ran up to Ranma, her arms outstretched, but hesitated for a moment as she drew close to him. She carefully took another step forward to hug him, mindful of the armload of supplies he was carrying. Ranma froze in place, looking nervous, as the hug took place, but did not struggle as he usually would.

Mousse growled, clenching his fists, but Ukyo nudged him. "Don't act jealous, you're just rewarding her behavior. Remember what I said."

Mousse nodded, but continued to glare at Ranma. After a moment, Shampoo stepped back, letting go of the pigtailed boy, who took a moment to rebalance his load of building materials. Shampoo just stood, smiling, waiting patiently, although it was obvious that she was struggling to hold herself back. "Airen take Shampoo on date now?" Shampoo asked, the smile still plastered to her face, while clutching her hands together behind her back.

"I ain't gonna take you on no date!" Ranma snapped, irritated, although he didn't seem as panicked as he usually did when dealing with the bubbly Amazon.

Ukyo nudged Mousse again. "Here's your chance. Go ahead. Say it just like I told you."

Mousse stepped forward. As Shampoo had, he stopped just outside of arm's reach, and adjusted his glasses. He didn't lean in close to peer at Shampoo's face, but still took a moment to study her from behind. "Shampoo?" he asked calmly. "Would you like me to take those supplies from Saotome and put them away?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Shampoo half turned to glance at Mousse, but then turned back to gaze happily at her Airen. Mousse turned to Ranma as well, and again taking a moment to adjust his glasses, stepped forward to relieve Ranma of his burden. Ranma handed the supplies over, breathing a sigh of relief.

Ukyo gave him a thumbs up, but Mousse didn't look very confident. He walked back to the other end of the counter with the armload of boards. Shampoo continued to smile at Ranma until he started to grow nervous, and then she frowned a little.

"Airen spending all time with Angry Girl. When Airen come spend time with Shampoo?"

Ranma blanched. "I ain't got no time to be spendin' a lotta time here!" he protested. "I gotta help Sis out, but I ain't got time for dates an' stuff!"

Shampoo stomped her foot. "Shampoo tired of waiting! Shampoo try be nice, not push Airen. But Airen not come see Shampoo!"

"He's here now," Ukyo put in.

"Yes, but Shampoo working!" She stamped her foot again. "Shampoo no have time to see Airen!"

"Shampoo! Order up!" Cologne's voice called out from the kitchen. "We have orders waiting, hurry it up!"

"Aiyah! See! Shampoo no have time!" Giving a growl of frustration, she headed back into the main dining room.

Mousse and Ranma both breathed a deep sigh, at the same time. "She didn't even notice me," Mousse said dejectedly.

"No, she didn't notice," Ukyo told him, "but she'll notice the next time, and the time after that. She may not consciously realize she noticed, but she'll notice. And after a while, she'll look around, and suddenly realize that 'stupid Mousse' isn't acting so stupid any more."

She put a hand on Mousse's shoulder. "Just be patient. Don't give up now, just because it didn't work the first time. Stick with it, and give Shampoo time to come around. That might take a long time, she's very stubborn. But it's sure not going to work if you don't even try."

Mousse took a deep breath, and nodded. "All right. If she keeps chasing after Saotome, though, I'm going to..."

"You let Akane and I worry about that," Ukyo cut in, interrupting him. "You worry about showing Shampoo that you're not that little boy she used to pick on all the time. You show her that you're a man that she can rely on."

She then looked back at Ranma. "So, you ready to go, Ranchan?"

Ranma grew nervous again. "Sure, Sis. You know where we're goin'?"

"Don't worry, Ranchan." Ukyo smiled. "I know just the place."

They headed out of the restaurant, walking side by side down the street in front of the Cat Café. They said nothing for a while, until they were out of earshot of the restaurant. Even then, Ranma remained silent, although he began to fidget a little.

"So why'd ya wanna do this now?" he finally asked. "Ya really surprised me earlier today, when ya said you wanted to talk to me. I didn't think you wanted ta do this so soon. It can wait 'til ya get back from yer trip with Happosai, ya know."

"Yeah, but I wanna make sure you do this right," Ukyo told him, grabbing his arm. "I'd rather take care of it before I leave, just in case, you know?"

Ranma looked off to one side, lifting his head in the way he did when trying to seem disinterested. "I ain't in that much hurry. It can wait, ya know."

"This is important, Ranchan." Ukyo smirked at him. "Would you rather I leave it to Nabiki?"

"No!" Ranma looked appalled, then laughed. "Naw, that'd be pretty terrible."

"Told ya." They both fell silent for a moment, until Ranma suddenly stopped and looked around.

"What's going on, Bro?"

"I think someone's watchin' us," Ranma countered

"Guilty conscience." Ukyo clutched at his arm again. "You're just paranoid. You'd think you'd be used to sneakin' around like this."

"I am not!" Ranma protested. "I'm just worried, you know?"

"Don't be. Everything's going to work out fine. Nabiki didn't figure out what was going on, and neither will Akane. You've got plenty of time."

Ukyo paused and bit her lip, as if unsure of his reaction. "I went ahead and told Nabiki about it anyway."

"What? You told her?! Geez!"

"Well, would you rather she found out on her own? Who knows what she'd think. I figured if I told her up front, she wouldn't jump to any conclusions. Besides, she's the one paying for it. Or you and I are, anyway, with the work on the Cat Café."

"Yeah, I guess so." Ranma scowled for a moment. "An' she didn't try to scam ya or make ya bribe her not ta tell Akane or nuthin'?"

"You've got to give Nabiki more credit than that," Ukyo answered. "All you've got to do is make sure she sees that there's something in it for her. In this case, the profit she's going to make in the long run is much greater than petty blackmail. She knows that. She knows that what goes on between us is our business. As long as it's that, just business, she understands.

"Besides... she's the one who recommended the place," she said with a smirk, and then leaned up against Ranma's arm.

"Well, I'm glad yer willin' to do this, Sis. I don't know the first thing about it."

"I gathered that, Ranchan." Ukyo grinned widely at him. "That's why I want to make sure and do this with you myself."

There was another long silence, and then Ukyo glanced sidelong at her brother. "So how are things going with the play? Are you doing okay at learning your lines?"

"Oh, yeah. It was hard at first, but then I just starting thinking of it as a kata. Then it was easy. I ain't never had to learn words before and not just movements, but it didn't take me long to get it."

"It never does, Ranchan." Ukyo grinned. "And what about Akane, is she ready for Monday?"

"Oh, yeah, she's doin' great! I really love how she totally gets inta it, ya know?"

"I bet you like rehearsing with her, too." Ukyo grinned, as her brother blushed deeply.

"Hey, it ain't like that," he protested, but his words seemed only half-hearted. "I just want her ta do a good job, that's all."

"Sure, Ranchan." Ukyo stopped in the street and stared at him for a moment. "Hey, Ranchan... just how serious are you about Akane, anyway?"

Ranma stared back at her, raising an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Ukyo laughed. "I guess that says it all, don't it? We'd better get a move on then."

The pigtailed martial artist and his lanky sister hurried on down the street. As they turned a corner, Akane stepped out of the shadows of an alley.

What were those two up to? Akane had to fight to keep the old fears and jealousies from returning, stronger than ever. There couldn't be anything like that going on. They were hiding something from her, but that was no reason to be worried. Maybe it was a surprise of some kind. Or something for the Cat Café. Ranma was her fiancé, and Ukyo was her best friend, and she knew they would never do anything to hurt her. It couldn't be anything like that.

But she couldn't fight the thought that their conversation made it sound like they were setting up some kind of tryst. Akane fought down her doubts, feeling guilty for being suspicious of Ranma in the first place. Focus, she told herself, don't just react, stop and think about it, and decide what to do next. Ukyo had mentioned she told Nabiki what was going on, so she could find out from her. And maybe if she kept following Ranma and Ukyo, she'd find out where they were going on her own.

Unfortunately, Ranma continued to sense her following them, and eventually he managed to give Akane the slip. Disappointed, she told herself that at least she had managed to keep from being spotted. With no other alternative, she headed back to the Tendo home, to talk to her sister.

When she arrived home, she headed upstairs to knock on Nabiki's door. "Hey, Big Sister, can I talk to you?"

"Of course." Nabiki was laying on her stomach on her bed, reading a book, but she set it aside as Akane entered. She rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed. "What can I do for you?"

Akane stared at her feet for a moment, unsure how to ask the question without sounding paranoid herself. She finally decided the truth was the best way to go. "Look, I overheard Ranma and Ukyo talking earlier today. They said they were going to get something, or do something, and didn't sound like they wanted me to know about it."

She looked up, with a grimace of apology. "I know Ukyo told you not to tell me, but please, I'm going to go crazy worrying about this." She pulled out four 500 yen notes. "I'll pay you for the information, if you'll just tell me whatever you can..."

Nabiki eyed her cooly. "I don't know, Akane. This is pretty valuable information, but I don't think you really want to spoil the surprise."

Akane blushed a little. "Please, Nabiki." She pulled out another four bills. "This is all I've got. Please. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help thinking all sorts of awful things, and I'm not going to have any peace until I know. This might even make me too distracted to do the play."

"Well, we can't have that." Nabiki regarded her for a moment, as if thinking about it, and then smiled. "It's really nothing, Akane. Ranma got upset about making you mad over the play, and wanted to buy you something to show you he was sorry. I suggested to Ukyo that he buy you flowers. They'll be waiting for you in your dressing room when the play starts."

"Oh, is that all?" Akane put her hand over her heart, greatly relieved. "I was worried over nothing! I'm so glad you told me." She smiled widely at her sister. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Now back to her perky, energetic self, Akane turned and left the room, all smiles, closing the door behind her.

Nabiki just eyed the closed door with a smirk of mischief. "Sure thing, Little Sister. Always happy to help."


	72. Martial Arts Kissing

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 72

Akane watched in amazement as the huge crowd of students marched through the gates of Furinkan. A sign had been set up in front of the gate, reading "Regional High School Drama Club Competition". Drama clubs from all over the area had come to compete against Furinkan and each other, dressed up in a wild variety of costumes from different plays. There was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and even a group carrying a huge paper dragon. Akane even recognized the Monkey King from Journey to the West, with the priest on his horse being played by two actors in a single costume.

"It's like a parade!" Akane called out, trying to ignore the excitement fluttering in her stomach. "I had no idea there were going to be this many schools here today."

Nabiki shrugged, watching the line of students as they passed the two girls by. "No wonder the Furinkan Drama Club was so interested in putting on a good play this year."

The group came to a halt in front of the Furinkan gymnasium, where a podium was set up for the sponsors. "Do you all want to win?" a man's voice called out. "Do you want to see China?" The crowd roared back in enthusiastic agreement.

Akane cut a glance at her sister. "What are the odds that we will win this year?"

"Oh?" Nabiki looked back at her, slyly. "Worried about your and Ranma's performance?"

Akane blushed deeply, but frowned. "No, of course not! But I'm worried about the rest of the cast, Kuno in particular." Her expression softened a bit. "Do you think we have a chance?"

Nabiki pulled out a notebook and flipped through it. "Odds are 15 to 1 that you will win the competition. 5 to 1 that you will even FINISH. Of the most likely possibilities to stop the play, it's 1 to 3 that Kuno will attack Ranma before the duel between Paris and Romeo in the last act. 1 to 2 that Ranma will attack Kuno."

She smirked as she glanced up at Akane. "And odds are 1 to 2 that YOU will attack Kuno. Even odds that you'll use a sword against him, and 1 to 3 that you beat him."

"Hmph," Akane huffed, sticking her nose in the air. "If Kuno attacks me now, he'll lose."

"I know, but I still wasn't able to talk the odds down any lower than that," Nabiki admitted. "Most of the students don't know how good you've REALLY become, but they still remember you beating him at the start of the year."

Nabiki flipped through her notebook again. "Odds are 6 to 1 that Ukyo will make an appearance sometime during the play, even though she's out of town. The only ones who have taken that bet so far are Hiroshi and Daisuke. I made them promise that they would remain in the audience for the whole play, and if they get close enough to the stage to throw water on it, they forfeit the bet."

Akane scowled as she realized what she meant. "Ranma better not get splashed. You aren't planning on 'fixing' your bets, are you Nabiki?"

"Not to worry," Nabiki waved her hand, dismissively. "I figure the odds of Ranma just getting splashed at random are good enough. And don't worry about favoring the odds on making an attack on Kuno baby, either. Just do what comes naturally to you, Akane, I'm sure it'll come out to a profit in the end."

Akane snorted. "I'm glad I'm so dependable."

Nabiki laughed. "We had better get inside. You still need to get ready for the play."

Nodding enthusiastically, Akane hurried inside the gymnasium, leaving her sister behind to find a seat in the audience. Akane then continued on backstage, checking to see if Ranma had arrived yet. As she spotted the director, she nervously pulled him aside, asking if he had seen her wayward fiancé. She scowled as the director told her that he had not.

"When he arrives", she said, "tell him to meet me outside the dressing room just as soon as he's ready. That baka had better show up!"

Still worried, she made her way to the girls' dressing room. It was just the girl's locker room, with some tables and a few mirrors set up for the girls to sit at while checking their costumes or applying their makeup. The room was already filled with girls from the various schools, many of them rushing to get through in time to go on stage. There were no other girls from her school, as the scene with Lady Capulet had been dropped for time. She noticed her costume sitting ready on one of the tables, and hurried over to pick it up.

She couldn't stop thinking about Ranma, though. Happosai was away, so he wouldn't be interfering in Ranma showing up on time, but there were still plenty of things that could go wrong. She tried not to think about that, as she slipped out of her school uniform. If nothing else, she would get changed, and if Ranma didn't arrive on time, she would go look for him. She stepped over to her locker to put her dress away.

"Hey, you're Akane, right?" One of the girls next to her had noticed the name on her locker, and Akane nodded to her. "Someone dropped those off for you," she said, pointing at a table on the other side of the room. "We didn't know where to put them."

Akane glanced over in the direction she indicated, and saw a few cards sitting on the table. Then her heart skipped a beat. There was a bouquet of roses sitting behind the cards. She remembered what Nabiki had said about flowers waiting for her in her dressing room. The roses were a mixture of bright pink and deep red, making the arrangement more colorful than a single shade would be. "Could those be from Ranma?" Akane asked herself, swallowing at a lump in her throat.

Timidly, she walked over to the roses and picked up a card that had been attached to them. "For the best Juliet ever played by an uncute tomboy," the card read, "from your Romeo." Akane smiled. The card was written in Nabiki's handwriting, but the words were clearly Ranma's. She clutched the card to her chest, remembering what he had said about wanting her to be the best Juliet anyone had ever seen.

The other cards were from Yuka and Sayuri. Akane smiled at their thoughtfulness. Then she brought the bouquet back over to her own table. Akane quickly finished changing into Juliet's gown, and then set about braiding her hair extensions into her short hair. As she was putting the finishing touches on her costume, there was a knock at the door.

"Um... Akane? The director said ya wanted ta see me," Ranma's voice said, from the other side of the door. "What's up?"

Smiling widely, Akane stood up, grabbing the bouquet. She then hurried to the door and opened it. "Ranma! You did make it after all!" She was relieved to see that he was in his Romeo costume, an ornate blue tunic and matching pants. She held the roses in front of her, rocking back and forth slightly as she looked up into his eyes, shyly.

"Thank you for the flowers, Ranma, they were just wonderful," she said, happily. "What you said really meant a lot to me."

"Huh? Wha... ?" Ranma looked down at the roses, seemingly surprised to see them.

Akane didn't notice his confusion, however. She did notice the other girls in the dressing room, who were all grinning at her knowingly. She quickly stepped outside into the hall and shut the door.

She pulled out the card and held it up, drawing her eyebrows into a mock scowl. Although she couldn't stop grinning. "But next time, write the card yourself instead of getting Nabiki to do it. I don't care if I have to read your chicken scratch. It means enough to me to know that it comes from you!"

"Oh, uh... oh!" Ranma looked back and forth between Akane and the flowers, blinking as if a thought occurred to him. Then he blushed. "Well... I didn't know nuthin' about pickin' out no flowers, Akane. I just, um, told Sis what I wanted it ta say and I guess she an' Nabiki did the rest."

Akane leaned up on her toes, and kissed him on the cheek. "Well, it's the thought that counts, anyway. Thank you, Ranma, you're really sweet."

Ranma put his hand to his cheek. "Sweet, huh? Geez, the Old Man would just love that." He grinned. "Ah, but who cares." He looked Akane over, and blushed again. "You, ah, look really nice, Akane." While her dress was quite modest, he could not help noticing that it was cut low enough to bare the skin around her slender neck.

Akane's smile widened. "Really? Do I still look like an uncute tomboy, Ranma?" She rocked back and forth again, clutching at her flowers.

Ranma smirked as he ran his hand down through her braided hair, lifting the extensions away from her shoulder. "You sure look like less of a tomboy with long hair like this," he said. And then he stared into her eyes. "But I think I like it better the other way."

Akane's cheeks turned very red, but she held Ranma's gaze, her heart pounding. She smiled, as Ranma leaned forward and caressed her cheek. She put her hand on his, closing her eyes. He didn't kiss her, but he didn't have to. She still remembered a braided lock of blue-black hair, and the feel of Ranma's tentative kiss, in his girl form. "As long as we're alone..." she muttered, as much to herself as to Ranma.

* * *

The Furinkan High performance of Romeo and Juliet was scheduled as the last play to go on that night, which did nothing to ease Akane's nervousness. She waited as long as she could in the dressing room, watching as the other girls left to take their turn on stage. Finally, when she couldn't take it anymore, she headed for the backstage area. She couldn't hear the different performers very clearly, but with each round of applause that marked the end of each school's play, she found herself growing more and more agitated.

"Can I really do this?" Akane thought to herself. There was a time when she wouldn't have admitted to such thoughts, must less actually considered them. She glanced back at the director, who was still in his Harlequin costume. He was talking with an overweight Chinese man, whom Akane guessed was an official of some kind. Her whole school was depending on her, and this was her dream. She couldn't back down.

The director came over to her. "We're up next," he said. "Are you ready?" Akane tried to nod, but found that she suddenly started trembling. She jumped as someone put a hand on her shoulder, and looked back to see that it was Ranma.

He gave her that smug, confident grin that Akane loved so much, and she felt her fears fade. "I'm ready," she said to the Harlequin, and he breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief. Then he turned back to the stage, to wait for the act in front of them to end. As the host of the Drama Club Competition, it was his job to announce the acts, as well as to direct the Furinkan High performance.

Akane took Ranma's hand, and then leaned back against his shoulder. She felt him jump a bit, startled, but he had long since passed the point where he would panic and become flustered. He wrapped his arm around her, drawing her into a comforting embrace. Akane sighed, closing her eyes as she leaned against him. For a moment, she felt like this was a dream, like it felt too good to be true. She had never felt so happy in her life.

Akane glanced up into Ranma's eyes again, as she considered how far they had come. The school year would be ending soon, and with that, she and Ranma would be moving up to the next grade. And only a few months after that, the anniversary of the day a ponytailed girl and her redheaded sister came into her life. What would the Akane of a year ago think of her now, letting a boy touch her, kiss her, even - Akane blushed deeply at the thought - even share a bath with her? How could she have known that arrogant, macho jerk would be the one to make her dream of being Juliet come true?

Her happy thoughts were rudely interrupted by a cry of outrage from Kuno. "Saotome, you fiend! You dare manhandle the maidenly Akane in public and in full view of everyone?" Akane scowled as she turned to look at the kendoist. He came charging at them in his Paris costume, his sword drawn.

Ranma let go of her, putting his hands up in a supplicating gesture as usual. Akane merely snarled, as she stepped forward and shoved Kuno's sword aside. "I am getting into the role of Juliet, Kuno, so of course I'm letting Romeo touch me! I suggest you leave us alone, and go rehearse for your own role, instead of messing me up!"

"But, my love, my Juliet!" Kuno protested. "I am only..."

"I am not your Juliet!" Akane yelled back. "I'm not even playing Juliet for Ranma," she said, although she took Ranma's hand, and pulled him back to embrace her. "I'm playing Juliet for me, Kuno, and if you ruin this for me, so help me, I'll make you regret it!"

Kuno huffed at her suggestion. "It is not I that will ruin this performance," he said, but before he could say anything further, he was interrupted by the director.

"Akane! Ranma! Get ready! We'll need you onstage in a minute." The previous performers had finished and were coming backstage, while the stage hands moved out to begin setting up for Romeo and Juliet's balcony scene.

"We'll be right there!" Akane called back, taking a moment to shoot a glare at Kuno, as the curtain closed. She then stepped out onto the stage to take her position. The set consisted of a balcony jutting out of one side of the stage, and Akane climbed onto it by way of a ladder set against the railing. The stage hands then took the ladder away, leaving Akane alone on the balcony. Ranma waited in the wings, for his entrance.

Kuno muttered darkly to himself as he watched them. "Why must I sit back and wait? Surely it will be that scoundrel Saotome that ruins this performance. How can it be a success, when the Blue Thunder is not there to captivate the audience with his commanding presence and warrior's prowess?"

"I may be able to help you with that," came a simpering voice from behind Kuno. He turned to see a dark, shadowy figure sneak into the light. He stared at Kuno with his dark, sunken eyes. "Sasuke and I have a plan to get Saotome out of the way..."

"And now, for the final entry in the competition," the Harlequin called out, as the curtain opened. "The Furinkan High Drama Club, in Romeo and Juliet."

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks," Ranma said, stepping out from behind a bush at the other end of the stage from Akane. "It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!" He spoke in an overdramatic voice, and gestured wildly as well.

"Romeo and Juliet fell in love at first sight," the Harlequin narrated. "But their families are bitter enemies. Romeo, while hiding in the Capulet garden, finds Juliet in her bedroom, unaware that Romeo is there."

Meanwhile, Akane hissed down at Ranma. "Stop hamming it up, baka! Just do the scene like we rehearsed!" She threatened to throw her roll of tape at him.

"All right, all right." Ranma grinned up at her, keeping his voice low as well. "I was just tryin' to have some fun with it."

Akane blushed a little as the audience's attention turned to her, but then she took a deep breath. "Oh, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet."

Ranma glanced at the audience, speaking his lines, again, loud enough for them to hear. "Should I say somethin'?"

Akane momentarily shook her head at Ranma's improvisation, but at least he was close. "'Tis but thy name that is my enemy," she continued, still pretending she could not see Ranma. "Thou art thyself, not a Montague. What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called."

At that moment, there was a commotion from the wings. The Harlequin started muttering, "You can't go out there!" Then Kuno burst out onto the stage, under Juliet's balcony.

Akane glanced down at him, but then looked back up, returning to her lines. Despite the distraction, she tried her best to keep the longing in her voice. "Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name, which is no part of thee... take all myself."

Ranma stepped out from behind his tree, moving closer to the balcony. "I take thee at thy word. Call me but love and... um... I'll never again be Romeo."

Akane wasn't really irritated by Ranma's flub this time. But, she still narrowed her eyes, pretending to notice him as Juliet. "What man art thou, bescreen'd in night..."

She was interrupted, as Kuno drew his prop sword. "Hark, Lady Juliet! It is I, Paris, and I think I hear some ruffian moving about the grounds!"

"Kuno..." Akane growled under her breath, her scowl deepening. "I mean, Paris, what are you doing out at this time of night? Is this not the time that you should be WAITING within the walls of my father Capulet's house?" She emphasized the word "waiting", hoping Kuno would get the hint. Of course, he did not.

"Fear not, fair Juliet! I shall drive this foul Montague from the grounds!" With that, Kuno charged at Ranma.

"No, wait!" Akane leaned over the balcony, extending her hand, but drew back as someone grasped at her dress. She whipped around, to see Sasuke dressed in a scullery maid's costume, wearing a disheveled grey wig.

"Is not the brave Paris dashing and heroic to so fight for you, Juliet?" Sasuke said, in the shrill tone he usually used for his "girl voice".

"W-what manner of creature are you?" Akane asked him, eyeing him in a mixture of revulsion and fright.

"Why, it is but your nurse, madam, the governess who cares for the fair lady Juliet," Sasuke said. Akane frowned as she realized he was indeed dressed as Juliet's nursemaid.

Akane tried to get back to the script. "But that is Romeo, the... the gentle lad I met at the party tonight. Surely he does not mean me harm..." She turned back to the stage below, where Ranma was ducking Kuno's attack. "Run, dear Romeo!" she called out. "My kinsmen have found thee here! I would not for the world that they would murder thee!"

"There lies more peril in thine eye than in TWENTY of their swords!" Ranma called back, with a twinkle in his eye as he smirked at Kuno. He leaped over his thrust again, while Akane sighed in relief that he had taken the hint. "Look upon me but sweet, and that'll be proof 'gainst their enmity."

"Oh, Romeo, Romeo, do be careful. Brave Paris is a fierce warrior."

"I have night's cloak to hide me from his sight," Ranma answered back, and ripped down part of the curtain to throw over Kuno. The audience roared with laughter. He then darted backstage to pick up a sword, while Kuno threw the curtain off of him. He and Kuno began to duel under the balcony.

"If thou doth love me," Ranma continued, "then let this moron face me. My life would be better ended by Capulet hate, than death prolonged, wanting of thy love."

"Ranma..." Akane muttered, her breath catching in her throat. Then she swallowed. "Oh, Romeo! Thy troth hath come too soon tonight! It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden. Take thy leave, and avoid Paris's cruel blade, that thou might live, the next time we meet."

"Ah, this guy ain't got nuthin', Juliet," Ranma mocked, as he continued his fight.

"But Lady Juliet," Sasuke interrupted. "Surely Paris is so much more handsome and noble than Romeo..."

"Shut up!" Akane hissed. "The nurse is supposed to be on Romeo's side at the start of the play." With that, she threw the little ninja over the side of the balcony.

"Oh, Paris! My good nurse has fallen from the balcony. Wouldst thou do me a favor and TAKE HER BACK INSIDE?" Akane couldn't keep the snarl out of her voice as she said the last.

Unfortunately, with both Kuno and Sasuke fighting against him, Ranma was hard pressed to hold them off. He backed away, and then leaped up to the balcony.

"Romeo!" Akane called out, startled as Ranma appeared in front of her. She and Ranma stared into each others' eyes for a moment, and then Akane averted her gaze. "Fair Romeo, thou art brave and hath escaped death. But please, flee, before Paris's sword finds thee. Good night, good night, as sweet repose and rest come to my heart as that within my breast."

Ranma grinned rakishly, knowing the line she had set up. "Oh, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?"

Akane smiled as well, her eyes teasing, even as her cheeks began to redden. "What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?"

Ranma swallowed. While Akane had delivered the line in almost exactly the same way as his sister, before, that had not prepared him for the look of unbridled desire that lit up within her dark eyes. A hush fell over the audience, as they leaned forward, suddenly intent on the action on the stage. Ranma paused just long enough to build up the suspense, staring at Akane's lips. She blushed a little deeper, her heart fluttering, but not breaking eye contact.

"The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine," Ranma finally answered.

"If thy bent of love be honorable, thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow. And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay, and follow thee, my lord, throughout the world.

"Good night, good night." Akane spoke softly, running her hand down Ranma's cheek. "Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I say good night till it be tomorrow."

There was a moment of silence, while the audience held their collective breath. And then Akane leaned forward, whispering to Ranma. "Kiss me."

"What?" Ranma whispered back at her. "There's no kiss in this scene!"

Akane's smile widened, even though her eyes flickered down to the ground for a moment. "If Shakespeare had actors capable of leaping from the stage to a balcony, he would have written in a kiss. Kiss me."

Swallowing, Ranma hesitated for a moment, but then leaned forward. Akane leaned forward as well, and their lips met. A gasp went up from the crowd. "They did it!" someone yelled out, and then the whole gymnasium burst into cheers. As Ranma started to end the kiss, suddenly embarrassed, he felt Akane's hands move up to touch his face. And then she pressed a piece of tape over his mouth.

There was a moment's pause while Ranma and Akane parted from their kiss, and then the audience saw the tape. They broke out laughing again. Akane stuck her tongue out at Ranma. "Sorry about that," she said, and Ranma just scowled at her as the curtain closed.

* * *

"Oh, this water feels so nice," Yuka commented, as she sank down into the steaming waters. "I've never been to a natural hot spring before."

"Yes," said another girl. "And since this portion of the resort is set aside for women only, we can take our time. Without having to worry about any peeping toms."

Yuka and Sayuri's friend had drawn her hair up into a pair of buns on top of her head, while Yuka let her long hair hang loose. Several other girls lounged around in the mineral waters along with Yuka and her friend, all of them naked, although most had a towel for washing themselves. Sayuri, who still had her hair in her usual ponytail, was the last to finish rinsing herself off. She sighed deeply as she joined the others in the warmth of the hot spring.

The hot springs were apparently volcanic in nature, as the resort was built on a mountainside, and surrounded by lush forest. The trees cut this particular spring off from prying eyes, giving the girls a sense of natural seclusion. There was a small island in the middle of the spring where the girls could rest if the heat of the spring became too much for them. In the middle of the island was set a large stone, apparently worn into a perfect sphere by the passage of time.

"It's too bad Akane couldn't be here," Sayuri said. "She would have loved it."

"I think the play should have started by now," Yuka put in. "I wonder how she's doing?"

"I'm sure she's doing great," Sayuri said. "It's that idiot Ranma I'd be worried about. Sometimes I wonder how she puts up with him."

"He loves her," Yuka said with a smile. "And I'm sure he's trying his hardest to do it right, even if he's probably messing it up. He and Akane didn't have a lot of time to work on his lines."

Sayuri giggled. "Yeah, and when they were 'studying', I'm sure Akane was thinking about more than just lines."

"So it's true, then?" their friend asked. "After all that talk about hating boys, Akane has really fallen for a guy?"

Yuka and Sayuri glanced at each other. "Yeah, although Ranma's not like a lot of guys," Sayuri told her. "He's actually kind of timid and shy, you know? You wouldn't think so from what an obnoxious jerk he is, but growing up with his sister, he's actually really considerate of women and their bodies."

Yuka blushed a little. "Yeah, he was kind of forced to see Ukyo in very... intimate ways, and so he's really protective of her, and her privacy. I think he's ashamed of it, a little."

"Really?" One of the girls looked uncomfortable. "I'd heard they were close, but not THAT close!"

"It was really tough for them, growing up," Sayuri answered. "They never had a place to live, and were always camping out in the wilderness and stuff. Ukyo told me that she and her brother would often have to bathe in mountain streams!"

"Can you imagine what that would be like?" Yuka put in. She paused a moment, leaning back and looking up at the trees towering above their idyllic bathing spot. "I guess sometimes it must have been really nice, like this. But other times, like maybe if the water was really cold or something..." she shivered, despite the warmth of the pool.

"Sounds horrible," the girl with her hair up agreed. "But I guess it does explain why Ukyo would be so... well, strange."

"She's not strange," Yuka said. "She's just a little more comfortable with her body than most of us would be, that's all. It's not like she's an... exhibitionist or anything, but she's used to going without a bra, or wearing clothes that are just a bit too worn out or something like that."

Their friend shook her head. "It's still hard to believe she can be so comfortable about a boy seeing her naked."

One of the other girls shuddered. "Well, I for one am glad Ukyo isn't here. I don't think I'd be comfortable with her seeing ME naked."

"What are you saying?" the first girl protested. "You shouldn't say things like that!" She glanced at Sayuri and Yuka. "Just because she's a martial artist doesn't mean she's..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "... interested in girls."

"Well, growing up with Ranma like that, don't you think she'd end up... like that?" the other girl said. "If she and Ranma got to see each other naked, then why WOULDN'T she be all over him? I know I would be. I mean, she dresses like a boy, for heaven's sake! I've never seen her with any guy, except for Ranma, and she's even more butch than Akane." She wrapped her arms around her chest, self-consciously. "She makes me nervous."

"Does Akane make you nervous?" Sayuri asked.

The girl looked a bit chagrined. "A little, before I found out she was dating Ranma. You know what the rumors say..."

"Yes, I know what the rumors say, and they're not true," Yuka said. "About either Akane OR Ukyo. They're our friends, and we know... well, we know they aren't attracted to other girls..."

"But can you be sure?" the girl asked.

Sayuri glanced at Yuka. As the two of them considered what to say, there was a rustling from the forest surrounding the spring. Two figures came stumbling out of the trees, their footing a bit unstable on the rocky terrain. Both were dressed for an extended hike, in warm, but dirt-stained clothing, and carrying huge backpacks.

"Ah, here we are, my disciple!" the closer of the two called out. He was much shorter than the other, wizened with age, and spoke with a raspy voice. His companion was much taller and slender, with a long ponytail. "The scroll should be..."

He then spotted the girls, who were drawing back in disgust, holding their towels against their chests. "Hotcha! Girlies!"

The old man started to leap at them, but was driven back by a shower of wash buckets. A shrill chorus of shrieks and screams of outrage followed the barrage. The old man and his partner were forced to retreat back into the trees.

"Perverts!" one of the girls yelled. "Did they really think they could just walk up here? What a couple of creeps!"

"Hold on," Sayuri said, holding up a hand as she stepped closer to the edge of the spring. "I think I recognized that ponytail. That looked like Ukyo and that old freak."

"Ukyo? Then she really IS a pervert!"

"No, she just looked like a guy, dressed like that," the other girl said. She looked back at Sayuri and Yuka. "Do you really think that was Ukyo?"

"I don't know," Yuka said. "She said she was too busy to come along with us. I wonder what she's doing here?"

"She's with that old pervert!" the first girl said. "I think that's clear enough."

"Well, why don't we ask her?" Sayuri said. She called out to the forest, raising her voice. "Ukyo? Is that you?"

"Sorry girls," came Ukyo's friendly drawl, from the forest. "Didn't mean to disturb you in your bath. The old man and I were hunting for a technique scroll that's hidden around here."

"Why don't you join us?" Yuka asked her. A couple of the girls voiced their dismay, but Sayuri shushed them.

"I'm tryin' to hold the old man down," Ukyo answered. Indeed, she was standing with her foot on Happosai's back, as he struggled to get away from her. "Gimme a minute to get rid of him."

"Get rid of me?" Happosai grumbled, obviously offended. "Is that the way you think of your master, Little Ukyo?"

"Yeah, yeah." Ukyo frowned at him. "Just chill, sensei. I'm not lettin' you go peek at all those girls."

"You can't do this to me! You shouldn't be so mean to an old man!" Happosai continued to squirm and wriggle around, but he wasn't able to escape. Finally, his voice turned cunning. "Well, I'll just have to look for the scroll for my Happo Fire Burst on my own..."

Ukyo hesitated a moment. "You said the scroll was around here somewhere," she said. "You know right where it is, don't ya?"

Happosai took advantage of her distraction to slip free. "I'll get my Ultimate Technique scroll, and then I'll show you. You can't treat an old man like this!"

Ukyo glared at him. "The scroll's hidden somewhere in the hot spring, isn't it? You expect me to chase you, so you can circle around and come get it. I'm not takin' THAT bait!"

The old pervert smirked at her, crouching down as if to run. "You willing to take that chance, girlie?"

"You go fetch yer scroll, then," Ukyo said. "I'm stayin' with my friends, and I'm not lettin' you anywhere near them."

"Suit yourself!" Happosai dashed off into the trees, laughing.

"All right, girls, he's gone," Ukyo called out, as she stepped out of the trees. "It'll take him a while to figure out I'm not followin' him and come back hopin' we've let our guard down. So we're okay for now."

"What are you doing here?" Sayuri asked her. "I thought you had to work on your restaurant."

"Yeah, I do," Ukyo answered, "but Happosai remembered where his scroll was hidden and was wantin' to go look for it. Akane's dad and the Old Man were scared he'd get to it first, so they picked me ta go look after the old troublemaker."

"How do we know you're not working with him?" the girl who had spoken up before asked. "Maybe you're the one that's trying to get us to drop our guard."

Sayuri started to yell at her, but Ukyo just waved a hand at the other girl's criticism. "Don't worry. I get as put out by that old perv as you all do."

From the look on Ukyo's face, she might have overheard part of their conversation. But she was obviously trying to keep her expression friendly. "Hmmm... so we're all more comfortable, how about I join you guys?" Ukyo smiled warmly as she continued. "I could use a nice relaxing bath, after all that wanderin' around."

Ukyo began to disrobe, and a couple of the girls grumbled to themselves, until Sayuri and Yuka shot each of them a warning glare. Ignoring them, Ukyo folded her masculine clothing neatly, and sat down to begin washing herself off. She was quite dirty from all the travelling, and took some extra time to unbraid her waist-length hair and wash it thoroughly. Since the only water available was from the hot spring, she didn't have to worry about activating her curse, so she just borrowed a bucket to scoop up some water and rinsed herself off.

Finally, she slipped into the steaming water, lying back against the rocks with a gasp of pleasure. "Oh, that feels better," Ukyo said. "There's nothing like a long soak for sore, tired muscles." She glanced up at her companions in the hot spring, some of whom eyed her with distaste. "Now, when the old freak comes back, we're all in the same boat. But don't worry. I'll get rid of him before he can see too much..."

"So, how is Akane doing?" Sayuri asked, mainly to change the subject. "I guess you didn't get a chance to see her do the play..."

Ukyo nodded. "Last I heard, she and Ranchan were getting ready for today. They have really been rehearsing a lot, though, and I think they'll do pretty good..." As she was finishing her sentence, she felt a tingling at the back of her neck, and sat up, looking back at the trees around them. Her danger sense spiked as some of the bushes at the edge of the clearing began to rustle.

"What's up?" Yuka looked out at the forest as well. "Is Happosai coming back?"

The movement in the bushes came closer, and then a small shape peeked out from between the leaves. It timidly eased forward, as if unsure about finding a bunch of girls lounging around in a hot spring in the middle of nowhere, and then shoved its way out of the underbrush. It was a brown, furry creature, making a chattering noise as it made its way closer to the water.

"Oh, look! It's a monkey!" one of the girls said. "It's so cute!"

The monkey hesitated, watching as the girls oo'd and ah'd over him, but then ambled forward and grabbed one of the discarded hand towels laying on the bank. It splashed into the water, and began washing itself with the towel.

"Aw! He's come to the hot spring to take a bath!" The girls were all giggling now, overcome by the allure of a small, cute animal. "That's so adorable!"

"Do you think he'll let us hold him?" another girl asked. "I want to hold him!"

Ukyo, meanwhile, was looking this "monkey" over critically. He was too fat for a monkey, stout and rounded instead of slender and delicate like most monkeys tended to be. Plus, while he was acting shy of humans, he had dropped that pretense quickly, and was now standing in the water as if waiting to be picked up. And he handled the wash cloth and bathed himself with it far more like a human than a monkey. Most importantly, Ukyo could see that the "monkey" had Happosai's face.

"It's just Happosai wearing a costume," she told the others, moving between them and the old lecher. "I'll get him out of here."

Happosai screeched as if Ukyo had scared him, and then skittered back, running for the arms of one of the other girls. The one who had spoken up before ended up picking him up. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face against her bare breasts with a grin.

The girl scowled at Ukyo. "Don't be silly! He's just a harmless monkey! You must be paranoid to think he's really that perverted old martial artist!"

"I don't know," Yuka said, blushing a bit at how intimately her friend was holding the old man. She lowered herself in the water, so her own breasts were covered. "He does look a bit like Happosai..."

Happosai again chattered in protest, keeping up his act. Ukyo rolled her eyes, both at his display, and that the others were falling for it. Mind you, he was doing a dead on impression of a monkey, but these city girls must have never seen a real monkey to not spot the flaws in his costume. Or maybe his aura was obscuring their senses in some way.

"If he's Happosai, wouldn't he have groped her by now?" Sayuri suggested, her tone thoughtful.

That made Ukyo pause for a moment. "I guess the old freak can hold himself back, if the situation calls for it."

"Well, I think you're trying to distract us," the girl said, still clutching Happosai to her chest. "That old man's obviously your master. How do we know this isn't some trick to keep us busy while that old man steals our panties or something?"

"Your clothes are right there on the shore," Ukyo answered, waving an arm at them. "And Happosai's right there..." She glanced around. "He's got to be trying to slip past us to get the scroll."

"I don't think you should be holding him like that, just in case," Yuka said. The other girl looked down at Happosai, blushing a bit, but Happosai kept up his act, making faces and looking around as if he wasn't interested in nuzzling her.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Ukyo said, throwing up her arms. Then she stepped forward, shouting right into Happosai's face. "You lecherous old fart! You would put pleasures of the flesh over learning a new technique? And you call yourself a martial artist? You're not worthy to be my master! You're not even worthy to be my sensei! You're just a perverted old man!"

Happosai growled as he grew angry. "How dare you talk to your master like that!" he yelled. "I've heard about that new restaurant of yours! You question ME on my devotion to the Art, when you're giving up my Anything Goes to become a chef? I'll make you pay for that!" With that, he jumped out of the girl's arms and right at Ukyo.

Ukyo was so stunned by his words that she dropped her guard, and Happosai caught her with his pipe, flinging her into the air. Unfortunately, the girls surrounding him all realized that they had been tricked. "He talked!" Yuka yelled. "He must be Happosai after all!"

Moments later, Ukyo landed back in the pool with a splash. She sat up, to see the girls on the bank, all stomping on Happosai. She quickly got to her feet, and made her way up to the group. She watched for a moment, then reached over to pick up a towel and wrap it around her body. "Sorry about that, sensei." she said. "I didn't really mean that, but I figured if I goaded you into it, you'd drop your act."

She finally put out a hand to push the girls back, as she stepped between them and Happosai. Then she stared down at the lump of fur that had been Happosai's costume, and the misshapen old creep inside it. "So, are you gonna tell me where the scroll is? I don't really wanna hafta do this any more."

Happosai jumped up, back to his old, spry self. The other girls all screamed and dived back into the water, but Ukyo just met his gaze without flinching. "You just wait, Little Ukyo. I'll get my scroll, and then you'll be sorry."

"I'm already sorry," Ukyo said. "Now scram." With that, she kicked Happosai over the trees and off into the distance.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Sorry about the long delay on this chapter, but things have been busy with the holidays and all. This chapter took a long time to write, particularly the scene with Ukyo and the other girls, which did not come easily. I'm still not totally sure about it, and may make some edits at a later time. I'm fairly satisfied with the basic plot, which is following up on the comments Akane's friend made last chapter. While Akane and Ukyo seemed liked by most of the students and can even be seen taking leadership roles against Happosai and the like, there has to be a darker side to being seen as "wierd" in Japanese society, even in a place as wacky as Furinkan.

Next chapter should wrap up the play, and then another chapter to wrap up the arc. There is still a lot more to come, and I don't plan to take as long a break from the story next time. While I'm getting close to the end, I promise, this fanfic isn't dead. :D


	73. A Different Romeo and Juliet

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 73

"Kuno!" Akane leaped from the balcony, as the curtains closed, cutting off the laughter and shouts of the audience. She was scowling as she marched up to the kendoist, her fist raised threateningly. "I told you not to ruin this for me!"

"But my fierce tigress," Kuno protested, backing away from her. "'Twas I that saved the scene! Did you not hear the..."

"Don't you 'fierce tigress' me!" Akane shot back, her teeth grinding. "I told you not to interfere, and you did anyway!"

Ranma put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Akane, he's right. Didn't ya hear that crowd? They loved it!"

Akane turned to him, with fire in her eyes. "You're siding with HIM? But I'll bet you just LOVED the chance to turn this into a fight, didn't you? You were just looking for the chance to show me up!"

"Whoa, whoa, Akane, I'm just sayin' the audience liked it!" Ranma backed away from her as well, his hands up in supplication. "You did great! Ya kept the script on track, an' the fight added a little excitement, which made Romeo an' Juliet gettin' together at th' end all the better! You did a great job, Akane, I'm sure!"

She eyed him cautiously, her anger fading, but still unsure of herself. "Do... do you really think I did okay?"

"Of course, Akane! You were great!" Ranma nudged Kuno in the side. "Ain't that right, Kuno?"

Kuno looked down at him, startled, and then back at Akane. He considered it for a moment. "Yes, yes, my lovely goddess, of course. Your performance was admirable - nothing compared to the grandeur of my own performance, mind you, surely that thunderous applause could only be for the Blue Thunder... but you did your part."

"I did my part?" Akane's anger flared back, stronger than ever. "I DID MY PART?"

Ranma found himself grinning. Yet in the back of his mind, suddenly something clicked into place. In any other circumstance, he might be the one saying how great he himself was. After all, he wanted her to know how wonderful he was, as a man, and appreciate that he was doing this play for her. But seeing Kuno acting like an arrogant ass, he could see just how mad that made Akane, and how hurt she was that her own talent wasn't being recognized. He had done that to her a lot, himself.

He'd have to work on that. Maybe he could tell her how great he was, while letting her know that she was great, too.

"Hey, Akane," he added, putting his new plan in motion. "You know Kuno didn't have nothin' ta do with it. That was all for you. That was all for you playin' Juliet."

Akane looked back at him with eyes wide, and her face suddenly as red as her dress. She glanced down at the stage floor. "You... you really think so?"

Ranma grinned again. It was easy to not take any credit himself, since he knew he wasn't really good at acting. He probably wouldn't even be doing this if it weren't for Akane. "Yep. Of course, you're still an uncute tomboy on the inside, but you sure play a good Juliet."

Akane looked up at him again, her blush fading, as a flash of pride and anger played across her face again. But she was grinning, widely. "Baka. But I guess you played a pretty good Romeo, too."

"Places, everyone, for the wedding scene," the Harlequin called out, as the stage hands busied themselves rearranging the scenery. The balcony had already been moved off stage, replaced by Friar Lawrence's small house. A backdrop with a church painted on it was lowered, to make the set look like a garden outside of the church.

Ranma quickly hurried to his place in front of the priest's house. As Akane started to leave the stage, though, Kuno grabbed her shoulder. "How can you say that cad Saotome plays a good Romeo? Surely I would be better as Romeo."

Akane slapped his hand away. "You have yet to be better as Paris."

"Do you not want this play to succeed? You know that you want me as your Romeo, as there can be no other!"

"You are not 'my Romeo', Kuno!" Akane snapped back at him. "And if this play is a success, it'll be because Ranma and I do our best. I don't need your so-called 'help'."

"But you cannot be Juliet without a proper Romeo!"

"I've already told you. If I am Juliet, then I will choose my own Romeo."

Kuno tried to embrace her. "Do not deny that you love me."

Akane kicked him in the face. She was so set on fighting Kuno off, that she didn't notice the curtain rise, behind her. "I would rather say that I love Romeo!"

"Romeo!" Kuno looked angry. "This Romeo is an imposter! I will not let this Romeo stand in the way of you giving me your heart!"

"If I've given anyone my heart," Akane said, "you'll be the LAST one to know!" She then noticed the curtain had opened, and the audience was watching her. She gasped, putting her hands over her cheeks, as they turned red. "Now look what you've done, Ku... I mean, Paris! You've made me late! I've got to go!"

With that, Akane ran off of the stage. Kuno chased after her, yelling, "Juliet, my love! Come back!"

The Harlequin stepped out onto the stage. "So... uh... Juliet has an argument with Paris, over Romeo. In the meantime, Romeo visits the priest, Friar Lawrence, to ask him to marry them. He asked Juliet to meet him at the church, so they could get married, without their warring families finding out..."

Gosunkugi entered, wearing a brown monk's robe. He walked over to stand next to Ranma. "So smile the heavens upon this holy act. That after-hours with sorrow chide us not."

"Amen, Amen," Ranma said, his voice holding only a little of its usual coarseness. "But come what sorrow can, it cannot counter the exchange of joy I feel in her sight. Do thou close our hands with holy words..."

"Art thou sure?" Gosunkugi interrupted, surprising Ranma as he cut into his speech. "Art thou truly the best choice for the fair Juliet?"

"W-W-Wha?" Ranma stammered, realizing that Gosunkugi was again going off of the script. Then his eyes narrowed, and he grabbed the skinny monk by his collar, lifting him into the air. "Whaddya mean?"

"These violent delights have violent ends," Gosunkugi said, struggling against Ranma's grip. Then he touched his fingertips together, looking down timidly. "I was just thinking that Ak... I mean, Juliet would prefer a nicer, more peaceful, non-violent guy... like a priest or something..."

"Eh?" Ranma shook his head. Was the priest after Juliet as well? Confused, he tried to recall the dialog of the scene, unsure of what had changed.

Fortunately, Sasuke jumped out of the wings, hissing as he spoke to Gosunkugi. He was still in costume as Juliet's nurse. "You're not sticking to the script," he said, although he didn't mean the script for "Romeo and Juliet". "You're supposed to say Paris is the better choice for Juliet."

He then turned to Ranma, batting his eyelashes. He again spoke in his high-pitched, girly voice, loud enough for the audience to hear. "Noble Paris is so strong and so brave. What makes thee so sure that thy love is stronger than that of my master... I mean, Paris?"

"Um... uh..." Ranma looked around, unsure what to say. He tried to recall his lines for the scene, but none seemed to fit. Just as he started to panic, he heard a whispered voice, calling out from offstage.

"I pray thee, chide not." It was Akane. She glared at Gosunkugi and Sasuke, but then continued to prompt Ranma. "Her I love now doth grace for grace and love for love allow."

"Um... I pray thee, chide not," Ranma echoed. "The one I love, um, doth grace for grace and... um... she loves me back."

Akane rolled her eyes, unsure whether to be exasperated, or amused. "Close enough, baka."

Gosunkugi and Sasuke didn't seem willing to give up. "I think we need to test thee," Gosunkugi said. He reached under his robe, and pulled out a bucket. "Perhaps this holy water will tell if thou art pure or wicked."

"Water?" Ranma backed away, putting up an arm as if to shield himself.

"And if holy water is too clean for thee," Sasuke said, pulling a bucket out from under his dress, "perhaps the wash water from my laundry will be dirty enough."

"Hey, um, come on, guys..." Ranma glanced back at the audience. If he was splashed in front of all of these people, there would be no hiding his curse.

"Ranma!" Akane hissed. "Run for it! I'll try to keep the scene going!"

Ranma ran off of the stage, pursued by Gosunkugi and Sasuke, while Akane entered from the other side. "Romeo!" she called out. "Oh Romeo! My love, has thou met with the priest? Come, Romeo, come, my day in night! Your Juliet awaits!"

Kuno burst out of the wings. "Juliet! It is I, your Romeo!" He had removed the shirt of Paris's costume, and replaced it with a blue tunic identical to the one worn by Ranma.

Akane snarled at him, then glanced at the audience. "Romeo? Is that really you?"

Kuno tried to embrace her, and she slugged him again. "Juliet, my love! Come to my arms! Let us away to the church, where we may be married!"

Akane glanced around the stage. "Married? Nay, good Romeo, that is not why thee called me here. Dost thou not remember?"

"Um... of course Romeo remembers. Did not Romeo call his Juliet to the church to be married?"

"Nay." Akane picked up a prop sword. "Romeo promised Juliet he would teach her the art of the sword this day. Dost thou wish to fight me?"

Kuno's eyes lit up. "Ah! Juliet! I shall best thee in combat and thou shalt admit thy love!" With that, he drew his own sword and charged.

The audience began to cheer, as Akane met Kuno's charge. She sidestepped, avoiding being forced into a corner, and led Kuno to the middle of the stage, as she parried his blows. Finally, she ducked under a swing, and kicked him in the side, sending him flying.

"I am not fooled," Akane said, turning to the audience. "I see through Paris's clever disguise. Watch now, as I delay him until the real Romeo, my one and only love, arrives."

She then turned back to Kuno, as he charged back from offstage. On the other end of the stage, Ranma and his two attackers appeared for a moment, as he was forced to avoid a splash of water. Then he ducked behind the priest's house, just as the water caught him. A few moments later, a ponytailed girl in Romeo's costume stepped from behind the set.

Ranma sized up Sasuke and Gosunkugi, who drew up short, surprised that their quarry had stopped running from them. She grinned, wickedly. "I've got bad news for you, boys..."

Sasuke gulped. "What do you mean?"

"Now that you've splashed me, cold water can't effect me any more." With that, the lanky girl proceeded to pound the stuffing out of the little ninja and his spineless partner. She left them laying on the side of the stage, apparently tied into a knot around each other.

"Akane... I mean, Juliet, you okay?" More concerned about Akane than worried about getting off the stage, Ranma jumped between her and Kuno. Kuno stopped and smiled widely at her, however, obviously believing her to be Ukyo.

"Ah, my ponytailed goddess! Come to my arms!"

Kuno tried to grab Ranma, and she planted her foot in his face. Akane then knocked him offstage again.

Akane grabbed Ranma's arm, and turned her to face the audience. "This is, in truth, my love Romeo. But expecting Paris to interfere with our plans, I had Romeo disguise himself as a woman. Bear with us, while we deal with foolish Paris."

Kuno reentered the stage. "This is my cousin," Akane said, to Kuno, "the lovely... um... Romiette. She has come to help with my lessons." She handed Ranma another sword.

"To challenge Kuno with the blade is to admit defeat," he shouted, and charged at both girls. "I shall win the hearts of both Juliet and Romiette!"

"Art thou Kuno, Romeo, or Paris?" Ranma said with a grin, as she parried his strike. "Make up thy mind."

"What's in a name?" Kuno countered, as he continued to strike.

"That's my line!" Akane yelled back at him. With both Ranma and Akane fencing with Kuno, they were able to counter his blows easily. And the audience began to cheer more and more loudly as the fight continued. Unfortunately, Sasuke had managed to work free of Gosunkugi, and crept up behind Ranma. She sensed the little ninja behind her, but too late, as Kuno drove forward with a slash of his bokken. Ranma was forced back, and tripped over Sasuke.

"Ranma!" Akane forced Sasuke away, then turned to help Ranma. She had already been helped to her feet by Kuno, though, who held her in a romantic embrace. He leaned over her, as if to kiss her, and Ranma tried to push him away.

"You better not!" Ranma warned, trying not to think about the panic and disgust that had filled him the last time he had been kissed by a man. He kept his focus by concentrating on how he might compensate for the lower strength and weight of his sister's body. Maybe he could throw Kuno with a flip?

Ranma dropped to the ground, putting up her leg to flip Kuno over her head, but the kendoist somehow managed to dodge her foot. He fell on top of Ranma. "My love, Romiette!" He cried, "Let us embrace at last, and then away to the wedding!"

Akane leaped onto his back, grabbing him from behind and pulling back on his head. "Leave 'Romiette' alone, Paris!" She snapped angrily. "You're not marrying either Romiette or Juliet today..."

"I take true love's kiss then!" He cried out, dramatically. "It is enough that I may call her mine."

Akane growled under her breath, at Kuno's likely unintentional use of Romeo's actual line. Ranma, meanwhile, tried to turn her face away, as Kuno bent down over her. At the last moment, Akane pulled his head away again, but then Kuno broke free, and pressed his lips to Ranma's. Ranma started to squirm in discomfort, but then realized that Kuno had tape over his mouth. Akane had managed to put it on him at the last moment.

It was still disgusting. As Kuno released her, Ranma stood up, spitting and sticking out her tongue. The audience roared with laughter. "Paris just kissed Romeo!" Hiroshi shouted, explaining the joke to Daisuke. "Now there's something you don't see every day..."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it first time," Daisuke growled. Then he chuckled. "At least we won our bet about 'Ukyo' showing up."

Hiroshi grinned, widely. "This is the best Romeo and Juliet ever!"

Akane found herself grinning as well, at the unexpected praise, but her mood quickly soured. Before Kuno could recover, she kicked him off of the stage, and into the wings. Then she turned to Sasuke, raising her fist.

"Surely thou wouldst not hurt thy gentle nurse," Sasuke said, in the most girlish voice he could muster.

"Oh, most wicked fiend!" Akane said, her smile returning. "Go, counselor. Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain!" With that, she punched him off the stage as well.

She then turned to Ranma, her cheeks a bit pink at what she had just said. "And you better not say anything, pervert, or you're next."

"Huh? Wha?" Ranma, of course, had no idea what she meant.

"Come on." She grabbed the cursed girl by the arm. "We'd better get to the church before Friar Lawrence gets away."

She stomped up to Gosunkugi. "All right, priest! Time to marry us!"

Gosunkugi swooned. "She spoke to me!"

"Geez," Ranma said. "I can't believe this guy." She tried to slap him, to wake him up, but even that didn't seem to overcome Gosunkugi's usual reaction to Akane's nearness. The emaciated Voodoo practitioner sighed as he stared up at her.

"You've got to finish the scene!" Akane hissed, as she picked Gosunkugi up and shook him. "Marry us now!"

The anger in Akane's voice finally got through to Gosunkugi. Startled, he straightened up. "Do you, Romeo, take Juliet to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Now it was both Ranma and Akane's turn to be startled. Ranma glanced at Akane, swallowing hard. She blushed deeply, but nodded to him. "Go ahead. We've got to finish the scene."

Ranma hesitated for a moment, but then turned back to Gosunkugi. "I... I, um, do..."

Gosunkugi looked at the cursed girl, although he didn't seem to quite see her. He looked back at Akane. "Do you, Juliet, take Romeo to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Akane opened her mouth, but then shut it with a squeak. She glanced at the ground, her face turning even redder. Finally, Ranma said, "Akane?" to her, obviously worried. Akane put both hands to her face.

"I do! I do! All right... ?" Akane's voice faded away, and then she repeated it, as if astonished by a sudden revelation. "I... I do..."

"You may kiss the bride." Gosunkugi said.

Ranma and Akane blushed even deeper. A hush fell over the audience, and Ranma turned to look back at them. But Akane pulled Ranma back, to face her.

"The show must go on," she said, smiling shyly at Ranma. Then she pulled out her roll of tape. With a grin, she slapped it over the ponytailed girl's mouth, and then kissed her.

The audience gasped. "Akane just kissed Ukyo!" said another of the students near Hiroshi. Hiroshi glanced at him, but didn't correct him. But then, as Akane pulled away, he noticed the tape over Ranma's mouth. "Ha, not really!" he said. The audience burst out into laughter, and then started to applaud.

Ranma scowled as the curtain closed. She peeled the tape off, wincing, and then grumbled at Akane. "Come on, tomboy, that stings."

"Oh, Ranma," Akane replied, still blushing a bit as she took the lanky girl by the hand. "Let's go get you some hot water."

* * *

Ukyo and her friends only had to wait about half an hour before Happosai tried again. The first clue that the old pervert had returned was a small wooden washbucket, that came floating across the hot spring, from the trees. Ukyo eyed the bucket carefully, as it drifted slowly but unerringly towards the center of the pool.

Sayuri sat up, noticing Ukyo's suddenly intense expression. She followed her gaze to the washbucket, then gasped and covered her chest with her arms. She dropped back into the water. "Is that Happosai?" she asked.

Ukyo put up a hand to stop her from panicking any further. "Hold on," she said. "Let's see where he goes."

The other girls fell silent, though, and Happosai seemed to sense that he had been detected. The wooden bucket continued to drift in the water, and then slowly turned and headed back the way it came. Ukyo held a towel against her chest, and then quietly slipped up behind the bucket. She raised her hand above her head, then chopped downward to smash the bucket.

The bucket shattered into a mess of floating pieces of wood, and metal binding hoops, but there was no sign of Happosai. Ukyo watched for the telltale signs of bubbles leading away from the spot, but could see none.

"Was it that old man or not?" one of the other girls asked.

"It had to be. The bucket changed direction, it wouldn't have done that if it was just floating." Ukyo looked around at the forest, and the surface of the hot spring. The clouds of steam rising from the water obscured her view somewhat, but not so much that she could not see any telltale ripples. The only ripples were from her own movements and those of her fellow bathers, however.

Ukyo suddenly whipped around, turning to look behind her. Sure enough, a couple of bubbles broke the surface near the rock in the center of the spring. There was a splash, and Happosai burst from the water. He had changed his costume, and was now dressed as a squirrel. He leaped up onto the rock, as the girls all squealed and grabbed for their towels.

The old pervert rolled the round rock aside, and then reached into a depression hidden under the rock. He pulled out a scroll. "Wha-ha-ha-ha! The secret scroll of my Ultimate Technique is back in my hands, where it belongs!"

"Not if I get it away from you first!" Ukyo growled, settling into a defensive stance in the water. She knew that she was at a disadvantage, trying to fight in only a towel. She braced herself, to kick water in Happosai's face or dodge out of his reach if he came close enough to grope her or pull her towel off. She already knew how frighteningly fast the old master was, though, and didn't like her chances of coming out of this with her modesty intact.

"You dare challenge your master, Little Ukyo! Then you will be the first to feel my wrath!"

"You can't use the scroll until you get the chance to read it," Ukyo told him. "And I'm not going to let you get past me."

"You can't stop me anyway!" Happosai shot back, grinning. "I've already prepared for this..."

To her surprise, instead of leaping at her, Happosai suddenly hopped on top of the round stone, spreading his arms and legs. The old man's costume had flaps sown onto the sides which were drawn tight by his spread-eagle pose, like wings. Apparently, he was not just disguised as a squirrel, but as a flying squirrel. He jumped up, over Ukyo's head, and then soared over the hot spring and towards the shore. Ukyo raced to catch up with him, as the old man drifted further out of her reach.

Once he reached the land, though, Happosai dropped onto the pile of the girls' clothes. He immediately began gathering up the panties and bras, cackling gleefully. "Help me gather up these pretties, Little Ukyo, and maybe I'll forgive your disrespect."

"There is no way I'm going to help you steal my friends' underwear!" Ukyo shouted, as she caught up with the old man. She kicked at him, and he dodged her, jumping around and grabbing up the rest of the panties, despite her efforts to stop him.

"Come on! I'll be happy to share them with you! There's more than enough."

Ukyo ignored the grumbling and sounds of disgust from her classmates, as Happosai continued to dodge her. "I don't NEED more underwear, you old freak, I have plenty of my own! Now stop trying to make me look bad!" She glanced back at the girls that were eyeing her suspiciously. "It's not gonna work!"

"That's right!" Sayuri cut in, wading out of the water to join them on the shore. She had wrapped a towel around herself as well, but was also carrying several washbuckets, which she started throwing at Happosai. Yuka joined her. "Ukyo is our friend, and we know she wouldn't help a twisted old pervert like you!"

Happosai cackled as he dodged the missiles the two girls were throwing at him, as they were even easier to avoid than Ukyo's attacks. "Oh, come on, ladies, how can you ruin an old man's fun?"

He leaped into the air as Sayuri and Yuka rushed in to stomp on him, but as he tried to make his escape, Ukyo suddenly leaped back, and grabbed a branch of one of the trees on the edge of the forest. She pulled the branch back, then let it go, and it slammed into Happosai as his flight carried him past the tree on the other side. His armful of panties were scattered everywhere, as he flopped onto the ground, stunned.

"Curses! Foiled again!" the old man shouted, as the girls finally caught up with him, and began to pound him into the dirt.

With a sigh, Ukyo walked over and picked up the fallen scroll. She unrolled it, and studied it for a long moment. Then she turned the scroll sideways. Then she turned it upside down.

"This is written in such chicken scratch I CAN'T READ IT!" Ukyo shouted in frustration. "Damn it, old man, I shoulda known your handwriting would be illegible!"

* * *

The Harlequin stepped out in front of the closed curtain, addressing the audience. "Romeo and Juliet were married, but their happiness was not to last long. Romeo was forced to fight Juliet's cousin Tybalt, and killed him. For the crime, the Prince of Verona exiled him from the city. In hopes of being reunited with her love, Juliet used a potion to fake her own death, with Friar Lawrence sending word to Romeo to come and rescue her from her tomb. But the priest's warning did not reach Romeo in time. Believing Juliet to be dead for real, Romeo has come to the tomb to end his own life, and rest by his wife's side."

The curtain opened, revealing the stage, redressed as a tomb. Akane lay in a coffin, decorated with flowers, in the center of the stage. She lay still, with her eyes closed, as the sleeping Juliet. To one side of the stage, Kuno also lay on the bare floor. He was trussed up with rope, and gagged. Unlike Akane, he struggled to escape, trying his best to voice his outrage. However, he could neither speak through the gag, nor escape from the ropes.

"Good gentle Paris," Ranma said, stepping from the wings to put a foot on Kuno's back. "Tempt not a desperate man. Think upon those gone. Put not another sin upon my head by urging me to fury."

Even though the script had called for Ranma to fight Kuno, both he and Akane had decided that they couldn't trust Kuno to let himself be properly "defeated" when the time came. Thus, they decided on an alteration of their own. It had taken little time for the two of them to overpower the kendoist, tie him up, and throw him out on the stage. It meant Paris would survive the play, but the audience had already been treated to two unplanned fight scenes, and that seemed like more than enough.

"Live," finished Ranma, kicking Kuno off the stage, "and hereafter say a madman's mercy bid thee run away."

He then turned to look back at Akane's resting place. "Here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes this vault, um, full of light. Um..." he paused a moment, trying to remember how Akane had coached him on their changes to the script.

As Ranma stepped closer to the coffin, however, he felt a lump rise in his throat, and all thoughts of the script fled his mind. She looked so pretty, and so peaceful, lying there in Juliet's beautiful gown, surrounded by flowers, and yet the scene was almost too real. He was reminded of when he jumped back in the window, after Shampoo had knocked out Ukyo, and saw her lying motionless on the floor. He had been afraid the same thing would happen to Akane, and here she was, lying still, her eyes closed, still breathing slightly, but otherwise unmoving. He knew it was an act, yet he couldn't stop himself from starting to tremble, his heart feeling heavy in his chest.

Ranma looked down at the stage, swallowing, and trying to regain his focus. This was just a play. Akane stirred a bit, frowning at the sudden silence. Ranma knew he had to speak his lines, yet they all seemed to be jumbled up in his head. He cast around wildly for the next line. "Um... Why are thou yet so fair, dear Juliet?" He asked, grasping at one that had stood out to him. "Thou art not conquered. Beauty's ensign is crimson on thy lips, and... um... uh..."

He trailed off as the thought left him. It was all too much! How was he supposed to remember all this? Akane cracked her eyes open for a moment to look at him, worried, but then closed them again. He could see her muttering to herself, her lips moving. For some reason, he couldn't make out what she was saying. He felt his heart pounding harder and harder, drowning out any sound she might make. He was letting her down, and with Akane lying there as if in death, with the darkness of the tomb all around him, it really was getting to be too much to take.

Ranma edged forward, putting a hand on the edge of the coffin, as he studied Akane's face. She peeked at him again, then looked out over the audience, who had fallen eerily silent. "Just relax, Ranma," she whispered to him. "It'll be okay, just focus." But then she swallowed, at the look in his eyes. She could see his panic and frustration, but more than that, she could see the fear that they had both tried to deny. She closed her eyes again, biting her lip. She knew what it did to Ranma, to make him worry about her. She wanted to be strong, and fight her own battles, and told herself that it would all be all right if she just didn't give up. But she knew how she had felt when it was Ranma lying still in the Kolkhoz skating rink, when it looked like he might never get up.

"I'm sorry," Ranma said, his voice quiet. He looked down at the ground, falling to his knees next to the coffin. "I'm sorry... Juliet. I... I guess I ain't much of a Romeo. I know this meant a lot to ya... us bein' together... doin' something right. And... and... an' I ruined it. I messed up all up."

"You're always so... Why'd ya haveta go and get me in a mess like this anyway? You're such a stupid..." He suddenly stopped, and then punched himself across the face. Akane flinched, recognizing the sound, but then he returned to grasp her hand, still kneeling by the coffin. "Sorry. I mean... Juliet, you're... you're... You're just such a tough chick." He shook his head, seemingly smiling at himself. "Wait... that's not what I meant to say either."

The audience leaned forward in their seats, straining to hear, but Ranma spoke up, a bit louder. "I ain't... I do not have much to give to thee, Juliet. I am but a poor exile, with no home an' a crazy family. I feel... I feel the stars have cursed me, and to be with me would be a curse on thee as well."

He looked up into her face again, and found that Akane had opened her eyes, staring at him in shock. He could see her begin to tremble, as well. "My life... ain't easy... 'twould not be easy to live in exile, on the run, possibly in danger. Perhaps this would be thy fate anyway..." He ran a hand down her cheek, and Akane sniffled, her brown eyes getting teary. Ranma had to stop to wipe his own eyes as well. Not that he was crying or anything. It was probably just an itch.

"I'm always shootin' off at the mouth and doing dumb things like getting into that fight with Tybalt - and Paris. That's what I meant ta say. You're the one gettin' me outta trouble, half the time. You know I don't know how to say stuff. But I just wanna say... I just wanna say..."

He looked up and stared at her for a moment, and Akane held her breath. The audience was silent as well. But then Ranma shook his head. "But death has taken thee, Juliet. I waited... I waited too long to tell thee how I truly feel and... and now unsubstantial death has taken thee to be his paramour...

"For fear of that, I still will stay with thee, and never from this palace of dim night depart again."

Ranma leaned over the coffin, while Akane choked back a sob. They had rehearsed the kisses at the end of the scene enough times that Ranma knew that part by heart. But Akane had never felt such anguish at hearing Romeo's final words. "Eyes, look your last," Ranma said. "Arms, take your last embrace. And, lips, oh you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss a dateless bargain to engrossing death."

Akane couldn't hold herself still, as Ranma kissed her. She somehow managed to keep her arms at her sides, the urge to just grab Ranma and just hold him almost overpowering. He had turned away from her, though, as he pulled the vial of poison out of his costume. "Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide. Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy seasick, weary bark. Here's to my love!"

It took everything Akane had to hold back until Ranma had tipped back the bottle of fake poison. Then she sat up, wailing "Romeo!" as she held her arms out to him. Ranma turned to her, startled, as she leaped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

It took her several seconds to get her tears under control, then Akane managed to gulp out a few whispered words. "Continue the scene, Ranma. Pretend to die."

Ranma whirled away from her, putting a hand to his forehead in an overblown display of grief and despair. "Ah! Argh!" He staggered about melodramatically, making Kuno's theatrics seem understated. Despite herself, Akane frowned, growling "Baka!" although tears were still running down her face.

Finally, Ranma's death scene ended, and he collapsed to the floor. Akane leaped out of the coffin, and dropped next to him, wrapping her arms around his chest. "Oh, Romeo my love! I heard every word! But the wicked poison that I drank did paralyze me and prevent me from calling out to you! Oh, cursed stars indeed, to make me witness your grief, and still be unable to stay your hand!"

She smiled down at Ranma, her tears returning, but her smile one of happiness and pride. "I heard it all. And Romeo, Romeo... I am no Juliet either.

"This pretty dress... this long hair... these things maketh me not Juliet! Begone, false tresses!" She tore the hair extensions from her blue-black locks, tousling her now short hair with a hand. "They are not what make me beautiful in your eyes."

"Begone, stained dress, this shroud of death! I rend thee!" She grabbed the hem of her skirt and tore it, with a powerful rip that resounded across the stage. "I wouldst tear it from my body... if it would but bring my Romeo back..."

Akane collapsed over Ranma's chest again, hugging him. Privately, she took a moment to try to regain control of her blush. Part of her was mortified at the innuendo of what she had just said... and in public, no less! Still, she felt Shakespeare probably would have written something very much like that.

Once the heat had died down, she lifted her head to look down on Ranma's face. He looked nervous, but was keeping his eyes closed. She leaned over him, taking a moment to whisper to him. "Thank you, Ranma, for being a wonderful Romeo."

Then she spoke louder, for the audience. "I will kiss thy lips. Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make me die with a restorative." She pressed her lips against Ranma's, holding the kiss for a moment, while Ranma subtly returned it. "Thy lips are warm."

"Not a drop left for me, to help me after?" Akane pouted, then reached over Ranma's body, to search him for the prop dagger. She found it, and lifted it where the audience could see. "Oh, happy dagger. This is thy sheath."

With that, she pretended to stab herself, than drew back, as if in pain. "One last kiss... my Romeo. I have already gone... to my everlasting rest... but thy kiss... can heal... my wound..." She bent over Ranma again, as if struggling to survive long enough, and kissed Ranma deeply, passionately. The curtain closed, with Ranma and Akane still kissing.

As the audience broke out into applause, Akane quickly broke the kiss, lifting Ranma to a sitting position as she fished out her tape. "We've only got a few seconds..." she muttered.

"Aw, geez, do you have to do that again?"

"We don't want anyone to know we kissed for real, do we?" Akane asked him. Her face was flaming red, and yet there was a sparkle of happiness and satisfaction in her eyes. The audience was still cheering. "Now, come on, we've got to do the curtain call!" She slapped the tape on Ranma's mouth, even as he grabbed the roll away from her.

Akane got to her feet, as the curtain rose. She took Ranma's hand, and started to bow, when she felt Ranma move towards her, just out of her line of sight. She turned her head just in time to meet him halfway, as he slapped a strip of tape over her mouth. She glared at him, but he just grinned back, his own confident smirk not quite hidden by the tape over his lips.

Akane glanced back at the audience, just as they noticed the tape over both of their mouths. They immediately burst out laughing, and then, with even more applause, rose to their feet. Akane gaped, as the students began to cheer for her even louder than before.


	74. Confession of Love

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 74

"Sensei! Sensei, where are you? Come on, don't be mad!" Ukyo walked briskly through the forest, following Happosai's fading but still detectable trail.

After being beaten until he was seeing stars by Ukyo's classmates, the pint-sized pervert had stalked off into the forest in a huff. Ukyo had remained long enough to make sure her friends finished bathing without incident, reassuring Sayuri and Yuka that she would see them at school once they all returned from their respective vacations. Then, once the girls had put back on their clothes and headed back to the resort, Ukyo got dressed as well, and set off in pursuit of her disgruntled master.

"Don't be that way!" she called out, knowing that she was getting close. Happosai wasn't moving very fast, or even attempting to hide his footprints. She figured he was still pouting. "I just didn't want you ogling my friends, that's all. That doesn't mean I don't want to help you recover your technique scroll."

The trees began to thin out, and then eventually cleared away, becoming a grassy slope. Ukyo topped a rise, finding herself above a secluded golf course. It was set into the flattened portions of the rocky terrain, weaving a twisting path along the mountainside. From her vantage point she could see several visitors to the resort, playing on the fairways. Most of them were men, from which Ukyo gathered that she had left the part of the resort that was women only.

Nearby, she noticed Happosai sitting on a bench near the fairway. The wizened martial artist was looking down over the scenery, puffing on his pipe and grumbling under his breath. No doubt, he was disappointed to find only men here.

"There you are," Ukyo said. Happosai looked away from her as she approached, sticking his nose in the air. She walked over to stand next to him, despite the cold welcome.

Ukyo held out the scroll to him. "Come on, sensei," she said. "Let's put all that behind us. See, I've got the scroll right here. You can read over it, and then teach me how to do this Happo Fire Burst of yours."

"I'm surprised you trust me," Happosai said, still looking away from her. "Don't you think that once I remember the technique, I'll end up using it on you?"

"I'm not Genma," Ukyo said with a smile. "I'm not going to cower in fear of you, old man, but I don't mind a few hard knocks, either. I promised I'd help you find the scroll, and that's what I did. Maybe we fought over it for a bit, but that's just because you were trying to sneak around those girls while they were bathing. That's all over now, so now I'm ready to help you."

He finally looked up and met Ukyo's eyes. "You just want my help because you can't learn it on your own." His frown deepened. "Let me guess, you can't read it. My handwriting always was atrocious."

If Happosai's words bothered her, Ukyo showed no sign of it. Her smile slipped into a half smirk. "Okay, so what if I'm tryin' to get you to read it for me? You don't have the scroll right now, and I do. We can continue to fight about it, or we can work together."

Happosai studied her for a moment, puffing on his pipe. The smoke from it whirled around his head. Finally, he shook his head. "You're not Genma, that's for sure, or Soun Tendo either. You've got moxie, girl, I'll say that for you. Okay, let me see it."

He held out his hand, and Ukyo handed him the scroll. He unrolled it, and began to study it. As Ukyo had, he first read it with the scroll held upright, then tilted his head over sideways. Finally, he turned the scroll over. "Geez," he muttered. "My handwriting IS bad..."

Ukyo scowled a bit. "Come on, old man. It's your writing, you've got to be able to figure out what it says."

"All right, all right, give me a moment." Happosai flopped down on the ground, unrolling the scroll on the grass in front of him. He began to trace a line with his finger. "Cocka... doodle... doo?"

Ukyo hit him across the back of the head. "Yeah, I KNOW it's chicken scratch, so figger it out!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Happosai scowled in his frustration, grasping the parchment in his fingers. "Don't rush me!"

Ukyo forced herself to remain calm. It wouldn't do any good for them to lose their tempers, and from the way Happosai was clutching at the scroll, he was moments away from tearing the paper. As she stood watching him, Happosai continued to pore over the scrawled words, until finally he just slumped in defeat.

"It's no use," he said. "I can't read it. My Ultimate Technique... gone forever. There's no sense in even trying..."

"Come on, sensei," Ukyo said, trying to sound reassuring and calming at the same time. "Just relax. Give it time, I'm sure it'll come to you."

"Oh, my Little Ukyo, you're just so kind to this old man," Happosai said. But his tone set Ukyo on edge. Sure enough, he suddenly turned to leap at her, back in lecherous mode again. "Let me have a good cry against your soft chest. Or even better, the chest of that gorgeous redhead form of yours!"

Ukyo dodged him, and Happosai landed on the grass next to her. She scooped up the scroll and took off with it. "Geez, Sensei, there's no time for that now! Get your mind back on the scroll!"

Happosai bounded after her, cackling. "Just a few minutes, Little Ukyo my sweetie! This old man needs a break!"

"'This old man' needs a fix, more like it. Control yourself!"

On the tenth hole, a foursome of golfers were approaching the green in their carts when they were interrupted by Ukyo's wild yelling. They veered crazily off of the course, as the ponytailed girl and her aged pursuer zipped past them. None of them were girls, so Happosai paid them no mind. Instead, he intercepted Ukyo, and yanked the scroll away from her.

"Hey, be careful with that!" Ukyo yelled, as he had almost ripped the paper wrestling it from her grip. She had rolled it back up, but had not managed to seal it yet.

"Just forget about that technique for a moment," Happosai said, tossing the scroll behind him. It unfurled as it flew through the air. "Pretty ladies are always more important."

"Not to me!" Ukyo shot back, leaping for it. Unfortunately, just as the scroll hit the ground, a golf cart ran over it. By the time Ukyo could pick it up and dust it off, there was a tire track right across the writing.

"Ahhhh! My scroll!" Happosai cried out in surprise. A good portion of the ink had been smeared by the tire track, and the rest was soiled by dirt and grime. "Now it really is lost! Why couldn't you have just obeyed your master, like a good student should?"

"What, and just let you grope me?" Ukyo's earlier calm was rapidly fading. "You've got no one to blame for this but yourself!"

"That's no way to talk to your master!" Happosai yelled, leaping at her in a flying kick. Ukyo grabbed a golf club from one of the bystanders and parried his blow. Ukyo backed away from Happosai's lightning fast attacks, until she stumbled into the golf cart. She sent its riders scurrying in all directions, while she tipped the cart over and leaped behind it.

Happosai followed, but Ukyo kept up her dodging, using the frame and canopy of the cart to block the diminutive martial artist's punches. His small size made for a poor defense, unfortunately, as he could dart through the golf cart in places she couldn't. She finally used the golf club to knock Happosai back into the cart's seat, and then hefted it over her head. With a cry of fury to fuel her adrenaline, she tossed the cart as far as she could.

Happosai was caught within the body of the cart for a moment, as it tumbled around him, but finally he managed to crawl free and leap out into the air. He was only partially out, though, when he heard a cry of "Fore!" from Ukyo. A moment later, a golf ball slammed into his forehead, right between the eyes. He flopped to the ground.

Scowling, Happosai rolled back to his feet. "You really want to learn my Ultimate Technique, Little Ukyo? Maybe I should show it to you, after all!"

"What? You do remember it?"

"That's right!" The old man struck a pose. "And you will be the first to taste my wrath!"

"You were faking? Don't tell me you've been pretending you forgot this whole time!"

"Not exactly." Happosai reached into his gi, and pulled out a book of matches. "I remembered when your friends were hitting me. The stars gave me the final clue I needed to jog my memory."

"Stars?" Ukyo eyed the old man warily. She fell into a defensive stance, ready for anything. "What are the matches for?"

"You'll find out!" With that, he lit the match, and pulled another object from inside the folds of his shirt. "Happo Fire Burst!"

Ukyo watched wide-eyed as a round firecracker tumbled towards her, its fuse crackling and spitting out sparks. It hit the ground and rolled to a halt at her feet. "Fore!" she called again, and swung her golf club, hitting the makeshift explosive. It went flying back into Happosai, and blew up in his face.

Happosai spit out a cloud of smoke, his gi slightly charred. Ukyo shook her head. "THAT is the deadly and terrifying Happo Fire Burst? A firecracker?"

"Not impressed, huh?" Happosai answered her. "Let's see how you like this!" With that, he pulled out an even larger firecracker, one even bigger than his whole body. He lit the fuse, and tossed it at her.

Ukyo batted it back with the golf club, and then took off running. "How did you hide something that size in your gi, anyway?" she asked, the question only partly rhetorical. "You been takin' lessons from Mousse?"

* * *

Ranma and Akane walked along the road from Furinkan High School to the Tendo home. Although both were quiet, there was no awkwardness or tension between them. They stood shoulder to shoulder, their hands clasped tightly, but with just enough space between them. Akane would glance up at her pigtailed fiancé from time to time, moving a bit closer, as if she wanted to lean against him. But then she would look away again, not blushing, but swinging her arm playfully. She hummed to herself, clearly very, very pleased.

Ranma studied her face for a moment. There was a rectangular red mark around her mouth, from the tape that she had pulled off, after the curtain call. He had a mark just like it, he could still feel the tingle on his face from that tape and the ones before it. He frowned a bit at the stubborn way Akane had insisted on using the tape, but Ranma couldn't find it in himself to get mad. After all, they had kissed for real, several times, and the tape had not been on their mouths any of those times. It was worth it to keep the secret of their relationship, to fool the students at Furinkan into thinking that it was just a play, and they hadn't really kissed. Right?

As he stared at her, though, Ranma found himself drawn to her swollen lips, which the tape had left fuller and even more red than usual. He felt certain that her lips would be very sensitive, just as his were, but he doubted that it would hurt to kiss them. In fact, he felt a strong urge to do just that, to pull her close and find out just how sensitive his lips really were. And how sensitive hers were.

Ranma looked back at the ground, cursing himself for thinking such perverted thoughts. Not that his uncute tomboy would mind kissing him. Or that he would mind kissing her. But he really would turn into a pervert, if he kept looking at Akane, and thoughts like that kept popping into his head.

"Um... Akane?"

She looked up at him, smiling happily. "Yes, Ranma?"

His face twisted into a disgruntled frown, although he still couldn't really get angry. "I'm... uh... sorry 'bout that tape thing."

Akane's smile didn't dim in the least, as she waved off his apology. "Don't worry about it, Ranma. We both needed to have tape on our mouths anyway. When you were saying Romeo's lines, when he kissed Juliet, you obviously didn't have tape on your mouth. So I must have had tape on mine, which I peeled off to say my lines. But if anyone noticed that I had no red mark, they'd guess that I didn't... and we kissed for real.

"So thanks for covering for me, Ranma." Her smile turned teasing. "And you were right... it does sting. But only a little."

Ranma nodded his agreement, but said nothing. Akane was silent as well, until her expression finally turned pensive. She stared into Ranma's eyes for a long moment, as if trying to read his thoughts.

"You really got into the role, didn't you, Ranma?" She turned away, shyly. "I heard what you said back there and... even though I know you were trying hard to stick to the script, even though I know that must have been hard for you to say, still... it meant a lot."

She took his hands, a smile playing over her lips. "I meant what I said, too. It really means a lot to me, to know that you care about me, and I care about you too. I'm glad you want to protect me... and I'll always be there to protect you."

Her expression turned pensive again. "I know Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, but I don't think that has to happen to us. Romeo and Juliet, they just had a run of bad luck. It was their fate, that they couldn't get together except in death - but they also jumped to a lot of conclusions, and didn't talk to each other." She blushed deeply, her expression turning pained as she looked away. "I know I'm pretty bad about that myself..." she blushed deeply at this, "but I think our story can have a happy ending. I-If we just stick together and... and... believe in each other."

But then she smiled, brightly, as if throwing off the dark mood. "But enough of that!" She slapped him across the shoulder. "Tag! You're it!" With that, she took off running down the street. Ranma followed, only caught off guard for a moment.

The two teenagers raced each other across the streets of Nerima, Akane barely managing to stay a step ahead, even though Ranma nearly caught her several times. Finally, as they turned a corner towards the Tendo home, she leaped onto one of the fences, and began to hop lightly along its length. Although she was still wearing her school uniform, there were no other people along the street, so she risked walking the fence in her skirt. As Ranma drew near, balancing effortlessly on the fence himself, she began to punch and kick at him, stalling his pursuit and putting him on the defensive.

"Remember when you and your sister fought on this fence, that first day?" Akane asked, with a satisfied grin. "And you said I was too clumsy to ever do it!"

"Well, you're still a clumsy tomboy," Ranma said, with his own confident smirk. He countered her blows, and struck out at her feet to try to throw her off-balance. "Yer still nowhere near as fast as Sis."

Akane leaped over his strike, though, and then abandoned her own assault to lead Ranma on a chase along the fence line. "I know, but maybe I don't have to be." As she neared the canal, one of Ranma's legs caught her behind the knee, and she started to fall. Instead, she crouched, and somersaulted over backwards, landing in a handstand on one of the concrete pillars in the canal. Her momentum forced her to continue the flip, so she pushed off of the pillar, and landed somewhat unsteadily on another nearby.

She stuck her tongue out at Ranma as he leaped after her. "Nice try, baka!" she called out, and then leaped away as he came near. She giggled, the bright and cheery sound like music to Ranma's ears. He continued his pursuit of her, as she leaped from pillar to pillar over the flowing waters of the canal, not letting him get near enough to try to knock her off again.

After a few moments, Ranma landed on a spot that was wet and slick with mud, and his foot slipped out from under him. He flailed his arms, trying to remain balanced on one foot, but didn't have room on the thin pillar. Just before he could fall in the water, Akane reversed direction, and leaped to steady him. Ranma only had time to marvel at the strength in Akane's sinewy arms, when they looked so slender and delicate, before she leaped with him to a square platform down near the end of the canal.

"Sorry," Akane said, blushing a little at getting to rescue Ranma for a change. He found that his pride was only a little stung. "I couldn't let you fall into the water," she continued, and her blush deepened. "I wanted you to be a man, for this..."

With that cryptic comment, she smiled at him again, and then leaped onto the concrete embankment. "Come on," she said, coaxing him with an extended arm, while she stepped back under the bridge that spanned the canal. The shadows of the bridge cut across the embankment, and fell across Akane's face as she retreated into its shade. But her smile was just as bright as always, her eyes shining with excitement and anticipation.

"So much has happened right here, at this canal," Akane said, as Ranma joined her under the bridge. She looked up at the fence lining the canal, wrapping her arms around herself in a comforting hug. "That's where you first told me that my hair was cute, after I got it cut." She turned to take Ranma's hands, drawing him under the shelter of the bridge as well. "And you told those two pervert friends of yours that you respected me, and protected me from Sanzenin... when I told you how much that meant to me... that was right here."

Ranma looked up at the street above them. "Isn't this where that creepy Gosunkugi took pictures of us... when we were... we were holding hands?" He looked down at Akane's hands in his. "That's..." He swallowed, nervously. "That's when we first held hands."

"That's right." Akane nodded. "That was a few blocks from here, I think. And when I talked to Ryoga, when I tried to talk him out of fighting with you, when you learned the Chestnut Fist, that was pretty near here, too."

Ranma laughed. "With the number of times I've fallen in this canal, or been splashed by that old lady with the ladle, I'd say I know this place pretty well."

"For both good and bad, this place means a lot to both of us, I guess..." Akane sighed, happily. "I guess the only place more important to me is the dojo."

She looked up at the street above them. As usual for so late in the evening, it was nearly deserted, but there were still people walking along it, a few students heading home after the play, or customers in the various businesses that lined the streets. It wasn't nearly late enough for the street lights to be turned on, although the shadows were lengthening. But down here under the bridge, she and Ranma were cut off from the view above. It was a quiet, private spot, perfect for what she wanted to say.

She blushed, deeply. "So much has happened over the last year. Sometimes I can't even believe it. I feel like I've known you and Ukyo forever and yet... sometimes it seems like only yesterday. Only yesterday, when I was walking along that fence, irritated by you and your sister fighting with each other. Wondering how I was ever going to put up with a jerk like you." Akane looked up at Ranma, her brown eyes teasing, and he smirked back at her. "But that's when I first realized that the insults were just your way of saying you liked Ukyo." She looked away again. "... and that you like me."

She swung her arms, still holding Ranma's hands, but embarrassed and shy. "We've danced around the subject for so long," she said. "It's hard to remember when I first started to feel... the way I do." She stared into his eyes for a moment, and Ranma began to blush as well, swallowing. "I know how you feel about me, too, I think I've known, since that day..." She turned away again, her own blush deep and crimson. "That day we first kissed."

"It was almost easy, to say those words, in the play," Akane said, cutting her eyes back up to Ranma. "Romeo loves Juliet, and Juliet loves her Romeo, and it was so easy to just pretend, and make the excuse that those words were between Romeo and Juliet. But I heard what you said..." She gazed into his eyes again. "... and I knew who you were talking to. I want to hear those words, Ranma. I want to hear them for real."

She dropped his hands, wrapping her arms around herself again. "It's so hard... I know it must be hard for you, because it's SO hard for me. Part of me can't believe that this is really happening. Part of me still can't believe that you can feel that way about me... that you can want a tomboy like me... that you can want me over Shampoo or even your sister... even though I KNOW how you feel, and keep telling myself I don't doubt it in the least... still, it's hard...

"Even knowing that we've kissed... that doesn't make the fear go away."

She looked up at him, her brown eyes searching. "A girl doesn't want to say it first. She wants the man to have the courage... the strength to make her feel safe, secure, before she takes that step." Then she smiled, widely. "But I guess the two of us are anything but ordinary. I'm never going to be a quiet, submissive girl, and considering the way your panda of a father raised you, if I wait for you to open up about your feelings, I might as well wait forever. If I wait for you to say it first..."

She smiled, at Ranma's frown of hurt pride. "Well, let's just say the words might never get said." She watched as Ranma bit his lip, obviously uncomfortable about where this conversation was going. Akane smiled even wider, to reassure him.

"I understand, Ranma, I really do. I know how hard it is for me to say it. I know how terrified I am. Which is why I think... that maybe..." She looked down at the ground again, swallowing hard at a lump in her own throat. "Maybe it's right for me to say it first. It's not fair for me to expect you to be brave enough to do something I don't have the courage to do. So... if someone has to say it first... I guess it's going to have to be me."

Akane gazed at him, and Ranma could see the struggle in her eyes, between longing and fear. She was quiet for a long, long moment, and then seemed to draw herself up. "I... love you, Ranma," she said, and then visibly relaxed. "I love you. That wasn't so hard."

There was another long silence, while Ranma stared awkwardly back at her. And then she smiled, shyly. "So... now that I've said it, now that you know how I feel, can you say it too?" She clutched her hands to her chest, and her smile widened, even though there was a sadness to it. "If you can't, it's okay, I can understand... if it's too sudden for you. Still, even though I know how you feel about me, I'd love to hear you say it. If you can."

There was just silence between them, for a moment, and then Ranma opened his mouth. He started to say something, then stopped. Finally, he just turned around, facing away from her, and put his hands in her pockets.

Akane wrapped her arms around him, from behind. "It's okay, Ranma. It's okay! You don't have to say it. I know how you feel. It doesn't matter... if you can't say it." He still heard her sniffle, as she pressed her face against his back. "I'll still know. If you... if you die tomorrow..." There was a long, meaningful pause, "... I'll always know that you loved me. So don't feel bad. You don't have to say it. I already know."

Ranma said nothing. Akane didn't notice, but he had pulled something out of his pocket, and stared at it. He stared at it for a long time, until he finally took a deep breath.

"Yer right," Ranma said, quietly. "It is hard for me ta say it. But not why you think. It's 'cause..." he stared at the box in his hand. "It's because I-I dunno what ta say. Words an' me don't get along too well, an' most of the time, my words get all mixed up, ya know? I'm just afraid that I'm gonna say somethin' stupid, and I'm gonna hurt you, and ruin a moment that was supposed to be special for you. Like in the play. I was so... I thought for sure that I'd... that I'd messed it up."

He looked up. "Ya know, now that I think about it, I'm kinda like Ryoga. He's got his curse, an' I've got mine, but his lack of direction is almost like another curse. An' my big mouth, that's like another curse, too. I can't figure out the right things ta say, and most of the time my mouth goes in the other direction from where I want it ta go...

"But I think I just realized somethin'. Maybe my problem is that I'm trying too hard. Maybe I get caught up in tryin' ta figure out what words to say, when what I really aughtta do is just SHOW ya how I feel. Maybe what I DO is more important than what I SAY."

With that, Ranma turned around. Akane took one look at the box in his hand, and gasped, audibly. Ranma just smiled at her. It wasn't his usual, cocky smile. It was a soft, gentle smile, and it took Akane's breath away.

"I ain't had this for long," he said. "in fact I just picked it up, when Sis went to help me pick it out. She knows more about this sorta stuff than I do, that's for sure. She hid away the money for it in her contract with Cologne, so it's paid for, although I'm gonna do everything I can to pay it back, even if I haveta work at the Cat Cafe' for the rest of my life."

He looked into her eyes, and Akane felt her heart stop in her chest. "I didn't figger I'd ever be givin' this to ya this soon. I just planned to get it now, just in case, and hold onta it, until the time was right." He looked down at the box in his hand again. "But I guess with you pourin' out yer heart like this... there ain't gonna be no better time."

Akane stared at him, her eyes wide. It couldn't be what she was thinking. It was a necklace or earrings or something. It was just a present he had bought for her, to show her how he felt. Now, she was feeling incredibly foolish for ever doubting him. And Nabiki, she must have known about it, and sent the flowers to cover up his true gift. But it COULDN'T be what she was thinking. It just COULDN'T.

Her heart leaped into her throat, though, and started pounding frantically, as Ranma got down on one knee. "Oh, yeah," he said. "I gotta do this right. Sis'll kill me if I don't do this right."

He opened the box, and it was a ring. It was just a simple gold ring, but Akane thought that she had never seen anything so beautiful in all of her life. Ranma looked up at her, with none of his usual confidence and arrogance in his blue eyes. "Akane Tendo... will you marry me?" There was a half second pause, and then Ranma was unsure enough to look away and mutter, "Um... ya know... someday..."

Akane just stared at him. Now it was she who, all at once, realized how sudden this was. She wasn't prepared for Ranma to do something like this. But Ranma was staring up at her, expecting her to answer him. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She tried to mouth the word "yes", but still, her breath seemed caught in her throat, preventing her from speaking. She began to panic, waving at her throat, trying in vain to say something, anything, but all she managed were a few squeaks and moans.

Oh, no! Akane couldn't speak, but her mind was in a frenzy. He's going to think I'm rejecting him! He's going to think I'm saying no!

Tears sprang to Akane's eyes, although she still couldn't make a sound. She fell to her knees, wiping at her tears, as she began to shudder uncontrollably. Ranma would be hurt, and given his pride and upbringing, he might never give her another chance. Say something, she said to herself. You're blowing it! You've got to say something, baka!

"Akane, are you tryin' to speak?" Ranma was eyeing her, worriedly.

Akane nodded her head, frantically. Ranma studied her for a moment. "Are you tryin' to say 'yes'?"

YES! YES! I AM TRYING TO SAY YES! The words still wouldn't come, but Akane nodded as hard and as wildly as she could, and then threw her arms around Ranma and kissed him. She let go, only to begin crying into his chest.

Ranma held her for a moment, and then his smug grin returned. "This is the second time I've left ya speechless," he said. "I gotta figger out what I'm doin' for the next time you're yellin' at me."

"Baaaaka..." Akane shot back, although it came out as nothing more than a breathy exhalation of air. She climbed into his lap so he could hold her. Then she stared in amazement, as he slipped the ring onto her finger. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and continued sobbing. Ranma just held her, smiling at her reaction, but rubbing her back comfortingly.

"I love ya, tomboy," Ranma said.

They stayed like that for some time, while the traffic continued, unnoticing, on the street above. Akane's sobs finally slowed, and then she stared at the ring on her hand, as if unable to tear her eyes away. After a long moment, she started to cry again.

"I... I can't wear this," she said, pulling the ring off. But she held it in her palm, still staring at it. "Everyone will know, and the fathers will have us married before the day is out. I don't wanna give it back..." She choked, on a sob, "But I'm not ready to get married. I love you, Ranma, and I know I want to marry you someday, but..."

She began to cry against Ranma's chest again, and he pulled her close. "Hey, it's just an engagement ring," he reassured her, "it just means we're gonna get married someday. I never even intended ta give it to you this soon. I figured I'd be holdin' on to it for a couple of years. I just figured... I don't have a lotta money, and I sure don't have money for a ring, and if Pop knew about it or if I tried ta save up the money for it he'd steal it for sure..."

Ranma paused for a long moment. Then, with a note of reluctance in his voice, he continued. "I just... Actually I was figurin' I'd give it ta Sis to hold for me. No one would question if she had a ring or nothin', and they wouldn't guess that it was for you. And if anything... um... ever happened ta me..." he blushed deeply, and was silent for a long moment.

"Well, if anything ever happened ta me, Sis could give ya that, and you'd know how I feel..."

Akane looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. Then she pulled him closer, not saying anything.

"Anyway, ya don't have ta wear it on your finger, Akane," Ranma continued. "You can just keep it, and we'll know, you an' me, and nobody else. That's why Sis said ta do it in the Western way, anyway. This way, our Pops aren't involved, this was me proposin' ta you, an' you sayin' yes. It's none o' their business."

Akane held out the ring, and turned it around in her fingers. "I suppose I can wear it on a chain around my neck," she said with a sniffle. "Like a necklace. I can keep it hidden under my blouse, and no one will see it. Except when I take a shower, and Sayuri and Yuka can keep an eye out for me, and make sure I remember to take it off."

She fell silent, and continued to stare at the ring. It glimmered, even in the shade under the bridge. "Of course, I'll have to show it to Sayuri and Yuka." She giggled, wiping away tears. "They'll be so surprised... and Ucchan too, of course."

"Ucchan already knows," Ranma said, hugging her. "And Nabiki too. But I'm sure they'll keep the secret..."

"Big Sis sure kept the secret from me," Akane commented. "And she didn't even offer to sell the information to me. She must be slipping..." She giggled again.

"They're both probably gonna be shocked that I gave it to ya this soon," Ranma said.

Akane smiled at him. "Yeah. Who would have thought an arrogant jackass like you could be so romantic."

"And who woulda thought anyone would ever propose to a tomboy like you."

They both burst out laughing. Then Ranma stood and helped Akane to her feet.

"You know," Ranma added, "I'm glad my girl form doesn't make me get all weepy when I'm happy. That would just be weird."

Akane smiled at him, fondly. She took his hand. "It's all your fault anyway, baka... for making me fall in love with you."

They made their way home, in no real hurry, holding hands as they walked along down the street. Akane kept her ring clutched in her other hand, while Ranma carried the bag with her costume and other school supplies. They walked for a while, and then suddenly Akane burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ranma asked her.

Akane opened her hand, and then held up the ring. "I just realized... KUNO is paying for this!"

Ranma laughed as well. "Yeah, well, until I pay him back, anyway. And I swear, Akane, I'm gonna pay for it, not Sis. I'll come up with the money myself... somehow..."

Akane smiled at his downcast look, and wrapped her arm around his. "I know you will." She closed her fist around the ring, clutching it against her chest. "We've got plenty of time, after all."

As they neared the Tendo home, they were surprised to see Nabiki and Kasumi running down the street towards them. Akane kept her hand closed around the ring, as Nabiki grabbed that arm and began to pull her along down the street.

"What took you two so long?" Nabiki asked them. "We're already seeing China."

"What? Seeing China?" Ranma looked confused, as did Akane. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, it's quite funny," Kasumi said. "You'll have to see for yourself. Mr. Saotome is quite beside himself." She seemed just a little too smug at this bit of information.

They followed the Tendo sisters as they walked though the gate and around to the dojo. There they found a large party going on, with food and a great deal of saké. The dojo had been decorated with streamers and paper lanterns, and a large banner read "Welcome Xian 'China' Li".

"'China' Li?" Ranma asked, noticing the sign.

The large, rotund Chinese man they had seen earlier during the play walked up and shook Ranma's hand. "Yes, yes, Xian Li, honorable sir. But please, call me by my stage name, 'China'."

Akane stared at him, boggled. "So... the prize to see China was..."

"That's right!" Nabiki answered her, with a grin. "You're seeing China right now!"

Akane looked at Ranma. Then they both burst out laughing, even harder than before.

"Man, I'm sure the Old Man was upset to find that out!" Ranma said. Sure enough, the panda was curled up in a corner of the dojo, moaning. From the several bottles scattered around him, and the glazed look in his eyes, Genma had obviously gotten extremely drunk. And in panda form, that would have been quite a feat.

"You don't mind?" Nabiki asked him. It wasn't exactly a question, she seemed to be anticipating his answer.

"Nope." Ranma looked down at Akane, wrapping his arm around her. "Everything's just fine with me." Akane looked back at him, her face almost glowing with happiness.

Mr. Li noticed the exchange between them. "I was most impressed by honorable performance as Romeo and Juliet," he told them. "Mr. Tendo says you two are engaged, and it is most obvious you are in love. I had thought of insisting on kiss to win prize. But love between Romeo and Juliet so plain, so true, that kiss not needed. Tape on mouth very, very funny." He laughed.

Akane's expression never wavered, as she gave the Chinese man a cheerful smile. "Did it really seem like we were in love? Thank you for your kind praise, Mr. China, but in fact Ranma and I are just close friends." She wrapped her arm around Ranma's, and pulled him close. "Our fathers arranged that marriage, but Ranma and I agree that we're just too young. Our fathers are just going to have to accept that we have our own lives, and can make our own decisions."

Soun, who was nearly as drunk as Genma, burst into tears over his daughter's words. He clutched at Mr. Li's robe, waving a bottle of saké. The actor just turned and smiled back at Akane. "Really, honorable sir and miss, not in love? Yours is better acting job than I first thought!"

Akane blushed, and bowed to the man. "Thank you very much. It was very good acting, wasn't it? Now, if you will excuse me, I have something that I need to put away upstairs."

She ran up the stairs, almost flying as she bounded gleefully from step to step. She kept her hand still clenched tightly at her side, the ring hidden from prying eyes. Nabiki and Kasumi exchanged smiles, while Soun, assuming that Akane's happiness was due to Mr. Li's praise, sobbed on his shoulder. "My daughter! My poor daughter! Now the schools will never be joined!" Ranma found that he couldn't hold back his grin, either.

Mr. Li stepped forward, to put his hand around Ranma's shoulder. "Honorable sir must tell me; where you come up with interpretation of Romeo? Implying he feel like a homeless vagabond, after being exiled from Verona! Was most clever! Stroke of genius!"

Ranma shrugged. "I just played him as if he was me," he said, truthfully. "I thought of what I'd say if that happened ta me, and said it."

"Ah! Method actor!" Mr. Li proclaimed, laughing. "Very good, sir, you winner for sure!"

* * *

Happosai and Ukyo lay side by side in a sand trap, staring up at the stars. The rest of the course around them was in ruins, the once grassy fields blasted and pitted with dark, ragged craters, and gouged with deep furrows. A few golf carts lay overturned in the fairway, twisted and blackened with soot. One of them still flickered with the light of a stubborn flame, the seat material burning. A firecracker laying nearby sputtered and finally died out, a dud. Night had fallen, and the once busy course had been abandoned and cast into darkness. Golf clubs, bags, and other implements lay forgotten, discarded when their owners ran from the chaos of battle.

"It sure is pretty, up in the mountains, where the sky is clear," Ukyo commented.

"Yeah," Happosai agreed.

"You don't see stars like these in the city," Ukyo said.

"Yeah," Happosai said again.

"And that sunset sure was beautiful."

"It sure was." Happosai shifted his position slightly, putting his hands behind his head. He and Ukyo both looked as much the worse for wear as the golf course, their clothing ripped and charred by explosions. They both had that air of exhaustion around them that followed a fight, but neither seemed overly tired or injured. "Did you see that purple?" Happosai asked. "It's been a long time since I saw a sunset with a purple that deep."

"Yeah, that was really cool," Ukyo replied back.

There was a long moment of silence, then she turned to look at her diminutive mentor. "So, tell me, Sensei. Were those firecrackers really that big, or were you usin' that aura trick to make 'em LOOK bigger, like before?"

Happosai chuckled. "That's for me to know and you to find out, student," he said.

"Aw, come on!" Ukyo snorted, a bit amused herself. "That last one had to be three times MY size. You jumped up on it and started running on it! There's no way you had time to prepare that ahead of time. Not ta mention where you coulda hidden it..."

"An old man's got to have some secrets."

Ukyo shook her head. "Okay, don't tell me. I'll figure it out for myself, eventually."

Happosai studied her for a moment, then leaned back to look up at the night sky again. "You know, it really is possible to throw your battle aura like that, as a weapon. I've seen it. I was never able to make the technique work for me, so I developed the Happo Fire Burst instead." He smiled a bit. "But there's more to it than it seems."

"You were never able to figure out the technique?" Ukyo looked at him, with a slight smirk. "I find that hard to believe."

"It's not what you think, disciple," Happosai said with a scowl. "Such attacks are driven by emotion. The one I saw used depression, which is a strongly negative emotion. You WANT to get rid of it. I was never able to make it work with my own energy."

"You mean perversion?"

"Lust," Happosai said, frankly. "It is a selfish emotion. You don't want to just throw it away. You want to hoard it, keep it as your own."

"Hm. I guess you're right." Ukyo turned to look at the stars. "I guess that makes sense, given your fetish with collecting underwear." She started at a thought. "You get energy from that, don't you?"

Happosai just chuckled. There was a brief silence, and then Happosai spoke up again. "Are you really giving up my Art for cooking, Little Ukyo?"

Ukyo winced. She closed her eyes for a moment, then gave a sigh. "I'm not giving up the Art, Sensei. I'm just... cutting back on it, a little. I'll still practice Anything Goes, it just... it just won't be my main focus any more."

"A martial artist cannot focus on anything other than the Art!" Happosai said, sternly. "A martial artist's life is fraught with peril! You must always be ready for any challenge that may confront you!"

"I don't believe that, Sensei, and I don't think you do, either! Not really." Ukyo sat up and looked at him. "You spend plenty of time on your panty raids and girl watching. And don't give me that 'Everything is training' crap, because I never believed it when the Old Man fed it to me, either. HE spends all his time lazing around or stealin' stuff, and Mr. Tendo seems to do nothin' but sit around the house - except when he's meeting with whatever city council he seems to have an in with."

"If you're SERIOUS about the Art, then there can't be anything else!" Happosai protested. "I'm an old man, I can't train like I used to, but those two clods are nothing but a failure to me! I was a fool to ever take them on! But you, Little Ukyo, you're different!"

He suddenly stopped and looked away, his expression embarrassed and uncomfortable. He paused a moment. "Ranma and Akane, they've got potential. They're not much, but they're better than their fathers. You, though..." he was quiet again, then sighed. "I thought... I really thought you wanted to learn from me."

"I DO want to learn, Sensei!" Ukyo sighed as well, but then met his gaze. "I know I could be a lot better, if I devoted all my time to martial arts. But I CAN'T devote all my time to martial arts, Sensei! To me, martial arts is a means to an end. It's what brought me to be friends with Ranchan, to become his sister, and travel around with him, and it was how I protected him from the road and the Old Man. From the cats..."

Her expression grew haunted, then cleared. "Anything Goes isn't even my school. I've taken it, and made it my own, because that gives me something in common with Ranchan. But my father's school, I don't even remember it any more. I know I used to take lessons from him, and I guess some of it is still in there, but it's all Anything Goes now.

"Cooking, okonomiyaki, that's me, and I want it back." Ukyo ran a hand down her arm, self-consciously. "I want to know who *I* am, where I come from, not just follow Ranchan and his lead."

"I guess I can understand that," Happosai said, reluctantly. "It's just... it's a waste. Such talent... as yours..."

Ukyo stared at him a moment, biting her lip, as if reluctant to speak herself. "Sensei... I wanted to ask something of you. I know... I've got no right, but... please. You said yourself that Akane has as much potential as I do. You've already decided that you can work with a woman, despite your... problem. I'd like you to work with her... for the times when I can't."

Happosai scoffed. "She is even less dedicated to the Art than you are..."

"Sensei, don't make the same mistake everyone else does. Her father's ignored her, Ranma's afraid for her, and the Amazons enjoy feeling superior to her. Even Akane is unsure of her own dedication, so of course she comes off as weak. I'm just saying... give her a chance."

Happosai shook his head, but then he looked into Ukyo's blue-green eyes. "Okay, Little Ukyo. I'll give her a chance. You have done a lot for her, after all."

"I doubt she'll be as willing to put up with your 'addiction', but I'm sure you two can reach a compromise." Ukyo smiled ruefully. "Ranchan will be even harder, but I'd like you to try and work with him, too. He's not going to want to learn from you, but if you can try to get along with him..."

"All right, all right," Happosai waved a hand at her. "I'll give the inconsiderate, disrespectful little jerk a chance, too..."

Ukyo smirked. "Don't forget, Sensei, it was your student and the teachings of Anything Goes that made Ranchan like that. So maybe you've gotta give him a little better reason to respect you than random violence."

Happosai glared at her. "Yeah, yeah. Don't make me regret this. I've already lost my best student."

Ukyo blushed a bit at his words. "Don't feel that way. Think of it as, I'm moving on to another Art... another sensei. And there'll always be an okonomiyaki waitin' for you at my restaurant."

"That does sound nice, Little Ukyo. But I will still miss our... sparring." He looked around at the destroyed golf course.

Ukyo grinned at him. "As long as you keep invadin' the Furinkan girls' locker room, I'll always be there to stop you. I'm not plannin' on letting my skills get rusty."

Happosai grinned back. "You've got a deal, student."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I gave a lot of thought to Ranma's proposal in this chapter. I wasn't sure that this was the right time or even if it was too over the top for the story. Originally, I had planned for Ranma buying his "gift" for Akane to be more subtle foreshadowing, so if I came to this chapter and found that I couldn't make it work, I could drop it. However, my beta readers liked the idea, and my sister suggested bringing the plotline of the ring more front and center, with Akane becoming suspicious and having to confront her jealousy again. So, I think it made for a stronger arc, plus, the foreshadowing probably would have been too obvious anyway.

My main problem, though, is that I don't usually like stories that have Ranma and Akane get married, before graduating from high school. It's just not realistic, not just because Ranma and Akane have been fighting the engagement the whole time, but because legally it's questionable, even if it's set back when the age of consent was lower. An early marriage benefits the parents, and not Ranma and Akane, so I would think that, even if they were mature enough to admit their feelings to each other after the end of the manga, they would still be mature enough to realize that they still need to wait until they grow up a bit more.

Thus, Akane deciding that she can't wear the ring publically, but that she can hide it and keep it a secret between herself and Ranma. In addition, as Ranma hinted, Ukyo suggested that Ranma make the proposal in the Western style, because then the parents are not involved. This doesn't have anything to do with family honor, it is Ranma and Akane admitting their love for each other. The ring means they will get married some day (and Ranma wasn't expecting to give the ring to Akane until after they graduated anyway) but they will decide, not the fathers.

I have also added to the final scene since first posting this story, adding Happosai's hints about the Shi Shi Hokudan and Moko Takabisha. Since I don't intend to continue this story to the point where those attacks appear, that was my way of paying tribute to them. The Hiryo Shoten Ha will be coming up in an arc soon, but it will be the last of the special attacks that I cover in my story.

Those who might be interested into a little backstage glimpse into the writing of this story arc might want to check out a timeline I added to my Character Guide, which is posted on my own web site. Look in my profile for the link to the Character Guide.


	75. Family Matters

The Saotome Sisters

Chapter 75

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Sayuri almost leaped over Akane's desk in her enthusiasm, jumping up and down excitedly and grabbing Akane's hands. "Did he give you a ring? Oh, you've got to let me see it. Come on, let me see it!"

"Shhhhh!" Akane glanced around nervously, her face turning red as the other girls in the classroom turned to see what the commotion was all about. She gestured to try to calm her friend down. "Keep it down!" she hissed, "No one, and I mean no one can find out about this!"

"Oh, come on, Akane," Yuka put in. She was a bit quieter than Sayuri, but not by much, and she was grinning from ear to ear. "You know we're just happy for you. This has been coming for a long time."

"Yeah, everyone knows you and Ranma have been crushing on each other, you just haven't been willing to admit it." Sayuri flashed her a sly, knowing grin. "You know you're not going to be able to keep this a secret forever."

"I will if you don't give it all away!" Akane countered, gesturing with her hands again. She rose from her desk and began putting her books into her backpack. "Now come on, if you want to talk about this more, we'll talk about it outside."

Akane's two friends giggled as they followed her out of the classroom, and out into the yard. Akane's blush didn't fade, even as she led them to the privacy of some nearby trees. She glanced around to make sure they weren't being watched, and then timidly unbuttoned the top button of her blouse. She then pulled out the ring, on its silver chain, from its hiding place between her breasts.

"Oooooo!" Sayuri starting jumping up and down again, clapping her hands. "When did he give it to you?"

"Last week, just after the play." Akane smiled fondly, at the memory of that night, as she stared at the ring in her palm.

"And you waited until just now to tell us?" Yuka asked her with a grin. "Shame on you!"

Akane's blush deepened a little. "I had to wait until you got back from your trip! And then, I just... well..." She looked a bit uncomfortable. "I knew you'd want to make a big deal about it so I wanted to wait until school was over, at least."

She had let Sayuri pick up the ring, and the brunette studied it, intently. "It's beautiful," she said. "Did Ranma get you the necklace, too?"

"No, it's just an old thing I had lying around. It's not all that much... it's not a really expensive ring or anything, either." Akane looked shyly away from her friends, unable to meet their eyes. "Ranma doesn't really have a lot of money..."

"Don't say that, it's gorgeous!" Sayuri said, putting the ring back in Akane's hand. "I wish I had a fiancé to buy me a gorgeous ring and propose to me!" Her words made Akane blush even harder, as she looked at the ground.

"Was it your idea to wear it around your neck?" Yuka asked her.

Akane nodded. She met her friends' eyes again, with newfound resolve. "Our fathers... my father and Ranma's... they can't find out about this. Ranma and I aren't ready to be married, and we're agreed that we want to wait. At least until we graduate.

"If our fathers find out about this..." she shook her head. "They'll probably try to force us to get married right away. They won't listen to us when we say we want to wait, all they'll hear is that we've accepted the engagement. And that's not what we want."

"So that's why you're keeping it a secret from the school?"

"That, and there are still some people who might not like it that we want to get married. I think Shampoo knows how I feel about Ranma, but Kuno could cause trouble, or even Ryoga."

Her expression turned clouded. "We haven't heard from Ryoga in a while, and I think he's given up on trying to 'protect' me, but if the news catches him off guard... who knows what he'll think."

"Don't worry. We won't tell anyone." Yuka's grin turned impish. "So what did he say when he proposed?"

Akane was silent for a moment, as she tried to get the fluttering in her stomach under control. "Well... I told him that I loved him first." She frowned at the chorus of "Oooo!" that came from her two friends. "I've been ready to tell him for a while, I guess, I just... after the play, and saying we loved each other as Romeo and Juliet, I just... I just wanted to say it for real."

Sayuri and Yuka giggled, exchanging a knowing look between them. Akane couldn't fight the urge to put a hand to her face, to cover the redness on her cheeks. "Anyway, I never expected Ranma to be able to say it, too. And for a moment, it looked like he couldn't, but then, he just pulled out the ring and..."

She stared at the band of gold in her hand, turning it over. "He said that he couldn't say it, he just isn't comfortable sharing his feelings like that, but he wanted to show me. And so he got down on one knee and... he proposed."

"He got down on one knee and everything?" Sayuri almost couldn't contain herself. "That's so romantic! In the Western style and everything!"

Akane nodded. "That's what he said, his sister suggested it, but he wanted it to do it in the Western way. It's not like an omiai, where the families are meeting and it's arranged between them, this was just between us."

"'Just between us'," Yuka echoed. "And you were the one who said you'd never marry a perverted jerk like Ranma..."

Akane had to smile at that. "I've come a long way since then."

"So have you... you know?" Sayuri approached the subject gently, knowing Akane's likely reaction. "Or are you two still putting it off?"

The blush returned full force at that. "We are not! I mean, we have not! I mean... we're still waiting until the time is right. We're not ready. I'm not ready." And there's still the issue of Ranma's curse to think about, Akane said to herself, although she didn't voice her concerns out loud. Some things weren't meant to be shared, even with her best friends.

"I had to ask," Sayuri said apologetically, although without losing her smirk. "You're the first of us to get this far. Yuka and I have never had a boy propose to us, and it'll probably be a long time before one does." She laughed.

"Well..." Akane toyed with her ring again. "It's not really a proposal in the sense that we're going to get married right away. We're not even eloping or anything. It's just..." She smiled. "Ranma knows how I feel about him, now, and I know how he feels about me. It's going to happen, one day. But until then... until then we're just taking it one day at a time."

She cut her eyes up shyly at her friends. "I'm still getting comfortable with kissing him."

"Don't wait too long," Sayuri said. "You've got to fill us in on all the juicy details before we ALL become old maids."

"Oh, come on, guys!" Akane protested, hiding her face behind her hand again.

"Don't worry, Akane," Yuka said, her tone a bit more gentle. "We're happy for you, that's all. Not to mention a little jealous."

She glanced down at the ring, which Akane had let fall against her chest. It looked quite natural there, no more than a simple necklace to anyone who didn't realize its significance. "I'm guessing you need us to watch out for you in the locker room, make sure you put your ring away before you head for the shower, and the like?"

"Yeah." Akane quickly tucked it back inside her blouse. Her expression turned more serious, and then she glanced around for a moment, as if making doubly sure she was not being overheard. "In fact... there's another thing I'd like you to help me keep secret from Ranma and Ukyo. At least for a while."

* * *

Ranma was worried. In the week since Ukyo got back from searching for Happosai's technique scroll, he had seen less and less of Akane.

Part of it was his own fault, he had to admit. Since he was working every day after school to help Ukyo with her restaurant, he didn't have a lot of time to spend with his (now official) fiancée. They walked home from school separately, and by the time he got home, Kasumi was already getting dinner ready. The only time he got to spend with Akane was when they were walking to school, and when they ate breakfast and dinner, and there was little time for them to be alone with the whole Tendo family around.

What made matters worse was that even at school, Akane seemed to be avoiding him. She made every excuse to make sure she wasn't alone around him, staying in the classroom for lunch, and once her friends got back, hanging around with them. Ranma figured that she missed her friends, since they were gone for a week, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't want to be around him.

Had he moved too fast with the proposal? Was she having second thoughts? She looked so happy when she got back from the play, but her mood lately had been more pensive, almost jumpy. A couple of times, he had come up behind her as she was sitting down to eat and said something, and she had nearly jumped out of her skin. She had laughed it off, saying she had something on her mind. But what could be bothering her?

Ranma continued to think about it as he made his way home. He wished he could talk to Sis about it, but Ukyo still had work to do, and had remained behind, as usual. At least they were making progress on the new wing of the Cafe'. Ukyo's counter was in place, with its built-in hot plate, and she had brought in a bright shiny new collection of spatulas and other utensils, arranging them with great care in a decorative rack behind the counter.

Sis had even tested the new grill out, serving him up a few of her Pot Luck specials. They were delicious, as usual. He thought they were even better than the ones she had made at the fair, but Ukyo hadn't been satisfied with the taste. She had said something about taking the time to properly "season" her grill, and having to get the temperature just right. Ranma had to grin at her perfectionism. It was the same focus that made her such a great martial artist, and it was funny to see her working so hard on her cooking, too.

Was Akane jealous that he was spending so much time with Sis? It's not that he wanted to ignore Akane, although he did want to help his sister, and of course he owed her a lot of work, to pay off the engagement ring. But he knew that Sis would rather he spent his time with Akane. Although he would never admit it out loud, he missed the time they spent rehearsing for the Romeo and Juliet play, not just the kissing, but spending time together.

Okay, the kissing was pretty nice too, Ranma admitted to himself.

Akane seemed happy. He had seen her chatting with her friends, and although she never said anything about the ring in public, he could tell that she had told Sayuri and Yuka about it. The two girls would glance at him from time to time, whisper something in Akane's ear, and then start giggling when she blushed. He had been a little worried about what the girls might say, but they didn't call him a pervert or anything.

Nabiki would also often give him sly glances when she passed him at school, or in the hall between Akane's room and his. That was new, and he didn't know what to think about it. He still half expected her to pull him aside and ask him for some money, or to come up with some plan to make his life more complicated, but she never did. She teased him a lot, but she tended to tease Akane about it more often.

Not that he blamed her, the tomboy was cute when she blushed. And sometimes, dangerous. But even that was usually worth the risk.

Ranma called out a greeting as he entered the Tendo home. No one answered, but he could hear activity from the family room. There was some talking, he could recognize his father's and Mr. Tendo's voice. Deciding to avoid them for the moment, he headed for the kitchen. He found Kasumi there, preparing tea and some rice snacks.

Ranma grabbed a rice ball and began munching on it. "Hey, Kasumi, you seen Akane?"

"Akane?" Kasumi looked thoughtful. "I think she left a few hours ago, to go see her friends. She said she would be back home in time for supper."

Ranma's face fell. "Oh. Okay, thanks, Kasumi."

Kasumi noticed his expression. "Is something wrong?"

"Nah, nah, it's nuthin'." Still moping, he turned to walk away, but Kasumi spoke up before he could leave.

"Is something worrying you? You know you can talk to me." Kasumi smiled, that friendly, motherly smile. "Is this about Akane?"

"That tomboy? Nah, it's nuthin' like that."

"Ranma." Kasumi's smile broadened a bit, becoming almost a coy grin. Almost. "Akane told me about... her confession to you, on the night of the play. And what you said to her. There is no need to try to hide it from me..."

"Ah, I ain't tryin' to hide it from ya, Kasumi," Ranma said, although he felt a blush of his own starting, and fought to control it. "It's just... well... I ain't seen a lot of Akane lately. I'm sure it ain't nothing..."

"Oh." Kasumi thought for a moment again. "Well, you have been busy with Ukyo's restaurant, and Akane's been busy with... her friends. But I'm sure she misses you as much as you miss her."

Ranma felt his blush growing hotter despite himself. "It ain't like that..."

"Don't worry about it, Ranma," Kasumi said. "It's only natural that you would get closer considering... what has happened lately. But you both still have demands on your time. You'll just have to find time for each other, that's all."

"Yeah, but ain't it weird that she's not here right now? She usually visits with her friends after school, so she has time to spar with Sis once she gets home. I was hoping to talk to her..." Ranma paused, his brow furrowing. "She's been actin' so weird lately. All jumpy and stuff. Almost like she's hiding something..."

Kasumi studied Ranma's face for a moment, biting her lip worriedly. Then her expression cleared, and her gentle smile returned. "Well, Ranma... I don't know if I should say this, but..."

She turned to the sink, and began washing a few utensils. She took a moment to collect her thoughts, before she spoke. "There is an anniversary coming up, Ranma. A very important anniversary to all of us. Akane tends to get a bit... moody during this time."

"Oh? What is it? If you don't mind my askin'..." There was an odd tension in Kasumi's shoulders, and Ranma noticed.

"I suppose you have a right to know." She glanced at Ranma with a soft smile, and then began cleaning a glass. "Our mother died when we were very young, and the anniversary of her death is coming up in a few weeks. Akane was very small at the time, only four or five, but she cared about her mother a great deal. As we all did." Her voice held a hint of sadness, despite her even tone.

"Oh..."

Kasumi turned her gentle smile on him again. "What about your mother, Ranma? I have asked Uncle Saotome about it, but he always avoids the question. What about you? Do you know if your mother is still alive?"

"Huh?" Ranma looked startled. The thought had never occurred to him. "Uh... no, no. I don't remember my mother at all. Pop ain't taken me to see her."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She turned back to her glass, setting it aside, then picked up the tray with the tea and snacks. "You were very young when your father took you on your training trip, I suppose it makes sense that you would not remember your mother. But I was hoping you would at least have gotten to visit her."

Ranma shook his head. For some reason, the thought made his throat feel really tight. Why would he feel sad that he hadn't gotten to see his mother? He didn't even know her.

"Eh," Ranma said. "What kinda crazy lady would marry Pop anyway? Maybe it's for the best I never met her."

Kasumi laughed, lightly. "Maybe you're right, Ranma. Still, maybe you will get the chance to meet her someday. Now, will you help me take these things to Father? He has a guest, and I shouldn't keep them waiting."

Ranma followed as Kasumi left the kitchen, headed for the family room. As they headed down the hall, Happosai shot past them, carrying a huge bag of ladies' underwear and cackling madly. Ranma turned to punch him, but the old man was already out of reach. The old man bounded on down the hall, ducking though the door to his guest room on the ground floor. Kasumi had continued on as if she hadn't noticed the interruption, so Ranma reluctantly put aside the thought of giving the old letch a good pounding, and hurried to catch up with the eldest Tendo daughter.

He entered the family room, to see Kasumi pouring a cup of tea for the Tendos' guest. He was a heavyset, balding man, wearing casual clothing, a sweater over a plain business shirt. He looked well off, and Ranma figured he was a salaryman who had just gotten home from work. Soun sat at the head of the table, as usual, with Genma at his side, presumably to offer his support. Ranma could tell his father was nervous, though, as he was sweating profusely.

"Who is that guy?" Ranma asked, as Kasumi passed him on her way back to the kitchen.

She smiled at him. "I believe he is with the neighborhood watch. He and Father have been meeting every month for a while now." She then continued out of the room.

"Why haven't you caught this underwear thief by now?" The balding man was asking. "I had hoped you were making progress, when the thefts suddenly stopped a couple of weeks ago. But now the thief is back, and worse than ever!"

A bead of perspiration ran down Soun's angular face, as well. "Now, now. I understand your concern. But these things take time. We are getting closer to capturing this deviant, but we cannot afford to act rashly and tip our hand."

"Indeed," Genma put in. "And there is still a lot that must be done in an investigation like this. We must question the victims, set up surveillance, even prepare our trap for when we finally uncover the perpetrator..."

"That's why I thought these might help." The businessman reached into his pocket, and withdrew several photographs. "One of the other members of our watch runs a camera store, and I had him hide some cameras around the neighborhood. Maybe one of these pictures will give you a lead."

He handed the pictures to Soun, who looked even more nervous as he looked them over. Ranma edged forward and peeked over the taller man's shoulder. The pictures showed Happosai, skulking across the neighbors' lawns, stealing bras and panties off of their clotheslines, and even raiding their dressers and vanities. There was no mistaking who it was, even though Happosai was dressed in black and wearing a "sneak mask", it only covered his mouth and not his eyes. In fact, in one picture he had even turned to the camera and gleefully given it a "V" of victory.

"'Leads'?" Ranma snorted. "'Proof' is more like it."

Soun cut his eyes at him, looking even more nervous. "Now, son, let's not jump to conclusions. These pictures could be of anyone."

"That's right!" Genma cut in. "Don't be so disrespectful of your elders. It's not like any of us have ever seen anyone meeting this description."

Ranma snorted again, but didn't say anything further. He just folded his arms over his chest. Soun turned back to look at his guest, laughing uncertainly. "Yes, yes. Do not worry, the Tendo School of Anything Goes will not allow this to continue. We will bring this culprit to justice, and then you will be able to rest easy."

The businessman stood up, shaking Soun's hand. "I certainly hope so. Please keep me updated on your progress." He let Soun show him out of the room, and the two men disappeared down the hall to the front door.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "So, Pop, you gonna go bring that underwear thief to justice right now, or you gonna wait until after we eat?"

Not surprisingly, Genma ran out of the family room and jumped into the koi pond. Seconds later, he was rolling around on the engawa in panda form. "I'm just a cuddly little panda," his sign read.

Soun then came back into the room. He put a hand to his forehead, swooning dramatically. "Saotome, my old friend, I am afraid I must leave this to you. I feel a great tiredness coming over me all of a sudden. I must be coming down with something."

The panda switched to another sign. "Don't you leave all this for me, Tendo!"

"How can you be so afraid of that little freak?" Ranma asked.

Any answer the fathers might have given was cut off by a voice from the genkan. "Hello! We're home!" It was Akane, accompanied by Ukyo, who closed the door behind them. A few moments later, the two girls walked into the family room.

Akane immediately spotted her father on the floor. He was laying on a mat Kasumi had spread out for him, and had a wet towel rolled up on his forehead. "What's going on now?" She huffed, eyeing her father and the panda with a scowl.

"The old freak has been stealing underwear," Ranma told her. "Apparently this has been going on for a while, and these two haven't done anything about it."

"Is that true, Daddy?"

"Now, Ranma, Akane," Soun said, still laying on his back on the mat. "Genma and I felt it was best to wait for the right moment before confronting the Master. This is a delicate situation, and it requires..."

"Oh, give me a break!" Ranma turned to head out to the hall. "I'm gonna go talk to that old fart right now."

"That's the spirit, boy!" Genma's sign read. "We'll be right behind you..." He flipped the sign around, and in little tiny letters, it said, "Come on, Tendo, let's get out of here while we can..."

Ranma shook his head, but Ukyo put a hand on his shoulder. "Hold on, Ranchan. Let's not rush into anything."

"I ain't afraid of that old freak!"

"I know, Ranchan, and neither am I. But let's go talk to him together. I've been able to talk sense into him before."

"I don't wanna talk sense into him." Ranma cracked his knuckles. "I wanna beat some sense into him."

Ukyo grinned. "I know, and that's why I think you better let me talk to him. If he won't listen, then we do it your way."

Ranma grinned back. "Okay, Sis. You gotta deal."

The siblings headed to Happosai's room, where they found the wizened old man ironing his collection of panties. He whistled happily to himself, glancing up as he heard the two come in. "What can I do for you, my students?" he asked them.

"I ain't your student!" Ranma snapped. Ukyo nudged him with her elbow, and he frowned at her.

Ukyo smiled widely at the old man. "You've been causing a lot of trouble, haven't you, sensei?"

"What do you mean, Little Ukyo?"

"Your little hobby. Mr. Tendo and the Old Man promised they'd do something about the underwear you stole, and they've put it off long enough. Now why don't you just turn them over to us?"

"My lovely collection?" Happosai pouted. "Would you really be so mean to an old man?"

"You perverted old letch!" Ranma made a fist, standing over the little man. "You wanna start trouble? I'll give ya trouble!"

"Now, Ranchan, settle down." Ukyo put a hand on his shoulder again. "Let's give him a chance to cooperate."

"Cooperate? That'll be the day."

Ukyo turned back to Happosai. "Come on, sensei. Can't we come to a deal? I wouldn't force you to quit cold turkey. How about you give up half your collection?"

"Half of my silky darlings?" Happosai grasped the panties he was ironing to his chest. "I couldn't part with even one of them! They mean too much to me..."

Ukyo knelt in front of him. "Surely it wouldn't be too hard to part with the oldest underwear in your collection. What good are they to you now? And wouldn't you rather get nice, brand new pretties? You'd have room for more if you cleared out some of the excess."

Happosai looked as if he was considering, but Ranma was scowling. "Whattya doin' playin' this old freak's game, Ucchan? They're not his 'pretties', why don't we just take 'em, and give 'em back to the girls they belong to?"

"Such disrespect for a feeble old man!" Happosai glared back at him. "How dare you speak that way to your master!"

"You're not my master!" Ranma shot back.

"Ranchan, settle down!" Ukyo cut in. Ranma frowned at her, upset that she was disagreeing with him. But Ukyo looked serious. "We can't just cut him off, if I'm right, he uses the energy the women leave behind, on their clothing. Even if I'm wrong, he still needs some kind of female contact. Without it, he'll get weak, like going through withdrawal."

Happosai nodded, and Ranma glanced at him. Ukyo continued, turning to address the old man directly. "By now, you've used up the energy in some of your collection, am I right? You can even pick which ones you want to give up. We'll go through them one by one, and you can keep the ones that mean the most to you. Okay?"

"Little Ukyo, you're too kind to this old man," Happosai gave her his big eyed innocent look. "Since you asked so nicely, I agree."

He then leaped at her, arms outstretched for a grope. Ukyo slammed him into the ground with her elbow. "We'll get started tomorrow. I'll tell Mr. Tendo he can report to his friend that he recovered some of the underwear.

"And cut back on the raids. You should be getting more than enough energy from the Furinkan locker room. I sure have to fight you off often enough."

* * *

After dinner, Ranma overheard Akane and Kasumi talking in the kitchen. He couldn't quite make out their words, so he crept a little closer to the door, while trying to remain quiet.

"You won't tell him, will you Kasumi?" Akane asked.

"Of course not. But don't you think you should talk to someone?"

"I will, but I want to see how far I can get, before..."

Akane's voice faded away, and then she turned to face the door. "Ranma? Kasumi told me you were asking about my mother."

Ranma sheepishly stepped into the kitchen, tugging at his pigtail. "Sorry, Akane. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"That's okay. I guess I have been keeping to myself lately. I'm sorry I worried you."

"Hey, I wasn't worried. Why should I worry about a tomboy like you?" Ranma pouted, ashamed of getting caught, but wishing Akane hadn't overheard him. He was suspicious of Kasumi's explanation now, and more sure than ever that she and Akane were hiding something.

As he studied Akane more closely, Ranma noticed something that made him even more suspicious. Akane was wearing a long sleeve blouse. In the middle of spring, that would not be so unusual, but it had grown warmer lately. For that matter, she was wearing a long skirt as well, and socks. While he could see the skin of her legs, they were still uncharacteristically well covered.

"Well, I'm glad," Akane said with a smile. She hadn't noticed his dubious expression, and he found it hard to keep up his mistrust in the face of that smile. "But I do worry about you."

"Gah," Ranma looked away. "Cut it out, tomboy."

Akane giggled. "We'll be going to visit my mother's grave in a couple of weeks. Would you come along? I'd love to introduce you to her."

"Oh, uh..." Ranma continued to look at the floor, a blush growing over his face. "Sure, I guess."

Akane smiled at him as she started to walk out of the kitchen. As she passed, Ranma suddenly put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey... do you remember your mom, Akane?"

"Yes." Akane's smile turned sad, but was still as bright as before. "It's been so long. I can't even picture her face. But I still remember her kindness. I remember how she loved me and took care of me.

"So you don't remember your mother?" she asked Ranma.

Ranma shook his head. "Maybe she's still alive," Akane continued. "It'd be just like your father to take you away and leave your mother behind."

"I dunno." Ranma said. "Pops ain't never mentioned my mom, but I can't see him abandonin' his wife unless he had a real good reason. He's kinda weird like that."

"Maybe we can help you find her someday. In the meantime..." Akane poked Ranma in the ribs. "Tag! You're it!"

With that, she darted away from him, and Ranma set off in pursuit. She dodged his attempts to tag her as they made their way through the family room. Akane then leaped across the engawa to evade a strike, rolling in the grass as she hit the ground outside the house.

Akane loved this game. It helped test her speed, improving a skill that had always given her trouble, but Ranma couldn't refuse to strike back at her, as he often did when they were sparring. She couldn't become "it" until Ranma touched her. So she got the chance to both dodge attacks aimed at her, and block them. They had agreed that Ranma had to touch her on the torso for the "tag" to count. So even though Ranma's touches were as light as a feather, she still had to work hard to block them, building up her reflexes and muscle memory.

She managed to avoid being tagged for several minutes, before one of Ranma's strikes got through and it was her turn to chase him. This was far more frustrating for her, but her speed and focus were both better than they had been during that first spar in the dojo. She could hit Ranma, she knew she could, she had done it before. And despite his taunting and teasing, she knew that he knew it, too.

"You're too slow, tomboy!" Ranma said, with a smug grin. "I'll have to fight you over the water just to keep the fight fair." Sure enough, he began dancing around over the koi pond, beckoning to her. Akane smirked back at him, letting her anger push her faster, but not letting it drive her. She jumped back and forth over the pond, only a step behind her confident fiancé.

Finally she came within a hair's breadth of hitting Ranma, only to have him block her blow. As she landed on a rock over the pond, the hit threw off her balance slightly, and her foot slipped. Reacting almost instinctively, she jumped backwards, hoping to recover. When she realized she wasn't going to, she twisted to land on her back, bracing herself for the fall.

Akane splashed into the pond. She sat up, shaking the water out of her short hair. She looked up to see Ranma bending over her, holding out a hand. "Told ya!" he quipped.

There was no way Ranma would fall for an attempt to pull him into the pond, Akane knew. He was ready for it. But she still lashed out with her foot anyway. His grin growing even more arrogant, Ranma simply leaped over her lightning fast strike. While he was still in midair, his legs pulled up to avoid her strike, Akane reached out with even more speed. Grabbing his outstretched arm, she pulled, and Ranma crashed into her as they both sailed back into the pond.

"You are so uncute!" Ranma complained, sitting up to wring the water out of her now long ponytail. Akane giggled happily. In a reversal of their earlier position, she stood, and reached out to help Ranma up.

For a moment, Ranma considered pulling her back in. But then, she noticed that Akane's sleeve had rolled up, exposing her forearm and wrist. She leaped to her feet, startling Akane as she turned her arm over to stare at it.

Akane's arm was bruised down a good part of its length. Even more shocking, there were scratches up and down her arm, and a large cut over one of the worst bruises. "Whattya been doin' tomboy!" Ranma yelled at her. "How'd ya get cut up like this?"

Akane blushed deeply. "Ranma! It's not that bad. I've... I've just been sparring with Ucchan a lot lately." She swallowed, looking away from the taller girl. "She can't bruise me any more with her natural strength, so I suggested she use a weapon."

"A weapon!" Ranma's eyes narrowed. "What kinda weapon?"

Akane looked away again. "Just a shinai. I've been using one too, so she can keep in practice."

"How'd you get cut like that?"

"It was just the edge of the bamboo." Akane rubbed the cut on her arm, pensively. "I swear Ranma, I'm not pushing myself too hard. I don't want you to worry."

"Of COURSE I worry, you stupid tomboy!" Ranma shot back, not realizing she was contradicting her words of only moments ago. Akane did, and smiled a little.

Before Ranma could say anything further, or Akane could reassure her, there was a chime from the front door. Akane turned to look toward the sound. A few moments later, it was repeated. "Let's talk about this later," she said, glad of the interruption. "It seems we have a visitor."

Still frowning, Ranma followed as Akane headed around the house towards the front door. A line of trees separated the koi pond from the front yard, so they had to follow a path that led around to the front of the house and the covered entryway. There was a large flagstone path between the front door and the large gate that marked the entrance to the Tendo property.

Thus, as they came around the corner, they could see two figures waiting in the walkway. The closest was a refined middle-aged woman wearing a kimono. She had dark auburn hair, almost maroon, done up in a bun, and was carrying a silk wrapped package on her back. Her companion looked oddly out-of-place next to her. He was a short, robust looking man, with dark scruffy hair and a grizzled beard. He seemed the exact opposite of the prim and proper lady by his side.

They both turned to face Ranma and Akane, the woman smiling in a friendly manner. "Hello, is this the Tendo residence?"

"Yes," Akane answered her. "I am Akane Tendo."

The woman looked her up and down, her smile widening as she noticed Akane's dripping wet clothing and hair, and then looked Ranma over as well. "Oh, dear. You are both completely soaked. What have you been doing?"

"I'm sorry," Akane blushed a little. "My friend and I were just sparring, and we ended up falling in the pond." As she spoke, the grizzled man began to stare at Ranma, intently. For a moment, Ranma tried to figure out why the man's clothing looked so familiar. Then it came to her. It was an okonomiyaki vendor's uniform.

The matronly lady chuckled, as she ruffled Akane's soaking wet hair. She then smiled at Ranma, patting her on the head as well. "You two are a couple of tomboys, aren't you? You should act more ladylike."

Akane cut her eyes up at the lady, biting her lip. "Yes, ma'am."

The man spoke up. "Are... are you Ukyo Kuonji?" He said, to Ranma.

Ranma looked nervous, but Akane spoke for her, "Well... sort of. Do you know Ukyo?"

The man started to step forward, but then the door opened. Kasumi stood there. "May I help... oh, Akane. Have you already greeted our guests?"

"Yes, Big Sister." She turned to the kimono clad lady. "This is Kasumi Tendo, my elder sister."

"I am pleased to meet you," the woman said. "My name is Nodoka Saotome. I understand my husband, Genma, and son are living here?"

Ukyo, the real Ukyo, had stepped up behind Kasumi. Suddenly, a panda bear ran up behind her, and threw a bucket of water over her. The others turned to look at her cry of shock, to see a red-haired girl standing inside the genkan. "Old Man..." she growled, holding her arms out away from her body.

The panda held up a sign reading "Hello somebody else's wife." He then held his sign over Ukyo's head, looking at the grizzled man. "Hey, look! It's somebody else's daughter!" He then retreated back down the hall.

"N-Nodoka Saotome?" Akane asked, her eyes wide. "You're... you're Uncle Saotome's... wife?"

"Then he IS here!" Nodoka said.

The grizzled looking man could no longer hold himself back. He leaped forward suddenly, taking Ranma in his arms. "Ukyo! Ukyo my little girl it is you!" He began to cry, kneeling in front of the lanky girl as he held her.

Ukyo's eyes went as wide as Akane's. She stared at the man, her face ashen, and whispered, "Father?"

Nodoka smiled at the tearful reunion. Ranma glanced back at Ukyo, then down at the man who was blubbering as he held her around the waist. Ranma echoed Ukyo's words, more loudly. "Father?"

"That's right Ukyo," Nodoka said. "I'd like to introduce Mr. Kuonji... your father."

* * *

Author's Notes:

As of last chapter, it was still a month to go before the three-year anniversary of the first posting of this story. As of now, it has been a couple of months after. I had hoped to wrap up this story before reaching the three-year mark, but least I am drawing close to the end. I hope to have only two chapters of this bridging arc, and then to start on the Moxibustion of Weakness, which will be the last major arc. With the arrival of Nodoka and Mr. Kuonji, we can finally move into the final stage of the story. Of course, there will be much wackiness and misunderstandings caused by our new arrivals before we reach the end. :)

Ukyo's theory on Happosai "feeding" on the energy of women is not intended to be the last word on the subject. While this is a common theory in canon, Ukyo may or may not be right about it here. The conclusion is a reasonable one to reach, based on the evidence, but Happosai could just simply be an addict. His perverted behavior is so ingrained that he cannot do without it without actually becoming physically ill. That much is confirmed by the canon.


	76. A Man Among Men

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 76

"F-Father?" Ranma said again, her voice quavering in shock. Normally, she would have punched away any man who was hugging her female form - her sister's form - but it had all happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that she hadn't had time to react. And now she didn't know what to do. On some level she understood that this was Ukyo's father, greeting the girl he thought was his daughter, and as Ukyo she should act happy to see her father as well. But the situation was so odd, so out of Ranma's experience that she couldn't think straight.

Ranma glanced over at Ukyo, to see her staring at him with a look like he had stabbed her in the heart. Her round, expressive face twisted in anguish, as tears gathered in her deep blue eyes. Eyes that would be a shade away from his own eyes if he was in his own body. He looked up at the woman who was smiling at him, at the man hugging him, and suddenly, he understood. This was his mother. This was the one who was supposed to be holding him, hugging him, telling him how much she missed him and how long she had wanted to see him. All of a sudden, he wanted to tell her how glad he was to see her, too.

But he couldn't. SHE couldn't. She had to play the part of Ukyo now. She ended up pushing the bearded man away, perhaps a little too roughly. "Come on, Pop. Yer makin'... um, I mean, you're making a scene." Ranma tugged at the thick braid of her ponytail, uncertain about imitating Ukyo's less masculine language.

Mr. Kuonji stood up, unfazed by either Ranma's discomfort or being knocked back onto his bottom. "I'm sorry, my dear. It's just been so long..." He put his hands on her shoulders, to look down at her. "Let me look at you. You've grown so much..."

"Excuse me, but are my husband and son here as well?" Mrs. Saotome asked. "Mr. Kuonji told me that his daughter would have been travelling with them."

Akane was staring at Ranma and Ukyo, and their parents, her mouth agape, but now she drew herself up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. Why don't you come inside... Auntie, and we can talk."

"Yes, yes, please come inside." Kasumi had pulled herself out of her stupor as well, and stepped out of the doorway. Their guests followed her into the genkan.

Once Mrs. Saotome and Mr. Kuonji had taken off their shoes, and put on house slippers, they followed Kasumi into the family room. Soun was waiting there, sitting at the table. Genma could be seen playing on the engawa in panda form, rolling around with a beach ball. "Please ignore the panda," his sign read.

"Please, please, sit down," Mr. Tendo said, as the other two adults sat down at the table. He studied them seriously for a moment. "I'm afraid Ranma and Genma are gone right now, on a training mission."

"They are not!" Akane cut in, and then blushed deeply as everyone turned to look at her. She started playing with her fingers. "I mean... Uncle Saotome is off on a trip, but Ranma was going to come home any minute. He has school tomorrow..."

She glanced up at Ranma, a little nervous about her blatant lie. "Um... I'm sure if Ukyo and I go look for him, we'll find him in a few minutes."

"Oh, could you?" The hope in Nodoka's eyes was unmistakable. "I would so love to see my little boy again."

Ranma wanted to protest being called a "little boy", but held her tongue, still unsure about what to do or say. In the silence, the panda held up his sign. "What about your husband?" Genma's sign read. "Don't you miss him, too?"

Soun noticed the sign, and blanched a little, as he moved between Nodoka and the panda. "Please, why don't we sit down and have tea first. You can tell us how you and Mr. Kuonji here managed to meet."

Nodoka smiled as she turned to look back at him. "Oh, we met a couple of days ago. He was looking for my husband, and hoped that I had some way to contact him."

Her face fell. "Unfortunately, I haven't heard from Genma in a while. He used to send me letters regularly, telling me how he and Ranma were doing. But for some reason, the letters stopped about a year ago. The last one mentioned something about a training ground in China, called Jusenkyo..."

"Jusenkyo!" Akane exclaimed, surprised. "Why that's where... !"

"Akane!" Ranma cut in. She looked at Mr. Kuonji, then at Ukyo, and then back at Akane. Ukyo was still looking like she was trying to hold back tears.

"Oh. Oh, yeah." Akane looked at the ground. "Well, that's about the time they came to live here. Uncle Saotome must have forgotten to contact you. Things have been... um... kind of hectic, what with Ranma and Ukyo settling in here in Nerima and all."

"So you know my son well, then?" Nodoka asked her. "Is he manly? Is he strong, and handsome?"

Akane blushed again. She glanced up at Ranma. "Um... yes."

"And what about you, Ukyo?" She looked at Ranma, who blinked. "You're Ranma's fiancée, right?"

"WHAT?" Ranma, Akane and Ukyo all three yelled that, at the same time.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Kuonji told me all about the arrangement he made with my husband when Ranma was six. Genma never bothered to tell me about it, for some reason, but Mr. Kuonji was nice enough to fill in all the details when we met up two days ago."

"Ranma is engaged to my Akane!" Soun thundered. "They are to join the schools of Anything Goes!"

"We are not!" Ranma shot back, and Akane added, "I never agreed to that!"

"So, you're not engaged to Ranma?" Nodoka asked Ranma, as she had heard her protest.

"Ukyo" swallowed and looked down again, while stealing another glance at the real Ukyo. The redhead scowled and looked away, although she still looked very upset.

Akane reached out and put a hand on the ponytailed girl's shoulder. "Ranma and Ukyo are engaged, but... they grew up together as brother and sister. And so that's the way they feel about each other.

"As for me..." She frowned, but her voice remained calm. "Ranma and I don't agree with the engagement either. But we are good friends and..." She looked up at the redhead, who sniffled. "Ranma and Ukyo are like family to me now. I wouldn't want them to leave and... who knows... maybe some day..." Her voice trailed off, as she looked down at her lap in embarrassment.

Soun started to celebrate Akane's near admission that she had accepted the engagement, but at the last minute thought better of it. That might have been because of the way "Ukyo" kicked him in the shin.

"Oh, dear, this is a very difficult situation," Nodoka said. Then she smiled. "But my son must be so manly, to be engaged to two such beautiful young ladies." Ranma looked uncomfortable at that, while Akane blushed.

"I'm afraid my arrangement must come first," Mr. Kuonji said. "Mr. Saotome told me that Ranma was already engaged, but said that he could put that aside. He has already accepted Ukyo's dowry, and so Ranma must marry her."

"What? Is this true?" Soun stole a glance back at the panda, who growfed back at him, while shaking his furry head and holding up his paws in a placating gesture. Soun turned back to Mr. Kuonji. "That doesn't matter! Akane's engagement was the first! We had an agreement before Ranma and Akane were even born!"

"Wait, wait," Akane cut in. "What dowry?"

"My yatai. Saotome took it along with my daughter, in order to seal the deal."

"Our okonomiyaki cart?" Ukyo began to tremble again, tears starting to run down her face. "The Old Man took our cart?" Akane glanced at her, obviously concerned, but wondering what Auntie Saotome and Mr. Kuonji would make of her outburst.

Ukyo's father looked at her, confused, then back at Ranma. Akane nudged her, and she caught the hint. "Yeah, the yatai..." She thought for a moment. "I don't remember any yatai..."

"He abandoned it. He abandoned in on the side of the road. Just like he tried to abandon me..." Ukyo put both hands to her face, breaking down into wrenching sobs. "I loved... that cart... watching... Pops... Father..." As she began to shudder more violently, Akane shuffled over closer to her.

"Um... um... yeah," Ranma looked lost. "I remember it now. Yeah, Pops... um, the Old Man, he musta sold it or something."

"He sold my yatai?" the grizzled man roared. Ranma leaned back, surprised by his expression of fury. He glanced back towards the engawa, but the panda had escaped into the yard and was playing with a tire. He wasn't going to be any help.

Unsure what else to do, Ranma shrugged. "Yeah, the Old Man was always selling anything that wasn't tied down. But that's okay, right? I mean, Ukyo's..." she glanced at her sister, worriedly. "I mean, I'm okay, right? I'm back with you..." she looked at the bearded man, biting her lip. "... Pop..."

Mr. Kuonji's face brightened into a huge smile. "That's right, my daughter. After all this time, you're back with me. And I can see what a great martial artist you've become." He hugged Ranma again, who stiffened. "And you will make a wonderful wife for Ranma."

"Uh. Wife. Yeah."

Ukyo, meanwhile, began to wail even louder. Akane put her arms around her, and oddly, Nodoka stood up from the table, and came around to take the tiny girl in a warm embrace as well.

"Oh, my," Nodoka said. "Whatever is the matter? Are you all right, my dear?"

Akane looked up at her. "This is... uh... my cousin, Ranko Tendo. She's an orphan." She swallowed, looking back at the redhead both she and Mrs. Saotome were hugging, tightly. "Family reunions like this make her upset."

Nodoka made comforting noises, rocking Ukyo back and forth in her arms. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive us, Ranko. I've so very sorry for your loss."

"Why don't I take her upstairs?" Akane asked. "It isn't right to do this to her."

She met Kasumi's eyes, and her elder sister nodded. "You are absolutely right, Akane. We should have considered her feelings. Ukyo, why don't you go with them?"

"Huh?" Ranma looked at her, while Akane helped Ukyo and Nodoka to their feet. His heart lurched at the emotional scene, his mother holding so tightly to his sister, and comforting her. That should be me. "But what about... ?" She gestured at Ukyo's father.

"Come with me Ran... I mean, Ukyo, and help me get Ranko into the furo. We'll give her a nice, warm, relaxing bath and then she can go to bed."

"Bath!" Ranma jerked back, putting up her hands in a warding gesture. "You want me to take a bath with... um..."

Akane gave her a contrived smile. "Of course, Ukyo. We're all girls, right? And after we're done, we can go look for Ranma. I'm sure he's close enough to home by now. I'll bet he walks right up to the front gate..."

This caught the panda's attention. He held up his sign. "Don't do it, boy! You can't let Nodoka find out about your curse!"

As Akane and Ranma both glowered at Genma's sign, Nodoka noticed their gaze and turned to follow it. The panda turned his sign around. "Don't mind me. I'm just Ranko's trained panda."

"She's living with a panda, now that her parents are gone?" Nodoka asked, with concern in her voice. "Oh, you poor thing..."

"It's a long story," Akane told her. "We try to take care of her when we can, but she has her own place nearby. Please sit down, Auntie, we've imposed on you enough. Ran... Ukyo and I can take care of Ranko."

"All right, if you insist." Reluctantly, she sat down. Akane and Ranma helped Ukyo to the engawa, and then down the hallway around the back of the house, heading for the furoba. The panda shambled after them.

As they came up to the door to the bathing room, Genma decided they were far enough away from any eavesdroppers. He held up his sign. "Boy! You can't see your mother in your uncursed form! If you do, you'll regret it!"

"Whattya takin' about, Old Man?" Ranma shot back. "I sure can't see her as Ukyo!"

"That's right, Uncle Saotome," Akane added. "We have to change Ranma back so Ukyo can change back to her true form. I'm sure she wants to see her father, too!"

Ukyo sniffled, but her anguish in the family room was rapidly giving way to anger, her usual reaction to the panda's foolishness. "You bet I do. And this stupid agreement you made with my Pop isn't going change that, either. If he wants to force me to marry Ranchan, then I'll just have to talk to him about it. But I still want to see him."

"Of course she does." Akane's expression turned wistful. "And Ranma wants to see his mother, too."

"It's too dangerous! If he changes in front of Nodoka..."

"If he changes in front of Nodoka, then she'll just think he's Ukyo," Akane said. "We can cover for him, we've done it before."

The panda suddenly stopped and looked thoughtful. "I suppose that could work. But Ranma has to leave again right away! He has to rejoin me on his training trip!"

"But..." Ranma cut in.

"He has to finish his homework, and THEN he can rejoin you on his training trip," Akane countered, her voice firm. "I was going to turn in his work tomorrow."

"Deal." The panda growfed, and then set off back down the engawa. As he did, Ukyo collapsed into Akane's arms. She caught the little redhead, noting the exhaustion in her delicate face with some worry.

"Not bad, tomboy," Ranma said. "You been takin' bargainin' lessons from Nabiki, or what?"

Akane laughed a bit. "I just wanted to get him out of here." She looked down at Ukyo. "You okay, Ucchan?"

The redhead signed. "Just worn out. This is all too much..." She pulled herself up. "But I can do this. I wanna see my Pop."

Akane opened the door to the outer changing room. "I know you do. Come on, Ranma, let's help her get undressed."

Ranma looked like she wanted to protest, but held her tongue. She followed as Akane led Ukyo into the outer room, and then opened the divider to the furo. She and Ranma helped Ukyo out of her clothes, and then supported her as she settled into the soothing warmth of the water. Ukyo began to sob again, putting her hands to her face, as her body expanded into its true form.

"Hey... hey, Sis. It's gonna be okay."

Ukyo nodded. "I know. That was just... so hard, you know?"

"I know. I wanted to tell Mom who I really was so bad." Ranma grinned confidently. "But now we both can."

Ukyo smiled back at him, then she glanced at Akane. "Well, Akane-chan and I better get outta here so you can change back."

She started to sit up, but Akane put a hand on her shoulder. "If you want to wait a moment, it'll be okay. I'm sure your father will wait."

Ukyo gave her a happy smile. "No. I'm ready. I want to meet my Pop now. I don't want to wait any more." Ranma averted her eyes and she stood and stepped out of the tub, and then she took Akane's arm, leading her back over to the divider.

Akane picked up Ukyo's clothes and handed them to her. Then she put her hand on the divider. Akane blushed a little as she looked back at Ranma, standing next to the furo, but then she gave him a coy smile.

"Don't take too long," she said. "Your sister and I will wait outside."

"Akane?" Ranma called out, stopping Akane as she was about to close the divider.

"Yes?"

"Thanks. You been a big help, tomboy, to me an' Sis both."

Akane looked down, her wistful look returning. "I'll never get to see my mother again..." Then she looked up, and gave him that special smile. "This is the next best thing!"

Ranma just looked at her, thoughtfully, as she slid the divider shut.

* * *

Several minutes later, Ranma, Ukyo, and Akane all came back into the family room. Nabiki had joined them, and was sitting at the table along with the rest of her family. Nodoka stood as Ranma entered, and for a moment there was an awkward silence, as the two stared at each other. Then, quite suddenly, Ukyo yelled out, "Daddy", and flung herself at her father.

Ukyo began crying all over again, as she was swallowed up her father's embrace. The bearded man was only slightly taller than his daughter, but his build was far more robust. Akane smiled happily at Ukyo's more emotional reaction, but Ranma looked a little uncomfortable.

His thoughts, whatever they were, were interrupted by his mother. "Ranma?" She asked, uncertainly. When Ranma nodded, she smiled as well. "You are so manly, my son."

"Thanks, Mom," Ranma said.

"Has your father trained you to be a great martial artist?" Nodoka asked.

"You bet!" Ranma smirked confidently, his uncertainty gone. "I'm the best martial artist in Japan! I`ve faced lots of rivals, an' even Akane and Ucchan, but Ranma Saotome never loses."

Both Akane and Ukyo rolled their eyes at that, but Nodoka looked thrilled. "That is so wonderful, my son! Genma has certainly kept his promise to me."

"Promise?" Ranma looked at Akane, who echoed his words. "What promise?"

"Why, that he would make you into a true man among men. I know that he would not fail me. Your father is an honorable man."

Ranma snorted, but Akane looked curious. "Um, Auntie... what exactly does this promise involve?"

The panda tiptoed across the engawa, holding up his sign. "You really don't want to know." It read. Nodoka had her back to the yard, however, and thus did not notice.

"When Genma left with my child, so many years ago, I did not want him to go. I didn't want my little boy to leave. But Genma insisted that in order for Ranma to become a great martial artist, he would have to leave home. I was afraid he was too young, but my husband said that the time was right to train him, as the heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes."

"That sounds like the Old Man, all right," Ranma said.

"Before he left, Genma swore to me that he would raise you to be the best martial artist of your generation, a true man among men. And to prove his sincerity, he signed a contract."

"A contract?" Akane couldn't fight the bad feeling she was getting. It didn't help that Genma was sweating, right through his fur, and trying to sneak out into the yard without being seen.

Mrs. Saotome reached back to unhook the silk package that she had strapped to her back, and placed it on the table. She started to unroll it, revealing the hilt of a katana, and then, as she folded back the silk further, its leather sheath. She reached into her kimono, and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. She handed it to Ranma.

"Genma swore to me, on his honor, that if he failed to make you into a man among men, both of you would commit seppuku. And he had you sign it as well." She unrolled the paper, revealing Genma's writing, confirming her words. And a child's small handprints were smeared all over it. "You were so enthusiastic to add your own mark to the contract, my son." She smiled happily. "So brave and honorable, even at such a young age..."

"Wait a minute, seppuku?" Ranma looked stunned. "You mean if I hadn't turned out to be a great martial artist like I am, I would have had to commit suicide?"

"And a man among men," Nodoka agreed. "But that's okay, you have grown up to be a real man, my son. I can see that."

"A... a man. Yeah." Ranma swallowed, glancing at his sister nervously. She looked back at him, her turquoise eyes wide with fright.

"That's what Uncle Saotome meant." Akane looked back at the panda, who had retreated out into the yard, and ducked out of sight. "When he said you were on your honor to cure your... problem."

"Problem?" Nodoka asked Akane, her tone one of innocent curiosity. "Is there something that you're not telling me? Some reason my son cannot be a man among men?"

"Oh, no, no!" Akane protested, sweating a bit herself, as she put up her hands. "Ranma is manly enough, I'm sure!"

"Heck," put in Nabiki, "Even his sister wears men's clothes. If Uncle Saotome has done anything, he's done TOO good a job of raising Ranma as a 'man'."

"Wait just a second!" Ukyo suddenly yelled. She stepped away from her father. "You mean all those years that the Old Man was putting me down, telling Ranchan that girls were weak and yelling at him for hanging out with me and acting 'girly', he was just trying to make a man out of him?"

Nodoka stared at her for a moment. "I really don't know, Miss Ukyo. I suppose that my husband would want to teach Ranma to protect women. After all, that's what a manly man like my son would do." She turned back to smile at him.

"I can protect myself!" Ukyo said, making a fist as she stepped closer to Ranma's mother. "I don't need Ranchan to protect me!"

"Of course not. But you should be happy to have a strong man like my son to protect you. You are his fiancée, after all."

"I'm Ranma's SISTER!" Ukyo protested. "I don't want to marry him!"

"My daughter..." Mr. Kuonji stood up again, putting a hand on Ukyo's arm to pull her back. "Have you forgotten why I sent you on the training trip with Mr. Saotome? I wanted you to become a great martial artist, one that the great Martial Arts Okonomiyaki Chefs on our family could be proud of..."

"And I AM a great martial artist, father! I've trained under that..." She started to point out at the yard, at the panda, but then shook her head. "I've trained with Ranma's father for ten years, and most of it's been on my own, or because I FORCED Ranchan or the Old Man to take me seriously. I've made Anything Goes into a style all my own and..."

Her voice fell, as she lowered her eyes, glancing up at her father nervously. "... and I want you to be proud of me."

The bearded man grinned. "I am, dear, but I didn't want you to forget to be a woman, too. Your training with Ranma was important, but it was my hope you would have a family with him, and together you could carry on my okonomiyaki business."

Ukyo said nothing for a long moment, just staring at the man. Then she exhaled, slowly. "I do love Ranchan. But it's not that kind of love. My Bro is my family, now, but... if I'm going to be a great okonomiyaki chef, it's not going to be with Ranma at my side." She glanced at Akane. "That dream... is for someone else now."

Nodoka stood up as well. "I would not be concerned, Ukyo. Many arranged marriages begin with much less. You already know my son, and it's obvious how fond you are of him. I'm sure that in time that could grow into love."

"No!" Ukyo rounded on her, the frustration evident in her voice. "Don't you understand? "

"And what about me?" Akane asked. As everyone turned to look at her, she blushed and looked panicked. But then she steeled her resolve. "I mean... what about my family? Mr. Kuonji wants Ranma to carry on his family legacy, and my father wants Ranma to carry on the Tendo family legacy. He can't do BOTH! What about what RANMA wants?"

"Are you saying that you are in love with my daughter's fiancé'?" the bearded man said, a little too gruffly. "Do you plan to come between them!"

"No, no!" Akane said, hastily. "No more than Ucchan wants to come between Ranma and I!" She then put a hand to her forehead, as her father took her words as an admission of her love for Ranma, and reacted accordingly.

"My daughter has agreed to the engagement!" Soun exclaimed, "Oh, Akane, you have made your father so happy!" He and the panda started dancing around, arm in arm, ignoring Akane's blushing attempts to dissuade them.

"That's Ranchan's decision." Ukyo said, her voice firm. "It has to be about what HE wants, who HE is in love with. I'm not going to force him to do it out of family honor, and neither is Akane.

She then turned back to her father. "And Pop, I've already started an okonomiyaki business of my own. Ranma is helping me with it, along with the Tendo family. They're all chipping in. I AM part of a family, Pop... Father. I don't need a husband to carry on my family legacy. I... I want to do that on my own."

That stunned both Mr. Kuonji and Ranma's mother into an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Ranma cleared his throat.

"Look... um..." Ranma looked around at the adults around the table, who were all staring back at him. Mr. Kuonji scowled, Soun was unsure, and his mother... his mother. Ranma stared at her for a moment, worriedly. This was supposed to be a happy reunion. For a moment, he wondered if his mother thought he wasn't being "manly" enough. But her expression of patient anticipation didn't tell him anything.

"I ain't decidin' this now, okay? There's also this Chinese Amazon named Shampoo that I've gotta deal with. Maybe I've made a decision and maybe I ain't..." he glanced at Akane as he said this, and she gave him a gentle smile of relief, "But when I do, it'll be because I love the girl."

Nodoka clapped her hands, a smile of utter bliss spreading across her face. "Oh, my son! You are so manly!" She then reached out and picked up her silk wrapped katana, along with the contract, which made Ranma swallow nervously. "So... where are you coming home?"

Ranma blinked. "Home?"

"Of course." Nodoka smiled at him. "Now that I have my manly son back, I want to spend all of my time getting to know you, and hearing about all of your travels. It's time for you to come home, like your father promised."

The panda was once again trying to make himself scarce. Ranma shot him a withering glare, so it was Ukyo that spoke up first. "Hey, Ranchan is my Bro. He ain't goin' nowhere without me."

Nodoka glanced at her, obviously startled by her masculine language, but she quickly put that aside. "Well, as Ranma's wife, Miss Kuonji, naturally I would expect you to move in with my son as well, but as you are only his fiancée I'm not sure that would be proper. There is also the question of Miss Tendo to consider..."

"I told you, I am Ranchan's SISTER! I spent ten years livin' with him, proper or not, an' I ain't going to stop now!"

"Besides," Akane cut in, putting a hand on Ukyo's shoulder to calm her down. "Both Ranma and Ukyo are our guests, and we wouldn't think of withdrawing that courtesy, even if they have somewhere else to stay now."

She glanced back at Ranma, and then at the panda who was trying to remain unnoticed out by the koi pond. "Ranma and his father do a lot of training, and I would hate for you to be put out by all the fighting, Auntie." She shook her head, with a mild, but fond grimace. "There are times the noise wakes me up, and I have to be up in the morning to go jogging with Ucchan. It drives me crazy sometimes..."

"I would not mind a little noise," Nodoka said kindly. "It would be nice to hear the sounds of my husband and son training again, after all this time..."

Akane swallowed. "But Ranma and his father need room, for sparring! And Ukyo and I are training as well, and Kodachi, when she comes over. There is so much more room here, at our dojo! I'm afraid that with all of us helping to train each other..." she lowered her eyes a bit, trying to hide her desperation. "We would just get in your way."

"And Ranchan has to return to the Old Man tonight anyway," Ukyo cut in. "Isn't that right, Ranma?"

Ranma nodded, swallowing, then drew himself up a bit more confidently. "Yeah, that's right, Sis. I gotta go get back to the Old Man at our camp out in the forest." He glanced at the panda with a smirk. "I'm sure without me around, Pops is gettin' inta all kinds of trouble."

"Yes, your father always was a handful." Nodoka clutched at her katana, and the panda's fur turned even whiter.

"Tell ya what, Ranchan can go tell the Old Man that you've found him," Ukyo smirked a bit at Genma's nervousness, "and when they get home, they can come visit you for a few days or so. That should give you and my Bro enough time to get to know each other. An' in the meantime, Akane an' I would like to come over and visit too. I mean, if you are my Bro's mom, I should get ta know you too..."

"That sounds wonderful dear," Nodoka said, smiling at Akane to include her in the invitation.

Ukyo turned to her father. "And Pop... I still have a lot to do on my new okonomiyaki shop, but I think if I hurry I can get it done in two weeks. I was thinking of holding my grand opening next month..." she paused a moment, biting her lip as she looked at the grizzled man. "... but if you're going to be here, I'd like for you to help me open up my shop."

Mr. Kuonji put his arm around her. "Of course, daughter. Whatever you want."

Ukyo hugged him. "I haven't forgotten what you taught me, Father. I'll show you... I can be a great okonomiyaki chef, just like you."

* * *

Several hours after school the next day, as it was starting to get dark, Ranma and Ukyo headed home from the Cat Café. The construction of Ukyo's counter and grill had been completed, and the stools were set out for the customers that would soon fill the little lunch room. But there was still a lot of work to do, and Ukyo was a real stickler for details. Ranma's mind reeled at some of the things Ukyo had mentioned, he didn't even understand half of it, and wasn't sure how Ukyo was able to keep it all straight.

She had been driving Mousse absolutely crazy with some of her demands, keeping him so busy that he didn't even have time to pursue Shampoo and continually declare his love for her. Not that Ranma would have minded. Without Mousse around to make advances, Shampoo was free to chase after him. And she was remarkably good at finding excuses to come into the construction area and put her hands all over him. The old ghoul would usually send her scurrying back to the dining room to wait on customers, or even send her off on deliveries from time to time, but it was still hard to get any work done.

Ranma glanced over at his sister, and found her staring thoughtfully at the ground, muttering to herself. Likely still working through the details, he thought. "Hey, Sis," he said, and slapped her on the shoulder. "Yer leavin' yourself open..."

Ukyo absently put up a hand to block his slap, although she was about half a second too late. She then pushed his hand away. "Eh? What?"

"Don't think too hard," Ranma said smugly, as he struck at her again. "You'll hurt yourself."

This time, Ukyo was able to block him, and fell into a stance. "Thinking only hurts you, muscle head. I manage it just fine."

She moved forward, throwing punches and kicks that he was quick to block. "I was just making sure I didn't overlook anything, jackass. You don't have to cheer me up."

"Who said I wanted ta cheer you up, Sis? You just looked worried, is all."

"Yeah, and who would expect a jerk like you to be nice for a change?" Ukyo grinned at him, and Ranma smirked back.

There was a moment's pause while Ranma leaped onto the fence and Ukyo followed, and then Ranma spoke again. "You worried about your Pop?"

An ordinary person wouldn't have noticed Ukyo's slight change in stance, but Ranma did. Her smile faded, and she sighed. "It's been so long since I've seen him. I just want to make sure everything's right for the opening, so he can get a chance to see what I've done."

"Sure," Ranma told her. "Of course you want yer Pops to be proud of you. But don't you worry. You make the best okonomiyaki, Sis, and I'm sure your Pop will see that."

Ukyo tagged him with a tap on the shoulder, and then she stepped back. "I sure hope so, Ranchan. It's been so long. I've really progressed as a martial artist but... it's been a long time since I seriously thought about my future as a cook. Maybe that's what I want my Pop to see. That I haven't forgotten that."

She smiled at Ranma for a moment, then hopped off the fence. "Come on, Ranchan, let's get home. All this talk about martial arts reminded me... I was gonna deal with Sensei's panty collection today. Let's see if we can get home before the old pervert does."

There was no sign of Happosai once Ranma and Ukyo got home, so Ukyo pointed her brother towards the dojo. "Akane should be training with Kodachi this evening. See how she's doing and then tell her to meet us in Happosai's room after she takes her bath. I'm gonna go take mine now. I'm worn out from workin' at the Cafe' and I could use a good soak."

Ranma nodded his agreement, and headed outside for the dojo. As he approached, he could hear Akane and Kodachi sparring inside. He eased open the door, trying not to disturb them, but watched the two girls as they leaped around the dojo. As he expected, Akane was not seriously challenged by Kodachi, although she seemed to be enjoying their fight. She and the noble girl traded good-natured quips from time to time, and Kodachi's shrill laugh still set his teeth on edge, but the two young women almost looked like they had been good friends all their lives.

As Akane blocked a kick by Kodachi, and her sleeve fluttered down around her wrist, Ranma suddenly remembered the mysterious bruises he had seen on Akane's arm before. He tried to look for more evidence of bruising, but the long sleeves of Akane's off-yellow gi hid her arms and legs all too well. Ranma studied Kodachi for a moment, noting that she was sporting a few bruises of her own, clearly visible since all she was wearing was her leotard. But neither girl was using weapons, and Kodachi's bruises were not all that bad, entirely consistent with bare-handed attacks.

Ranma's eyes narrowed, as this made him realize the flaw in Akane's explanation. Akane could not have been sparring with Ukyo, since his sister had been busy working on the Cat Café these last few weeks. Ukyo had been skipping their evening sparring sessions, leaving it to Akane to train Kodachi on the days she came over. They were still sparring in the morning, but he wasn't sure how much time they had, between jogging and getting ready for school. So unless Ukyo and Akane had been sparring with weapons while jogging, which seemed unlikely, they wouldn't have had time together to do any sparring, like Akane said.

Was Akane lying to him? He looked her over again, noting as her sleeve fell down again that the bruise on Akane's wrist had faded. He momentarily felt a surge of pride, that Akane's healing had improved so much, that a bruise would disappear entirely in 24 hours. But he pushed that thought aside, too worried about Akane to be thinking about that. He also shoved aside the thought that she looked awfully cute in that gi, as Akane stepped back and wiped her forehead, calling a halt to the sparring match.

"I think that's enough for now," Akane said.

"Oh, thank heavens. I was starting to think that you were never going to call for a break." She was no less sweaty than Akane, and smiled gratefully when the shorter girl handed her the towel.

"The whole point is to push yourself as hard as you can, past your limits, Kodachi," Akane said, her expression serious. "But not so hard that you pass out. You let me know if it feels like it's too much for you, and I'll call a break."

"It is not too much for me, Tendo, I am a Kuno, and I will endure." Akane's eyes narrowed at her haughty attitude, and then even further as Kodachi looked around and spotted Ranma.

"Ranma darling!" Kodachi cried out, smiling widely. "It's so good to see you again after so long!"

Ranma reacted instinctively. "Hey, um, uh, Kodachi, um, whatcha takin' about?" he stuttered, throwing up his hands to ward her off. It took several heart-stopping moments for it to sink in that Kodachi was not leaping to wrap her arms around him. It took a bit longer for him to realize that Kodachi had instead cut her eyes back to take in the simmering fury coming from Akane.

"Ohhohohohohoho!" Kodachi laughed, putting a hand to her mouth in her old, not quite sane fashion. "It really HAS been too long!" She then favored Akane with a genuine smile, which Akane returned with a blink of confusion. "My apologies, Tendo, but I could not resist. The look on your face was just too amusing."

Akane's eyebrow twitched, but she managed a cunning smirk. "Just for that, Kuno, you've earned yourself an extra five minutes of hard sparring next week."

"I look forward to it! Adieu!" With that, she tossed the towel to Akane and skipped out of the dojo. Akane growled under her breath as she came up to Ranma, but shook her head as she wiped her own sweat away with the towel.

"She's getting really good," Akane noted. "I wish Ukyo was here to help me out, but at least we're making progress. We could do more if she weren't limiting her visits to just twice a week."

"Well... um... you're kinda a good sensei, Akane." Ranma blushed as he looked at the wooden floor. He still wasn't entirely comfortable with paying Akane complements. Although the smile that spread over her face reminded him why he did it.

"Thanks, Ranma..." Akane bowed her head, too caught up in her own blush to meet his eyes either. Finally, Akane took his hand. "So where is your sister?" she asked, as she led him out of the dojo and into the yard.

"She asked me ta look in on you and Kodachi. She was gonna take a bath."

"Oh? I imagine Kodachi will be wanting to take a bath too. I never asked her." She continued down the walk and to the side door to the house, and Akane still hadn't let go of his hand.

As they got close to the door, it suddenly opened on its own. Kodachi stood in the doorway. "Oh, and Ranma dear? I apologize for this as well..." With that, she tossed a bucket of water over him.

"Whatdja do that for!" Ranma exclaimed. The change, as usual, was instantaneous, and Ranma shook the water off of her arms.

Kodachi laughed shrilly again. "Just as a reminder to myself, Ranma dear, nothing more." She sized the lanky girl up. "You do look like your sister, don't you? The resemblance is uncanny."

"It should be," Akane said. "The curses normally change someone into a person or animal that looks like them, but he fell into the spring with Ukyo. He really doesn't have any choice but to look like her."

"Well..." Kodachi paused a moment, looking at the ground. "Your sister and Miss Akane have become my friends and... well, I guess I would like for you to be my friend as well." She held out a kettle.

"Um... well... um..." Ranma glanced at Akane, who noticed the other girl's nervousness. Akane nodded her reassurance, and then smiled, widely.

"I think Ranma would like that too," Akane said.

"Yeah, as long as ya don't bring yer crazy brother around." Ranma gestured at herself. "'Specially when I look like this."

"Oh, but it is so much fun!" Kodachi said, putting her hand to her mouth, but her laugh was more of a chortle. "But I can understand your discretion. I think that this is a secret I shall keep to myself, no matter how much my brother would enjoy your training."

"No kidding." Akane grimaced. "I don't think I could stand having him here in the dojo, going on and on about how this 'proves my love', that Ukyo and I are willing to spar with him."

She was interrupted by cackling from out in the yard. Happosai bounded past them, yelling "What a haul! What a haul!', and carrying a bag slung over his back. He disappeared down the hallway into the house.

"Isn't that the old creature I saw with you the other day?" Kodachi mused. "The Oompa Loompa?"

"That old freak," Ranma growled. "I say we take care of him right now, Akane, Sis or no Sis. Pops and Mr. Tendo certainly ain't going to do nothin' about it."

"Let's not be hasty, Ranma," Akane answered her. "Just wait until Ukyo finishes her bath. We should all face him together." She paused a moment, then turned to Kodachi. "Kodachi, would you like to join us? I was going to go take a bath myself."

"I do not think so. It sounds like all of you have plenty to do this evening. I will take my leave." She glanced at Ranma, then handed her the kettle. "As much as that creature disgusts me, I will leave it to Ranma dear to give him his just desserts."

"That's exactly what I'm gonna do! If that old pervert gives Sis any trouble, he's gonna have to deal with me!"

"Now, don't start anything, Ranma," Akane said warningly. "Let your sister handle it."

"Hey, I don't start nuthin'!"

Akane scoffed, but didn't say anything further, as Ukyo joined them in the hall, drying her hair with a towel. "Akane, Kodachi," she greeted them. "Did you have a good lesson?"

"Indeed, Sensei Kuonji," Kodachi agreed. She studied Ranma for a moment as he poured the hot water over himself and returned to his normal form, but then just shook her head. "I was about to take my leave, though. I will see you next week at the usual time, Miss Tendo."

"Let me show you to the door," Akane told her. She then turned to Ukyo and Ranma. "After that, I'm going to go take my bath. You two can go take care of Happosai, and I'll join you as soon as I'm done."

"Okay," Ukyo said. "Come on, Ranchan, let's go speak to the old man."

The four of them split up in the hallway, Akane and Kodachi heading back for the front door, while Ukyo and Ranma continued on to the guest room. They found Happosai unpacking the collection of panties he had just raided. "Ranma! Little Ukyo! What a surprise!"

"Surprise nuthin'!" Ranma shot back. "You and Sis made a deal. So turn over your collection!"

Happosai grabbed an armful of his "pretties". "You can't make this old man give up his only source of joy!"

Ukyo shook her head. "Come on, Sensei. You know why we're here. You can either put off the inevitable, or accept it and work with us. So come on."

"Are you sure you'll let me choose?" Happosai asked, giving the pair his big-eyed look.

"I promised, didn't I?" Ukyo told me. "Now come on, stop stalling."

In a few minutes, Happosai's collection was sorted out on the floor, and he and Ukyo were going through it. Ranma threw out the occasional snide comment, but refused to touch the underwear. Happosai tried to entice him to change forms again and put on one of his bras, and Ukyo as well, but she managed to keep his mind focused on the task.

By the time Akane had finished her bath, Kasumi had joined them as well, and was methodically folding and stacking the underthings Happosai had agreed to return. Akane sat and started going through a pile Ukyo had not gotten to yet. "Be careful with those," Happosai told her.

"I am!" Akane protested. "I'll be as careful with them as I would with my own. In fact..." she held up a pair of panties, studying them closely. "Hey! These ARE mine!"

Happosai reached out to grab them back from Akane. She pulled them back, cradling them against her chest. He gave her his begging look. "Those are too special! Please let me keep them!"

Akane scowled at the old man, rising to her feet. "No way! You aren't keeping my underwear!"

"Yeah! Get away from her, you old freak," Ranma said, coming up to stand at Akane's side.

Ukyo stepped in before the argument could come to blows. "The underthings of the girls in this household are off-limits, I think." She glanced over at Kasumi. "I'm not even going to ask whose you've got. Just give 'em back."

"But Little Ukyo... they mean so much to me, and they're so silky and pretty..."

Ukyo made a face. "Forget it. You get enough energy from us just by touching us. And we can clobber you for that. Just accept it, old man."

"No! You're not getting my pretties!" His mouth twisting up into a pout, he leaped at Akane, who screamed and tried to twist away from him. Happosai grabbed the panties out of her hand and tried to make a break for it, only for Ranma to grab them back. Happosai used his pipe to flip him, but as Ranma was still holding onto Akane's panties, he just flipped over and landed on his back.

"Ranma!" Akane shouted, hiding her face behind her hand. She gestured at the panties, which Ranma had stretched out between himself and Happosai. Ranma let go, and they snapped back into Happosai's face.

"I'm sorry, Akane!" Ranma yelled, his own face turning as red as Akane's. "I didn't mean to! I wouldn't touch your old underwear anyway!" As usual, when flustered Ranma reverted back to what he knew best.

He needn't have worried, as Akane hardly noticed the insult. Instead, she put both hands over her mouth as her expression changed from mortification to fighting back laughter. Ukyo snickered as well.

Ranma looked back and forth between the two girls and Happosai, who was scowling darkly. After a moment, he started laughing as well. Happosai, however, was in not a laughing mood.

"So, you think it's funny to make fun of an old man, do you? Well, I'll have the last laugh." With as much dignity as he could muster, he took Akane's panties and tied them as a sneak mask around his face.

That was too much for Ukyo, who burst out laughing. Akane, however, tried to pacify the old man, even as she fought back the giggles. "I'm sorry, Grandfather. That was rude of me. Please give me back the panties." Ranma snorted, and Akane almost lost her composure as well. "We didn't mean to insult you, I swear."

Happosai's glare cut through Akane's attempted apology, and even Ranma and Ukyo fell silent for a moment, although it didn't last long. Happosai pointed at the two of them. "I forgive you, Little Akane, because you're trying to be considerate and it's your panties I took. And Ranma, I expect such disrespect from you. But Ukyo, you are my student, and I expect better from you.

"Ukyo, Ranma, you have aroused my wrath. I will get even, just you wait and see." With that, he stomped out of the room.

"Aw, man, we're in for it now," Ukyo commented, wiping her eyes. Although she couldn't quite stop giggling.

"What are ya talkin' about?" Ranma asked, cracking his knuckles. "That old man can't do nothin' to either of us. He's just full of hot air."

"I don't think so, Ranchan, and he was really mad this time. I think we'd better watch our backs for a while."

* * *

Author's Note:

Well, I finally I am finished with this chapter. It took forever, I just couldn't get the last part with Happosai to come out right. (Not until I came up with the idea of snapping Happy in the face :D) I wasn't too sure about the reunion with Nodoka and Mr. Kuonji, either. It seemed to stretch on too long, and the split in the middle seemed out of place. I really couldn't cut any of that, though, there is so much going on with Nodoka revealing the seppuku pact, and Mr. Kuonji added on to what was already a complex storyline. I mean, it took two episodes in the Anime.

A minor point, but Kodachi calling Ranma "Ranma dear" and Akane "Miss Akane" are intended to imply that she is still using the "-sama" honorific after their names. Only in Ranma's case it no longer means the more intimate "darling" and so I'm lessening that to "dear". Note that calling Ranma and Akane by their first names would imply familiarity, particularly to someone of noble station like Kodachi. She usually calls Akane "Tendo", but calls her Akane that one time to emphasize their new-found friendship.

Sharp eared Anime viewers may also recognize where Kodachi's "Oompa Loompa" comment comes from.

About half of the next chapter is already written, so with luck it will come much faster.


	77. Headstrong Tomboy

"The Saotome Sisters"

Chapter 77

Ranma waited until after the bell had rung to announce lunchtime, and then he pulled his sister aside. "Hey, can I talk to ya a second?"

"Sure, Ranchan, what's up?"

Ranma glanced back at Akane, who had opened her lunch and was chatting with Sayuri and Yuka. "Can we talk outside? It's kinda private."

"Okay, sure."

They headed out to the hall, and Ranma tried to put on his most stern face. "So what's this about you trainin' Akane with weapons? Don't you think you've been goin' a little hard on her?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Ukyo studied him for a moment. "Is this about those bruises?"

"Yeah," Ranma returned his sister's penetrating look. As he suspected, she was as in the dark about what was going on as he was. "She told me that you've been training her with a shinai so you can keep pushing her, and building up her conditioning more than you could with bare hands. But you ain't been doin' that, have ya?"

Ukyo shook her head. "She told me YOU gave her those bruises. But I didn't believe her. I know you too well. I know you'd never hit her hard enough to leave a bruise, unless it was by accident."

"I thought so." Ranma glanced back at the classroom, but Akane hadn't followed them. "If it ain't me, and it ain't you, who is it?"

"I wonder if it's Happosai." Ukyo put a finger to her lip as she thought about it. "I didn't think he'd give in so soon, but I did ask him to train her..."

"That old freak! If he's the one that hurt her like that... !"

Ukyo put her hand on her brother's shoulder, before he could let his anger get out of control. The last thing she needed was for Ranma to go charging off looking to punish the old pervert. "Ranma, you settle down. You know Akane wants someone to take her seriously with her training, and you know that means she has to get hurt sometimes."

"But that pervert! If he's been laying a hand on her... !"

"Ranchan, we don't know for sure that's what's going on. Why don't you talk to Akane about it? She's not going to want to admit it if she's been keeping a secret from you, but just be patient and don't yell at her and eventually she'll give in. If I know Akane, she WANTS to tell you that she's getting better. She's probably just worried about your reaction."

"She's right ta be worried! I don't want her gettin' hurt like that!"

"Neither do I, but it's her choice." Ukyo stared at Ranma for a moment, then turned his chin to face her when he tried to look away. "It's HER choice!"

"Gah," Ranma muttered. "Look, you're gonna take off early to go work at the Cat Cafe', right?"

"Yeah, just like always."

"Good. I'm gonna tell everybody I'm leaving with ya. But I'm really gonna stay behind and see if I can find out what the tomboy is up to. Okay?"

Ukyo grinned back at him. "Just don't be too hard on her, Ranchan."

* * *

Just as planned, Ranma and Ukyo left right before the last class for the day. As soon as he was out of sight of the school, Ranma circled back around, leaping over the wall. He slipped up to Akane's classroom, and listened in under the window as the class began.

He could hear Akane's voice right nearby. "Okay, I think Ranma and Ukyo have been gone long enough, so I'm taking off. You'll take notes for me and turn in my homework from last night, won't you?"

"Of course we will," Sayuri answered.

"You guys are great." Ranma could hear the gratitude in Akane's voice. "I don't have training with Kodachi tonight, so I'll meet you at the usual place to pick up my notes and the homework for tomorrow. Maybe we'll stop and have some ice cream as well."

"That sounds like fun," Yuka said. Her voice then turned more concerned. "Just don't push yourself too hard, okay? I think some of the other girls noticed the bruises in the shower today. Some of them asked about it."

"What did you say to them?"

"Only that it's special training, and you'll be done soon." Sayuri said. There was a moment of silence. "You will tell Ranma and Ukyo, won't you?"

"Not yet. I'm getting close, I can feel it. I just want to try to get a little further before..." Akane's voice trailed off for a moment, as well. "... before I tell anyone else."

"Okay. We're just worried is all."

"I know. Thanks, guys." Ranma heard Akane gathering up her books, and then she left the room, just as the teacher started the lesson.

Now really worried, Ranma kept out of sight as Akane came out of the school building. As he expected, she looked around, and even seemed to look towards his hiding place. He was well hidden, though, and far enough away that she couldn't see him if he kept still. He didn't even breathe, freezing in place until Akane looked away. She continued down the path to the school's front gate, her head down, with her book bag held in front of her. He finally let himself move once she was outside the gate, and out of sight.

Staying well back, Ranma took to the rooftops, and trailed Akane as she made her way down the empty streets. He couldn't help but be surprised at Akane's determination. She was actually skipping school to meet with this mysterious trainer? That didn't seem like her at all. He knew how much she loved school, even though he hated it. He had to admit, though, if Akane needed time to herself, the best time would be when he and Ukyo were off working at the Cat Cafe'.

His thoughts returned to who Akane could actually be training with. It wasn't Cologne, that was for certain, she had been at the Cafe' all the time when he and Ukyo were working there. They would have noticed her leaving. It could not be Mousse for the same reason. He clenched his fist as he again thought about Happosai, putting his perverted hands all over his fiancée. He would knock him into the next ward if that was what was going on...

Or... maybe it was Ryoga. The Lost Boy hadn't been seen around lately, but maybe that was intentional, to throw off suspicion. For a moment, Ranma felt a flash of jealousy, along with the thought that maybe Ryoga and Akane had been doing OTHER things behind his back. But then he roughly shoved the disloyal thought aside. His tomboy would never do anything like that to him. Not after they had finally admitted their love for each other.

After a few minutes of following Akane, it became obvious that she was heading for home. So whoever she was meeting wasn't somewhere else. He kept up his pursuit, staying out of sight. It wasn't that difficult, Akane wasn't in any particular hurry, and outside of that one time in front of the school, she didn't seem to be on the lookout for anyone. In fact, she seemed a bit sad and withdrawn, as if something was weighing on her conscience. Could she be feeling guilty about lying to him?

Akane made her way through the front gate of the Tendo home, and then inside. Ranma skulked around in the bushes outside. He heard her enter the kitchen, and then Kasumi's voice. "Hello, Akane? Are you going to the dojo for your training?"

"That's right. I just wanted to change and get a snack first. I'm not hungry yet, but I know I will be after."

There was the sound of Kasumi handing Akane a tray, which she had probably already prepared, knowing Kasumi. She then spoke again, her voice gentle, but as concerned as Yuka and Sayuri's. "Be careful, Akane. And call me if you have any trouble."

"I will. If Ranma or Father come home early, let me know, okay?"

"I will, Akane. Good luck."

Ranma kept to the bushes as Akane came out with her tray, from the side door that led to the dojo. He couldn't see her clearly, but he could tell that she was munching on the snacks as she walked. She disappeared into the wooden building that adjoined the Tendo home. Ranma crouched in the shadows of the bushes for quite a few moments, trying to decide what to do. No one else came out to join her. Was Akane training on her own?

Minutes passed. When there was still no activity from the dojo, and no one showed up to join her, Ranma began to consider leaving his hiding place. He half expected Happosai to pop out of nowhere, cackling and waving around his bag of ill-gotten "pretties". But there was no sign of the letch, and Akane hadn't asked about him inside. His curiosity continued to grow. What was Akane up to?

Suddenly, there was a sharp cry of attack. Ranma heard shuffling and the cracking sound of a strike from the dojo, and then another cry. There was then a loud explosion. It shook the ground under his feet, and caused Ranma to take a step back. For a moment, he heard a sizzling noise, like the rain of debris hitting the ground, and then there was another explosion. And another. And another. The explosions began to shake the dojo, although the wood held against the assault.

The sound was strange, not exactly something he had heard before, but it was all too close to a sound he was familiar with. The Bakusai Tenketsu. This explosion wasn't as loud, and there was a sharper quality, more like a crack than a bang, and the settling sound after was too light and weak to be rock. But it was close. Way too close. Now truly frightened for the tomboy's safety, Ranma rushed for the door to the dojo.

What he saw when he threw the door open stunned him into inaction. Akane was there, performing a kata. He had caught her just as she stepped into a strike, one finger outstretched. She was not wearing her usual gi. Instead, she was wearing some of her old, worn out clothes, a pair of shorts, and a gym t-shirt that was about a size to small for her. Neither was truly enough to cover her, they both were ripped and torn to shreds, great rents in the cloth exposing the skin underneath. The shirt was barely holding together, hanging in strips over her taunt belly, and exposing the white of her bra.

And without the clothing to cover her, with so much of her skin exposed, it was painfully obvious her injuries were far worse than Ranma had thought. She was covered in bruises, on her arms, her thighs, even her stomach and shoulders. The yellowed and purple bruises were themselves crisscrossed with cuts and scratches, most of them recently healed, some of them open and bleeding. Scrapes and abrasions covered her body as well, reddened patches of skin fresh from bearing the brunt of an explosive impact.

Concrete cinder blocks, like those Akane used to break to build up her strength, had been hung from the rafters by ropes. They were laid out in a pattern, covering the entire dojo. Akane was performing a kata underneath them, and as she flowed through the steps of her kata, she struck at the cinder blocks. She struck each with a single finger, and then moved on, without pausing to witness the result of her strike. Each cinder block exploded anyway, and as Akane positioned herself to make the strike on the next cinder block, she turned her body to expose herself to the blast of the previous. Her back, her chest, her side, her hips. Each time, she bore the brunt of the impact of the blast on a different part of her body.

It was no wonder her clothing was torn to shreds. And even more shocking, Ranma could see the agony on her face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and each blast made her flinch, involuntarily. Still, she never wavered in her kata, and although her knees shook slightly, she never missed a step. Her focus was perfect, and not a single foot was out-of-place or strike off of the point of impact. That Akane could perform a kata so flawlessly almost took Ranma's breath away, and that she could do it while in such pain was unbelievable.

Ranma's reaction was completely instinctive. He threw himself across the dojo, slamming into Akane, and knocking her to the ground, just as she triggered another Breaking Point blast. He curled his body around her, bearing the brunt of the explosion with his own back. The cinder block ripped into him as it shattered, its sharp edges and rough texture in its own way worse than one of Ryoga's boulders. He bore the pain with no complaint, though, knowing that it could not truly hurt him. Not unless he continued to expose himself to it, like Akane was doing.

"What are ya doin' ya crazy tomboy!" Ranma yelled at her, as he moved back to let her sit up. "Of all the dumb, stupid, crazy things for you to do... what were ya thinkin'?"

Akane looked up at him, scared and ashamed. She was obviously embarrassed at being caught, and not sure what to say. She finally looked at the dojo floor, and muttered, "I'm sorry."

"Why would you do that? Why would you do that to yourself?"

There was another long, long silence, while Akane stared at the floor, her face blazing red. Finally, she swallowed and spoke, her voice small. "It's based on the Bakusai Tenketsu training. I can't take boulders slamming into me, but I thought cinder blocks would be a weaker alternative, so I could build myself up to it gradually. Like you said about the tile..." She met his eyes for a moment, and then looked away. "I could start with something that wouldn't hurt me as bad, and work my way up to boulders."

Ranma glanced back at the cinder blocks hanging from the ceiling. "So you swung those at you and hit yourself with them?"

"Yes, but it wasn't enough." Akane swallowed, her eyes still rooted firmly on the floor. "So I came up with the idea of making them explode, instead."

Ranma stared at her. Then he signed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to tell you. I just... I wanted to see how far I could get before I told you and Ukyo, and you made me cut back." Her voice dropped even further, to barely a whisper. "Or made me stop."

Ranma wrapped his arms around her. "I'm not gonna make you stop, tomboy."

"You're not?" She looked at him, tears running down her cheeks. She sounded desperate, frightened.

"No." He sat back, and scowled at her. "But you're gonna promise me, right now, that you are NEVER going to do this again without somebody watchin' you."

"But..."

"RIGHT NOW, Akane! You coulda broken an arm, you coulda cut open an artery! You could have been knocked unconscious and bled to death on the floor before anybody found you!"

She looked away again, her face glowing with shame. "Kasumi knew I was out here. She would have noticed if the explosions stopped."

"She still might not have gotten here in time! You don't EVER train for a special technique without someone to watch you. Promise me!"

"Okay." Akane swallowed. "I won't ever train like this alone again."

"On your honor as a martial artist!"

Akane sniffled. "I swear on my honor as a martial artist. I won't ever train a technique like this on my own again."

"Good enough." Ranma wrapped his arms around her again, holding her close. The very thought, that he might lose her like this...

"I'm sorry," Akane repeated, her voice becoming choked with sobs.

"It's okay. Stupid tomboy."

Akane sniffled again, and then returned Ranma's hug, holding him even tighter. After a moment, she looked up at him. "Are you... are you sure... you want to watch... this?"

Ranma's heart sank as he realized what she meant. But for her... "It's okay, Akane. You need ta do this. You need to be tougher. Otherwise, no matter how strong you get, all it'll take is one hit, an' yer out. It's a great technique." He smiled a bit as he released her, and looked into her brown eyes.

Ranma ran his hand down her cheek, tracing a tear with his thumb. He noted absently the tiny scratches and abrasions on her face, too small to be noticed at a distance, but all too obvious up close. She had covered it up with makeup, but he now realized that the reason she had avoided him was so he wouldn't get close enough to her to notice.

"How long does it take the bleeding to stop?" He asked her.

Akane blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in subject, and then cut her eyes away again. "Usually, about an hour after I take my bath. Sometimes half an hour. Kasumi usually drains the bath and refills it so no one notices the blood."

She was silent for a moment, then looked back at Ranma. "When I first started, it used to take a couple of hours. I know if I keep working on it I can get it to stop before I finish my bath. I KNOW I can."

"I'm sure you can, tomboy," Ranma said, with a smile. He looked back at the cinder blocks hanging from their ropes and chuckled. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"Yes." Akane looked away from him again, truly ashamed. "I've made it so... so you don't have to hit me... to help me get stronger."

"No," Ranma said. He laughed again. "Well, kinda, but no. You've figured out how to hit YOURSELF... to use your OWN strength to make yourself tougher."

He sat her up, with his hands on her shoulders. Then he stared into her eyes. She looked back at him, confused.

"You've taken somebody else's technique and made it your own, Akane. You're makin' it do somethin' it wasn't intended ta do. You ain't just doin' what somebody else taught ya. Yer figurin' it out for yourself..."

Ranma grinned at her, his eyes shining. Akane swallowed. Her heart had begun to pound in her chest, even though she didn't know why.

"Anything Goes, Akane. That's what Anything Goes is all about."

Akane's mouth fell open. But it was Ranma's next words that completely floored her.

"I guess you really are a martial artist, after all, like you keep sayin'..." He grinned teasingly at her stunned expression, until she flung her arms around him and kissed him, soundly. "And now I gotta remember THAT for the next time you're mad at me," he quipped.

"Baka." Akane shook her head, then took a deep breath. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"Yeah." He nodded his head towards the dojo. "Why don't you continue your practice."

Akane smiled at him, excited. "Really?"

"Really. And the fourth step in that kata try bringing your left leg out a bit. It'll brace you a bit better."

"Okay." She stared into his eyes. Her enthusiasm made him feel giddy.

"Are you lettin' yourself get good an' angry, to help hold your stance? I didn't feel your battle aura."

Akane shook her head. "I don't want to block the attacks, I want to take it, to build up my body."

"Still, it can help brace you and keep you from havin' to compensate so much for the explosion. And it can help with the pain, too. If it helps, just think about me." He grinned, impishly.

Akane's smile was just as mischievous. "I don't know if I can get angry with you when you're being so nice."

"Even if I call you flat chested and thunder thighs?"

Her eyes flashed, but more with amusement than anger. "That might do it."

"How about if I point out that I can see your bra... and a whole lot more." He pointed at her chest.

"HEY!" Aware of her near nudity for the first time, Akane wrapped her arms around herself. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was enjoying the show."

"Pervert!" Her aura flared a bit, but only a little. She still wasn't serious.

"Good thing Happosai isn't here to see that. I bet he'd have his hands all over you. I'd protect you, though."

"I bet you would. I bet you don't want anybody's hands on me but yours."

For a moment, Ranma considered his usual denial. But then, an alternative suggested itself to him. Half deciding to act before he could think about the possible consequences, (and change his mind) he leaned forward, to bring his face closer to Akane's. Her eyes widened as he got close to her.

"Not as much as you want me to put my hands on you, tomboy."

BOOM! That did it. Akane's battle aura erupted like a bonfire. But to Ranma's credit, not all of that was anger. A good part of it was another emotion, just as intense and passionate, but in a totally different way.

"You think you can touch me before I break both your arms?" Akane asked, her voice thick with challenge. Or maybe that was something else.

He ran his hand over her bare shoulder. "Only if you want me to..."

Akane stared at him, perhaps wondering if he would go further. When he didn't, she stood up. Ranma smirked at her as she stood proudly, making no attempt to hide her body. "Thanks, Ranma. I think I'm ready to continue now."

Smiling, Ranma sat back to watch the show. At least for a while. He wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to watch once she really started hurting again. But for now, with his tomboy marching across the dojo like she was ready to take on the world and win, he couldn't think of anything he'd rather do.

* * *

By the time she finished her training, Akane was dripping with sweat, and there was a slightly dazed look in her eyes. Ranma had needed to fight back the impulse to stop her on several occasions, when the explosions caught her particularly hard. The shrapnel from the cinder blocks had cut deeply into her skin, leaving rivulets of blood behind. But he had held himself back, and Akane had somehow held fast against the impact, keeping up her kata.

A part of him was proud of her. Although she would never be as tough as Ryoga, he estimated that she was getting close to being as tough as his cursed body, and she had definitely surpassed Ucchan's physical resilience. Of course, his sister was far faster than either Akane or himself, and could avoid most strikes or twist around them, so it wasn't like a single blow could take her out. Still, if it weren't for Ukyo's supernatural sense of awareness, she could be taken out easily if caught by surprise.

Akane looked on the verge of collapse, but still stubbornly remained standing. It was starting to get dark, and it occurred to Ranma that Akane might be pushing herself so hard simply because he was watching. "That's enough, Akane," Ranma said, hoping to put a stop to that. "Sis will be home soon, and you still need to take a bath."

"Still thinking of taking a bath with me, eh, pervert?" Akane quipped, although her eyes didn't quite focus on him.

"Of course not!" Ranma protested, more out of habit than anything else. He moved over to take her hand, and she smiled at him.

"Just a few more minutes," Akane begged, with a bit of a pout. "I'm not... tired..." But then she suddenly swooned, and collapsed against him.

"Akane?" Worried, Ranma put his arms around her, to hold her up. But she quickly recovered, getting back on her feet. She continued to lean against him, though, until Ranma finally lifted her into his arms.

Akane slapped his chest, as Ranma picked her up. "Hey, I can walk!" She protested.

"Is that why you're hangin' on ta me, tomboy?" Ranma asked. He raised an eyebrow, taunting her.

Akane frowned for a moment, but then cuddled up closer. "I guess it's all right, then. If you're going to hold me while I'm half-naked, though, you can at least help me into my gi." She gestured at a chair, where she had hung her martial arts uniform, so it wouldn't get ripped by the flying debris.

Ranma looked down at her chest, and Akane smirked at him. "If you look any lower, Ranma, I WILL hit you."

"As if I'd want to look at an uncute tomboy like you," Ranma said, although for once, it was obvious from his tone that he wasn't serious. "But I have to make sure you don't have any serious injuries."

Akane's face reddened a bit as Ranma completed his examination, and then he brought her over to the chair. He set her on her feet for a moment while he helped Akane put the gi on over her shredded shirt and shorts. He then picked her back up, and Akane put her arms around his neck. Ranma brought them out of the dojo and into the house.

Ranma went around to the family room, where he found Soun lying on the floor, on a mat. Kasumi was applying a cold cloth to his forehead, while her father mumbled something about "I was afraid something like this would happen." Ranma scowled at the thought of what Akane's father might be up to, when his own father grabbed him by the arm. Genma dragged Ranma out to the engawa, and Ranma struggled to hold onto Akane as they were jostled about.

The old man was wearing a backpack, and had a bunch of Ranma's clothes hung over his other arm. "Come on, Ranma, we have to go on a training trip right away. There's not a moment to... what's wrong with Akane?" Genma drew up short, as he finally noticed that his son was carrying his black-haired fiancée.

"Nothing's wrong with me!" Akane snapped back, her face again turning red. "Put me down, Ranma!" She began to squirm in Ranma's arms, and he was hard pressed to remain standing while holding her.

Soun sat up. "My poor baby! What is wrong, my darling Akane?" Tears began to pour down his cheeks. "Ranma! What have you done to my daughter?"

"I ain't done nothin'!" Ranma yelled, starting to panic. He almost dropped Akane again, and she cried out in indignation.

"I am just fine!" Akane spat, "Or I will be when Ranma lets me go! I was doing just fine until the baka came in and started going on about me hurting myself, and picked me up! I told him, I can walk!"

He finally managed to get the struggling girl back on her feet, and she pushed him away, roughly. "I don't need your help, Ranma." As she turned away from their fathers, though, she gave him a secret smile and a wink. "Just because I hurt my knee a little bit, that doesn't mean I need you to carry me."

"You hurt your knee?" Soun came up off of the mat. "What did you do?"

"It's NOTHING!" Akane yelled back. She grabbed Ranma and shoved him in front of her, making it look like she was mad at him, not using him to hide her bruises from her father. Not to mention the bloodstain he could see spreading across the arm of her gi. "I told this idiot, and I'll tell you! It's just a little bump, it doesn't even hurt!"

Ranma decided to play along. "It's not like I wanted ta carry you or anything," he quipped. "You're so heavy I might have strained somethin'."

She spun him around at that, meeting Ranma's eyes with a glare that promised later retribution. "Well, I never asked for your help anyway! Honestly!" She turned away, sticking her nose in the air as she stomped around the corner towards the furoba. But just before she turned out of sight, she stopped and grinned back at him again. Then she disappeared from view.

Genma paid no further attention to Akane's abrupt departure, apparently having completely forgotten about his earlier concern. "Come on, son, we have to leave, now." He grabbed Ranma by the shoulder, and pushed him out onto the engawa again. "We already may be too late to get away in time."

"Stuff it, Pops," Ranma sneered, turning his attention back to his father. "I don't care if Mom has some contract to make you commit seppuku or not. You may be scared of her, but I'm not! She asked me to visit her, and that's just what I'm gonna do!"

"It's not your mother I'm worried about, son," Genma said. "It's the Master. You don't know the true terror of the Master's wrath, and I for one don't plan to be here to face it."

"You're the one that has angered the Master, Ranma, you and your sister," Soun added, sternly pointing at the pigtailed boy. "I shudder to think what he has planned." He then looked at Genma. "And you'd better not leave me to face this alone, Saotome."

Genma tried to herd his son out into the yard again. "Don't worry, Tendo. Once the boy and I get out of here, hopefully the Master will calm down."

"What about Kuonji?"

As if Soun's question was the cue, Ukyo called out from the genkan. "I'm home! What's with all these guys waiting out by the gate?"

"Guys by the gate?" Soun hurried down the hallway to the front entrance, with Ranma and Genma right behind him. They met Ukyo as she was taking off her shoes to put on house slippers.

"Yeah," she said, "there's some big crowd out here."

Soun threw open the door, to find the entire front walkway crammed with people, all of them carrying boxes and platters piled high with food. Even more were squeezing in through the Tendos' open gateway.

"I have a delivery of 50 orders of pork cutlets over rice for Ukyo Kuonji," said the nearest of the delivery men. Another nearby added, "100 orders of sushi, here." The others all chimed in with their similar orders, all for increasing amounts of food.

"Is this Happosai's idea of revenge?" Ukyo asked incredulously. "Ordering a bunch of food in my name?"

"If it is, he's got a big surprise coming," Ranma put in. "I can take anything that old freak can dish out. And I can sure eat all this food."

"Yeah, Ranchan, but you can't pay for it," Ukyo countered. The delivery man with the pork cutlets frowned at her, and a murmur of disquiet moved through the crowd.

"What worries me, son, is that all of these orders are for Kuonji," Genma said ominously. "What could he have in mind for you?"

The crowd of delivery men then parted, as a wave of young women forced their way through the gate and into the entryway. "Where is this Ranma Saotome person? We demand you show him to us right now!"

Happosai suddenly popped up on Ranma's shoulder, with a sign in his hand saying "Ranma Saotome, right here", and an arrow pointing to Ranma. The girls all screamed and charged at him.

"How dare you steal our underwear!" they all yelled. "You even had the nerve to leave a note! What kind of pervert are you?"

Both Ukyo and Akane tried to protest Ranma's innocence, but they were unable to stop the girls as the small area inside the genkan erupted into chaos. Happosai picked up one of the incriminating notes that fluttered out of the cloud of dust kicked up by the scuffle. "Yep, that is definitely signed by Ranma Saotome. Give him his just punishment, girls." Puffing on his pipe, he sat down to watch the show.

* * *

It was a very subdued Tendo family that sat down to dinner that night. Happosai bounded around the room, throwing okonomiyaki sauce on the walls, and poking "Ranma is a dope" into the rice paper shoji doors. He seemed deadly serious, not laughing or cackling as he usually did, but instead throwing Ranma and Ukyo withering scowls. His pranks were not even limited to Ranma and Ukyo. He had thrown water over Genma, turning him into a panda, and hung a sign saying "Please don't feed the animals" around his neck. And he had written "Spineless" across Soun's face.

"You know, while I can appreciate Grandfather's resourcefulness," Nabiki said dryly, "After a while, the humor of it starts to wear thin."

"Hey, you didn't have a bunch of angry girls beating on you," Ranma complained. "And it wasn't even my fault!"

"Be that as it may..." Nabiki paused a moment, as Happosai hopped across the table, dumping pepper into everyone's food. "I've had enough. What's it going to take to restore what passes for peace in this house?"

"I don't see why I gotta apologize!" Ranma said. "I didn't do nothin'!"

"We're not going to apologize," Ukyo said, taking a bite of her food. Although she did give a grimace of distaste, she still continued eating, ignoring Happosai's antics. "I gave the old freak a chance. He's a guest in this house. He should be grateful we're letting him keep any of those panties he stole at all."

Nabiki looked at her father. "She does have a point, Daddy. What are you going to do about this?"

Soun looked very solemn, and put down his chopsticks. "You're right. It's time I did what I should have done all along." He looked over at the panda. "Saotome, are you with me?" As one, they rose to their feet.

Happosai turned his scowl on Soun and Genma, studying them carefully. The rest at the table watched, expectantly. Ukyo and Ranma both looked hopeful, and Akane beamed at her father's show of bravery. Even Nabiki seemed impressed.

The tall man and panda immediately fell to their knees, bowing deeply. "Forgive us, Master!" Soun cried. "Spare us your terrible wrath! We'll do anything you ask!"

"Daaaad!" Akane's expression went from proud to exasperated in an instant. Ranma and Ukyo both just shook their heads.

"I should have known," Ukyo huffed. "Well, you two can give in if you want to, it doesn't change a thing. Sensei's 'pretties' are already on their way back to the folks they belong to, and no amount of bawling and temper tantrums are going to change that."

She glared at Happosai, and he glared back. "It's nothing to have these two bow to me," Happosai said, gesturing at the two adults, "but it seems to be that you two are the ones who should be begging for my mercy."

"Me? Bow to you?" Ranma got up from the table to confront the old man, clenching his fist as he stood over him. Happosai just watching him, unflinching. "Ranma Saotome doesn't bow to nobody!"

Genma shoved his son's head to the ground, doubling him over. "You don't have to mean it, Ranma," his sign read. "Just say it. It's for the best."

Ranma slugged his father off of him, and the panda went flying out of the family room and into the koi pond. "I told you, I don't bow to no one!"

"And that makes two of us," Ukyo added her agreement, standing at her brother's side. "I'm not afraid of a few pranks, and if you cared about more than lazing around and feeding your fat butt, you wouldn't be afraid of him either."

"Ranma, Ukyo, this is the peace and tranquility of my home you are disturbing," Soun said, his voice stern. "If you cannot apologize to the Master, then I will have to ask you to leave."

"Me?" Ukyo shouted, and Ranma echoed, "What?" Ukyo glanced at him, then nodded. "Why us? Why don't you make the old freak leave?"

"Do you think you can make me leave, Little Ukyo?" Happosai said, puffing on his pipe. Ukyo just ignored him.

"Just apologize to the master," Soun said. "It'll be easier on all of us."

"Forget it!" Ranma shot back. "I'd rather leave than apologize to HIM."

"If that's the way you feel, then I'm afraid I have no choice..."

"No, Daddy!" Akane interrupted. "You can't make Ranma leave!" There was desperation in her voice for a second, but then she caught herself. "I mean... it's not like I care about the baka or anything, but it's not fair! Grandfather is just as responsible for this as Ranma and Ukyo are."

"I don't know, Akane," Nabiki put in. "Ranma and Ukyo are the only ones Happosai has any argument with. It doesn't have anything to do with us. Maybe if they go off somewhere, the old man will follow them." She glanced at Happosai. "I mean, if the old man wants his apology he'll have to chase after them."

Ranma scoffed and crossed his arms. "He can follow me ta China if he wants, I ain't gonna apologize to him."

"That's it then." Akane got to her feet. "Come on, Ucchan, let's go upstairs and pack. I'll go with you."

"No way!" Ranma's response was automatic. "I don't need some useless tomboy gettin' in my way! It'll be hard enough bein' on my own, without having to take care of you, too!"

"Sheesh, Ranma, it's not like it's the middle of winter or anything." Akane said with a scowl. "It's been nice and warm lately, even at night. I'm sure it'll be fine, and like your father said, this is the perfect time for a training trip." Her scowl faded, and Akane gave him a cheerful grin. "It'll be fun!"

"Akane, do you mean it?" Soun burst into a fountain of tears. "Whaaaaa! My little girl is leaving me!"

"I'm not leaving, Daddy, I'm just going away with Ranma for a while."

"I'm not goin' anywhere! Certainly not with you taggin' along!"

"My poor baby!" Soun wailed, "Who will look out for her when she gets hurt! Ranma, you must take care of my little girl!"

"I ain't takin' care of nobody!"

"You don't have to take care of me! I'm a martial artist too, Ranma!"

"ENOUGH!" Ukyo slammed her fist down on the table, cutting through the racket. "Everyone, just SHUT UP! I'm not goin' anywhere, Ranchan's not goin' anywhere, and we are NOT giving in to this old man!"

She turned to glare at Happosai, who had been watching the argument with an increasingly wide grin. He met her gaze calmly, without flinching. "You think you can cause enough trouble to get us kicked out, eh, 'Sensei'? Well, you don't know what trouble is. Don't you worry, Mr. Tendo, because by the time I get through with this old man, he's going to be the one bowing to me."

Happosai puffed on his pipe. Soun eyed the two of them, worriedly, and then spoke up. "Are you planning to challenge the Master, Ukyo?"

"Nope. I know the old pervert has the edge on me in martial arts. But I've just decided to fight fire with fire." She leaned closer to the Master. "You like pranks, do you, Sensei? Well, let's see if you can take what you dish out. At some place, at some time, when you least expect it, I'll get you back... and then you'll be singing a different tune."

Happosai held her gaze, the smoke drifting lazily up from his pipe, between them. Ukyo could tell that she had piqued his interest. "Do you really think you can catch me off guard?"

"I'm bettin' on it. You'll never see it coming."

Happosai glanced around at the others in the room. "All right. You've got a deal, Little Ukyo. My pranks against yours. I'll even leave the others out of it, until you've declared me the winner."

Ukyo grinned, wickedly. "Don't count on it, Sensei. You've got no idea what you're getting into. You want a prank war... YOU'VE GOT A PRANK WAR!"


End file.
